Ingredients

• oil
• 1/2 cup minced green onion whites
  • 1-2 bunches, a little less if you stretch the definition of whites
• 1/4 cup minced ginger
• 1/4 cup shaoxing rice wine
• 2.5 cups water
• 3 1/3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp - 1/2 tsp red yeast rice, ground (substitute with sweet paprika)
• 8-10 whole star anise cloves
• 2 sticks cinnamon or cassia bark
• 1/2 tsp cutcherry powder (shajiang)
• 12 whole cloves
• 2 pods black cardamon, lightly cracked
• 1 tangerine peel
• (optional) 8 small slices liquorice root
• (optional) 1/2 dried slice of luo han guo fruit
• 3 tbsp red miso
• (optional) 1 tbsp liquor from red fermented tofu
• (optional) 50g rock sugar
• 3 tbsp maltose (substitute with natural honey)

Instructions

1. In the smallest amount of oil possible, fry green onion whites and ginger for about 1 minute
2. Add rice wine, water, soy sauces, then spices
3. Simmer on low for 30-90 minutes
4. Strain out spices and aromatics retaining the sauce (lushui)
5. Combine 3/4 cup of the lushui with red miso, red fermented tofu liquor, and rock sugar if using it. Simmer until rock sugar is fully disolved
6. Add in remaining lushui
7. Carefully add in maltose and stir until combined
8. Remove from heat and place in jar