Sauce, Hoisin, Ready-To-Serve: How Many Grams in a Tablespoon?
Hoisin sauce is a thick, sweet-savory Chinese condiment made from fermented soybean paste, sugar, garlic, vinegar, and spices. At 1.082 g/ml, it is moderately denser than water — lower density than teriyaki or sweet-and-sour because its sugar concentration, while high, is partially offset by the thick paste structure and entrapped air in the thick emulsion. A tablespoon weighs approximately 16 g; a cup weighs approximately 256 g. Pours slowly and clings to the spoon; best measured by weight for precision. Used in Peking duck pancakes, spring rolls, char siu glaze, Vietnamese pho as a table condiment, and stir-fry sauces.
Quick convert
- US cup = 236.588 mL
- 1 tbsp = 14.787 mL
- 1 tsp = 4.929 mL
Reference table
| tbsp | g |
|---|---|
| 1 | 16 |
| 2 | 32 |
| 3 | 48 |
| 4 | 64 |
| 5 | 80 |
| 6 | 96 |
| 7 | 112 |
| 8 | 128 |
| 9 | 144 |
| 10 | 160 |
| 11 | 176 |
| 12 | 192 |
| 13 | 208 |
| 14 | 224 |
| 15 | 240 |
| 20 | 320 |
| 25 | 400 |
| 30 | 480 |
FAQ
- How many grams is a tablespoon of hoisin sauce?
- At 1.082 g/ml, one tablespoon (14.79 ml) of hoisin sauce weighs approximately 16 g — about 1.2 g more than a tablespoon of water. For most recipes that call for 1–2 tablespoons, this difference is negligible, but in large-batch recipes scaled by tablespoon count, weigh for consistency.
- Is hoisin sauce denser than soy sauce?
- Hoisin sauce (1.082 g/ml) is comparable to soy sauce in density (shoyu is typically 1.07–1.10 g/ml), but hoisin's thick, paste-like consistency creates more measurement variability. Soy sauce pours freely and fills a measuring spoon accurately; hoisin may leave air pockets at the sides. Weighing hoisin by gram is more reliable than measuring by tablespoon.
- Does the brand of hoisin sauce affect its gram weight?
- Yes, moderately. Hoisin sauces from different manufacturers vary in sugar content and thickness — some are thicker (closer to 1.10 g/ml) and others more pourable (closer to 1.06 g/ml). The USDA value (1.082 g/ml) is a reference average. For precise recipes, measure by weight using your specific product.