Chinese Master Stock (Lu Shui / 卤水) — Building and Maintaining
National Chinese technique — particularly associated with Cantonese, Teochew, Fujian traditions
Lu shui is the mother of Chinese flavour — a perpetual braising liquid built from soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, and a complex spice bundle, added to over years of use. Each addition of a protein enriches the stock; each replenishment adds fresh aromatics. Some restaurant master stocks are claimed to be decades or centuries old. Different from Western stocks — this is a seasoning medium, not a neutral foundation.