❓Do oyster sauce and fish sauce count as vegetarian? How do I pick vegetarian-friendly condiments?

Oyster sauce is made by simmering and reducing oysters down into a concentrated seasoning, and fish sauce is the liquid drawn off from salted, fermented fish — both are unquestionably animal-based seasonings and don't count as vegetarian. This trips up a lot of people new to vegetarianism, since they look and get used just like soy sauce. When picking vegetarian-friendly condiments, watch out for ingredient labels listing 'oyster extract,' 'oyster juice,' 'fish sauce,' 'shrimp paste,' or 'shrimp oil' — avoid those. As for substitutes, 'vegetarian oyster sauce' is now easy to find in supermarkets (made by simmering down shiitake or other mushrooms for umami — the flavor and usage are very close to the real thing, and it can directly replace oyster sauce in braises and stir-fries). For adding savoriness generally, you can also make your own all-purpose seasoning from shiitake powder, kombu powder, miso, or fermented black beans. It's worth getting into the habit of reading ingredient lists when buying condiments — in particular, some composite seasonings (like certain hot pot bases or rice-topping sauces) will bury oyster sauce or pork bone extract inconspicuously in the middle of the ingredient list.