How An Accidental Discovery Transformed Cantonese Cuisine Forever

It all started with an overcooked pot of oyster soup.

In 1888, Lee Kum Sheung was the humble operator of a small teahouse in the coastal town of Nanshui, in China’s southern Guangdong province. One of the most popular dishes in Mr. Lee’s restaurant was oyster soup: a savoury broth made by braising the plump, juicy oysters that flourished in the waters around the town.
 
One day, Mr. Lee was preparing a vat of soup when the restaurant became unexpectedly busy. Bustling from table to table, taking orders from hungry customers, he completely forgot about the oysters cooking away on the stove – until a thick, savory  aroma permeated the air. He rushed back to the kitchen in dismay; the milky broth had simmered down into a thick, glossy brown paste. A “ruined” batch of soup. 

Until he tentatively tasted the concoction and found that it was… delicious. 

Mr. Lee’s accidental discovery had a complex profile: a rich, umami flavour that was a little sweet, a little salty – perfect for dipping and cooking alike. Sensing an opportunity, Mr. Lee bottled the sauce to sell, and thus Lee Kum Kee was born.

To this day, Lee Kum Kee’s versatile oyster sauce is a staple in home and restaurant kitchens worldwide. In addition to its use as a dipping sauce or marinade, oyster sauce can be stirred into stews or added to a simple stir-fry for an easy but delicious weeknight meal. It sits at the very soul of Cantonese cuisine. 

It’s no exaggeration to say that this accident – and Mr. Lee’s entrepreneurial spirit – shaped the face of Chinese cuisine forever. From its humble beginnings, Lee Kum Kee has grown into one of the world’s most beloved culinary brands. This accidental sauce has not only become a foundational element for Cantonese cuisine, but it also lies at the heart of Lee Kum Kee’s mission to promoting Chinese culinary culture worldwide. 

But it takes more than a happy accident to build a brand that resonates across the world. It takes self-belief, courage, compassion and respect for tradition and heritage.

In the 1920s, Lee Shiu Nan, son of Lee Kum Sheung, began exporting Lee Kum Kee’s oyster sauce to America, riding the wave of an influx of Chinese immigrants in search of new opportunities overseas. He saw not only a business opportunity decades before other brands looked to the west, but also a way to support his countrymen so far from home. 

Lee Shiu Nan’s decision helped to support the entrepreneurial dreams of budding Chinese restaurateurs in the United States. The move ushered in what we know today as Chinese-American cuisine – Chinese dishes adapted to suit foreign palates, with a generous dash of Lee Kum Kee’s sauces for an authentic taste of home.

As its export trade grew, in 1932 Lee Kum Kee relocated its headquarters to the trading hub of Hong Kong.

“Our first store in Hong Kong was at 262 Queen’s Road Central. We had only a few employees. There was one kitchen – if we had to make a batch of oyster sauce, we wouldn’t be able to cook our dinner,” recalled Lee Kum Sheung’s grandson Lee Man Tat, who left school at 15 to work in the family business. 

 “Children and adults alike would work tirelessly to cook and bottle the sauce. There was no machinery; everything was made by hand,” he recalled in a 2014 interview. 

Fast-forward to 1972, when “panda mania” hit the US. President Richard Nixon had been gifted a pair of pandas by the Chinese government following a state visit that marked a new, flourishing era in Sino-US relations. Sensing an opportunity to capture the nation’s attention, Lee Man Tat introduced the US market to Panda Brand oyster sauce – the cute panda mascot delighted a global audience, and sales soared.

And as the world has become more health-conscious, Lee Kum Kee has gone further in serving both people and the planet: including developing gluten-free and lower-sodium soy sauces to support customers with specific dietary needs.

In its quest to make Chinese cooking as accessible and delicious as possible, Lee Kum Kee has revolutionised the market by introducing more products designed to encourage creativity, experimentation and discovery in the kitchen. It now stocks more than 300 products which grace homes and restaurants in more than 100 countries and regions across the world. 

As the brand enters into an era where the conversation around Asian culture becomes more widespread and also more nuanced, Lee Kum Kee aims to stay at the forefront of the discussion, enabling discovery and culinary expression while becoming the global gateway to superior Asian culinary experiences for people around the world.