Sauce
A liquid, cream, or semi-solid food used to enhance other dishes.
A sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, texture, and visual appeal to a dish. Sauces are an essential element in cuisines all over the world, used for both sweet and savory dishes, and may be prepared and served hot, cold, or lukewarm.
- etymology
- From French, probably from post-classical Latin salsa, derived from classical salsus 'salted'
- oldest recorded European sauce
- Garum, fish sauce used by Ancient Romans
- oldest recorded Chinese sauce
- Doubanjiang, mentioned in Rites of Zhou 20
- specialist chef
- Saucier
Lore & Background
The Latin salsus (salted) is the root etymology of sauce. Other early sauces include jiang, Chinese pastes made from fermented meat, fish, grains or beans, documented in the 3rd century BCE; and garum, a mixture dating back to ancient Greece made from fermented anchovies or sardines and salt. Possibly the oldest recorded European sauce is garum, while doubanjiang is mentioned in Rites of Zhou 20.
Reader's Guide
Sauces are used as accompaniments to improve the flavor of a dish, deepening existing flavors or providing complementary or contrasting tastes. Cultures around the world employ other accompaniments to the same effect, such as relishes and stews. Cooking and then serving a sauce with a dish (a composed sauce) is predominantly a Western, particularly French, concept. In Asia, sauces are integrated into the dish, as in curries, or used as a condiment, as in fish sauce. Composed sauces are particularly important in classical French cuisine, with mother sauces such as espagnole, velouté, béchamel, tomate, and hollandaise forming the basis for many daughter sauces. Sauces are also essential in American, British, Caucasian, Chinese, Filipino, and other cuisines worldwide, ranging from cold condiments like ketchup and mayonnaise to warm gravies and dessert sauces like custard and fudge sauce.
Did You Know?
- A chef who specializes in making sauces is called a saucier.
- Sauces need a liquid component.
- Sauces may be prepared and served cold, like mayonnaise, or cooked and served warm, like bechamel.
- The Latin salsus (salted) is the root etymology of sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sauce?
Sauce refers to any liquid, cream-based, or semi-solid preparation that is added to or cooked with other foods. Rather than being eaten on its own, it exists to boost the taste, mouthfeel, and presentation of a dish. It appears in both sweet and savory cooking traditions worldwide and can be served hot, cold, or lukewarm.
Where does the word 'Sauce' come from?
The term traces back to French and is likely rooted in the post-classical Latin word salsa, which itself derives from the classical Latin salsus meaning 'salted.' This etymology highlights the long connection between seasoning and the broader concept of a sauce.
What are the oldest recorded sauces in Europe and China?
In Europe, the earliest documented sauce is garum, a fermented fish condiment favored by the Ancient Romans. In China, the oldest recorded sauce is doubanjiang, which appears in the ancient text known as the Rites of Zhou.
What is the title of a chef who specializes in sauces?
A chef dedicated to preparing and perfecting sauces holds the title of saucier. This specialist role reflects how central sauces are to the structure of a professional kitchen.
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