Liang ban (凉拌) is one of Chinese cooking‘s most accessible techniques. The sauce balances four flavors — sour, salty, sweet, and spicy — in proportions that work for almost any ingredient. Once you memorize the ratio, you can create endless variations.
The Golden Ratio
Start with this base ratio and adjust to taste: 2 parts soy sauce (salty), 1 part Chinkiang vinegar (sour), ½ part sugar (sweet), ½ part sesame oil (aromatic), plus garlic and chili to taste. This is your template — tweak each component based on the ingredient.
- Soy sauce: 2 parts (light soy for salt, dark for color)
- Vinegar: 1 part (Chinkiang/black vinegar ideal)
- Sugar: ½ part (white or rock sugar)
- Sesame oil: ½ part (toasted)
- Aromatics: minced garlic, chili oil, scallion
Adjusting for Ingredients
Leafy greens need more vinegar to cut bitterness. Root vegetables benefit from more sugar to balance earthiness. Protein (tofu, chicken) needs more soy sauce for umami. Noodles require a thinner sauce — add a splash of cooking water or broth.
Pro Tips
Always taste the sauce before adding to ingredients. Adjust while warm for dressings that will be served hot. For cold dishes, let the sauce sit 10 minutes so flavors meld. Remember: you can always add more, but you can‘t take it away.
