What Is Shacha Sauce? How to Use a Taiwanese Braising Spice Pack and Five-Spice Powder in Overseas Restaurants

Quick Answer

Shacha sauce is cooked from dried flatfish, dried shrimp, peanuts, garlic, chili and oil; in Taiwan it is used as a hot pot dip, in shacha beef stir-fries and fried noodles. A braising spice pack puts star anise, cinnamon, licorice and other spices in a filter bag; add soy sauce and water to make Taiwanese braised dishes (lu wei). Five-spice powder is a blended spice used in Taiwanese fried and braised foods. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Finance, exports of other sauces (HS 210390) grew about 30% in ten years.

Shacha Sauce: The Soul of Hot Pot and Stir-Fries

Ingredients: common ingredients include dried flatfish, dried shrimp, peanuts, garlic, shallots, chili and oil; recipes vary by brand.
Uses: hot pot dipping sauce, shacha beef or pork with greens, shacha fried noodles, barbecue sauce.
Allergens: most contain fish, crustaceans (shrimp) and peanuts; label them as your country requires.
Search terms abroad: Japanese shoppers search 沙茶醤, Korean shoppers 사차장; in English it is usually “shacha sauce”.

How to Use a Braising Spice Pack

Basic braising liquid: spice pack + soy sauce + rock sugar + water; sauté scallion, ginger and garlic first if you like.
What to braise: tofu, kelp, eggs, pork, chicken wings and vegetarian items.
Spices: commonly star anise, cinnamon, licorice, Sichuan pepper, cloves, dried tangerine peel and fennel.
Herbal pork rib soup pack: the herbal rib soup sold at Taiwanese night markets, simmered with a pack of Chinese herbs.

Taiwanese Sauces and Spices at a Glance

Product	Use	Overseas use
shacha sauce	Hot pot dip, stir-fries, barbecue	Hot pot, Taiwanese stir-fry, Asian restaurants
braising spice pack	Braised dishes, braised pork, eggs	Taiwanese bento, braised snack stalls, side dishes
herbal pork rib soup pack	Herbal pork rib soup	Taiwanese snack shops, night-market style restaurants
Taiwanese sweet chili sauce	Dip for fried food, oyster omelette, ba-wan	Taiwanese fried food, snack stalls
five-spice powder	Marinades, braises, fried foods	Fried chicken, braised pork, barbecue

Taiwan’s Sauce Export Data

Item (HS code)	2016	2025	10-year change
Other sauces (210390)	about US$36.1 million	about US$46.9 million	+30%
Soy sauce (210310)	about US$26.0 million	about US$25.4 million	−2%
Mixed spices (091091)	about US$0.5 million	about US$0.3 million	−51%

Sauce exports are growing steadily; spices such as braising packs and five-spice powder are usually imported together with demand from Taiwanese restaurants and snack shops.

How Tang Sugar Can Help

Tang Sugar supplies shacha sauce, braising spice pack, herbal pork rib soup pack, Taiwanese sweet chili sauce and five-spice powder. Every Tang Sugar shipment comes with a Certificate of Origin and a Certificate of Analysis (COA), available on request. Shelf-stable snack ingredients can ship in a mixed container with tapioca pearls, tea and syrups. Contact us for a quote or request samples.

Note: export figures are Taiwan Ministry of Finance HS 6-digit statistics. Some codes cover broad product groups, so use them as trends only. Check the latest import rules with the authorities in your country.

Products in this article

All 11 Braising Spices & Taiwanese Sauces →

Braising Spice Pack+ Add to quote

Five-Spice Powder+ Add to quote

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Shacha (Satay) Sauce+ Add to quote

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FAQ

Is shacha sauce vegetarian?

Regular shacha sauce contains dried fish and shrimp, so it is not vegetarian. Some brands make a vegetarian version; check the ingredient list.

Is shacha sauce the same as satay sauce?

The names share a root, but Taiwanese shacha is built on the savory flavor of dried fish and shrimp, while Southeast Asian satay sauce is mainly peanut and spices. They taste different.