What is Hoisin sauce?

Hoisin sauce — A thick, reddish-brown sweet and spicy sauce, widely used in Chinese cooking. It's a mixture of soya beans, vinegar, sugar, garlic, chilli peppers and various spices. Hoisin sauce is mainly used as a table condiment and for flavouring meat, poultry and shellfish dishes. It’s sold in jars or cans and is widely available from Chinese grocers and supermarkets. It keeps for weeks in the fridge.