If you want to cook Chinese food with confidence at home, you don’t need a cupboard full of sauces.
You need five.
Light soy sauce – seasoning.
Pure sesame oil – aroma.
Dark soy – colour.
Oyster sauce – depth.
Shaoxing wine – balance.
Master these five, and everything else becomes easier. This is the foundation of proper Chinese cooking. No confusion. No guesswork. Just flavour that makes sense.