Why we add sugar to savory dishes
Not all sugar works the same way. Get to know the types used in Cantonese cooking and how to choose between them.
Sweet: The Elements of Flavor
Sugar does more than make a dish sweet. Explore the ingredients that balance savory flavors, add shine, and bring Cantonese desserts to life.
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Inside the course
The role of honey, maltose, and syrup
Sweetness, shine, and texture in a spoonful. Learn what makes honey, maltose, and syrup different and when to use each.
Using dried fruits
Explore sweetness beyond the sugar jar. Learn how dates and figs bring flavor to both sweet and savory dishes.
Hoisin & ketchup, explained
Two familiar bottles with more to offer. Learn how hoisin sauce and ketchup add sweetness and depth to Cantonese dishes.
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Explore this lessonPrint it. Keep it close. Refresh what you learned.
Your membership includes printable lesson transcripts and written Mastery Recipe instructions for “Sweet: The Elements of Flavor”. Read along, cook from the printed recipe, or refresh a technique without replaying the video.
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Put it into practice.
Bring the techniques together in this Mastery Recipe.
Snow Fungus Sweet Soup
End your meal with something gently sweet. Put your sweet ingredients to work in a comforting snow fungus soup.
Finding his way back to his grandmother’s cooking.
“I now have a better understanding of the base cuisine and I dare say my Chinese cooking has improved by leaps and bounds so much so that aside from cooking some of the recipes from the site I'm able to recreate some of my grandmother's recipes through fundamentals and taste memories.”
Desmond FooA former professional chef learning through Made With Lau
Read Desmond’s full story
Hi, I'm Desmond from Singapore and I was a professional chef for 16 years but doing western cuisine. I'm still somewhat involved in the F&B business.
During the pandemic when everything was in lockdown I started to learn how to do local cuisine, something which I have very little experience with. A large part of that longing to learn was missing my Cantonese grandmother's cooking. She came from Shunde and I'm planning a trip there next year to pay homage to her memory; she was an extremely good cook.
I didn't have the necessary fundamentals to even try to recreate some of the taste and flavours I grew up with but watching Made with Lau has put me in the right track. I now have a better understanding of the base cuisine and I dare say my Chinese cooking has improved by leaps and bounds so much so that aside from cooking some of the recipes from the site I'm able to recreate some of my grandmother's recipes through fundamentals and taste memories.
What you learn here is fundamentals which are the cornerstone of learning to well. With Daddy Lau sharing many tips from his years in the kitchen if you listen carefully these tips speak volume. His recipes are not difficult, that's the beautiful part. The fundamentals that you will learn will be priceless.
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