Chinese Buddhist Vegetarian Stock (Su Gao Tang)
Chinese Buddhist temple cooking tradition
Su gao tang (素高汤) — superior vegetarian stock — is the foundation of Chinese Buddhist temple cooking. Made from dried mushrooms (shiitake, porcini), dried kelp (kombu), dried tofu skin, dried lily buds, and vegetables, it achieves umami depth comparable to meat-based stocks through the combination of glutamates (kombu), guanylates (shiitake), and inosinates. The synergy produces stock that can satisfy where meat stocks normally dominate.