How the Humble Green Chilli Sauce Became a Staple in Kolkata Kitchens
Joita Das dips into a bottle of Pou Chong’s green chilli sauce to find the secret behind the famous desi Chinese staple.
The origins of desi Chinese cuisine can be traced to the small yet vibrant Indian-Chinese community, now numbering just 5,000 members, most of whom reside in Kolkata. While dishes like Hakka noodles and chilli chicken, along with condiments such as soy sauce, are marketed across India by brands like Ching’s, Mainland China, and Wow! Momo, the journey to adapt Chinese food to suit Indian palates began as early as the 1940s.
One of the pioneers of this culinary fusion was Lee Shih Chuan of Pou Chong Foods, whose green chilli sauce became a cornerstone of Hakka cuisine, as well as Indian and Mughlai dishes!
Origin Story
Lee Shih Chuan founded Pou Chong Foods in Kolkata in 1958, becoming one of the first to introduce Chinese sauces and condiments to the Indian market. Over time, the brand gained prominence, even drawing visits from celebrity chefs like David Rocco and Gary Mehigan, solidifying its position as Kolkata’s leading Asian sauce and condiment manufacturer.
Hailing from a lineage of herbal doctors specialising in traditional Chinese medicine, Lee inherited his expertise in blending herbs from his father, who was a skilled practitioner in the field. “My grandfather’s expertise in using herbs to create sauces came from his father,” says Janice Lee, his granddaughter and the current CEO of Pou Chong.
Her grandfather’s early life was marked by poverty, forcing him to work in restaurants, and scavenge scraps to feed his family. He practised herbal medicine himself, for a while. But it was shortly after meeting his wife that Lee embarked on a new career path and began his culinary journey. Inspired by feedback from early Chinese migrants, who found Indian food lacking in flavour, Lee began incorporating green chillies from West Bengal into traditional Chinese sauces, thus crafting the now distinctive ‘Chindian’ flavour profile.
Pou Chong Food’s green chilli sauce has become a staple in Hakka food and Indian and Mughlai dishes.
“Pou Chong means ‘may your life be a comfortable and safe journey,’” explains Janice. The company’s logo—a wooden ship with yellow sails—symbolises this ethos, a nod to the journey undertaken by early Chinese migrants, including Lee’s ancestors, who arrived in Kolkata in the 1930s fleeing political unrest in China.
In the early days, Lee sold his sauces door-to-door, sometimes by the spoonful. The green chilli sauce steadily gained popularity as local vendors realised its versatility, particularly as a base or spread for Kolkata’s iconic kathi rolls. Over time, it became a staple in Mughlai establishments as well, and remains a favourite in roll shops along Park Street. Today, Pou Chong operates four retail outlets in Kolkata and recently ventured into the food market with a stall named Ming Dimsum and Pouchong Asian Products.
A Sauce for all Seasons
Interestingly, the earliest adopters of the green chilli sauce were Bengalis, who traditionally eat raw green chillies with rice. This cultural familiarity with green chillies made the sauce a natural addition to their meals. “Chinese and Indian cuisines share similar flavour profiles—zesty, tangy, spicy, and salty—and Pou Chong’s green chilli sauce perfectly embodies this fusion,” says Aditya Ramakrishnan, founder of Mala Kitchen in Bangalore, a supper club specialising in Sichuan cuisine.
Pou Chong’s green chilli sauce is a zesty, tangy concoction that packs some serious heat. The sauce consists of a blend of spices, vegetable pulp, a generous amount of green chillis or kacha lanka (raw chillies), and a touch of turmeric —Lee’s secret ingredient. Janice emphasises its health benefits, noting that her grandfather meticulously prepared it in a mortar and pestle.
Saurav Chettri, owner and chef of Denzong Kitchen in Kolkata, has been a loyal customer since 2009. “There has been a consistent demand for green chilli sauce among Chinese food loyalists, especially for rolls, as a dip, or as a topping for rice and noodles. he sauce makes cooking Chinese dishes simpler and more hassle-free,” he says.
With the rising demand for desi Chinese food, major brands like Knorr and Ching’s have also added green chilli sauce to their product lines. While this sauce initially put Pou Chong on the map, the company has since expanded its portfolio, introducing ‘Kim,’ a premium range of sauces.
The green chilli sauce remains more than just a versatile pantry staple or chefs and home cooks—it is a symbol of the Indian-Chinese community’s enduring legacy and culinary contributions in Kolkata.
Joita Das is a PhD candidate at the National University of Singapore, exploring trends in Chinese migratory history in Asia within the larger framework of inter-Asia Studies and connected histories, with a special focus on the Indian-Chinese community of Kolkata.
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