Does fish sauce go bad? Yes, fish sauce can go bad. That said, it is one of the most shelf-stable condiments in any kitchen. Its extremely high salt content and fermentation process make it very resistant to spoilage. An unopened bottle lasts two to three years in the pantry with no problem. Fish sauce turns...

This month, I’ve been spotting cool braids all over Brooklyn. Here’s my friend Alison wearing a double-braid ponytail at our neighborhood café. “It took two seconds, cost nothing, and got a ton of compliments,” she told me. So chic and easy! Do (or would) you burp your house? Basically, it’s a German approach called lüften...

Does oyster sauce need to be refrigerated? Unopened, no. Once opened, yes — and the reason matters. Oyster sauce is thickened with cornstarch, which gives it that glossy, rich texture. Unlike fish sauce or soy sauce, which are preserved almost entirely by salt, that starch content makes opened oyster sauce noticeably more vulnerable to quality...

Does hoisin sauce go bad? Yes, hoisin sauce does go bad — and it spoils differently than most other Asian condiments in your fridge door. While fish sauce and soy sauce rely heavily on salt for preservation, hoisin sauce is loaded with sugar. That sugar gives it the rich, sweet-savory flavor it is famous for....

We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article. Let’s begin with an ode to our senses. At times (and when able), we can smell, taste, see, touch, and hear our way toward tranquility. A glimpse at an image, a whiff of essential oil, or a...

Does tahini go bad? Yes, but it spoils in a way that trips almost everyone up. The number one mistake people make is dumping out the oil that has separated to the top of the jar, then assuming the thick paste left behind has gone bad too. That separated oil is completely normal. The real...

Does tahini need to be refrigerated? Technically, no. Tahini is a shelf-stable product and does not require refrigeration after opening. But the honest answer is: it depends on how fast you go through a jar. If you use tahini weekly, the pantry is perfectly fine. If a jar sits for months at a time, the...

Does hoisin sauce need to be refrigerated? Unopened, no. Once opened, yes. And the reason is different from most condiments. Hoisin sauce contains a significant amount of sugar alongside its fermented soybean base. That sugar is what gives hoisin its distinctive sweet, rich flavor. It is also what makes opened hoisin more vulnerable to mold...

Does oyster sauce go bad? Yes, oyster sauce does go bad. Unlike fish sauce or soy sauce, oyster sauce is not as heavily preserved by salt alone. It contains oyster extract, sugar, and starch, which means it is more vulnerable to spoilage once opened — especially if it is left at room temperature for extended...

Last month, when I read Rachel Hochhauser’s Lady Tremaine — a reimagining of Cinderella from the perspective of her stepmother – I was blown away. In the novel, Lady Tremaine pulled herself out of poverty as a teenager, but now, middle-aged and twice-widowed, she needs to find her two daughters secure marriages before they end...