Editing Sauce

{{short description|Liquid, cream, or semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
[[File:Lunch sauces.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Samosa]]s accompanied by four sauces]]
[[File:Tzatziki IMGP1480.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Tzatziki]] yoghurt sauce]]
[[File:Whisking sauce-01.jpg|thumb|250px|A chef [[whisk]]ing a sauce]]

In [[cooking]], a '''sauce''' is a [[liquid]], [[cream]], or semi-[[solid]] food, served on or used in preparing other [[food]]s. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavour, texture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a [[French language|French]] word probably from the post-classical [[Latin]] ''salsa'', derived from the classical ''salsus'' 'salted'.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Oxford English Dictionary}}</ref>{{fcn|date=March 2025}} Possibly the oldest recorded European sauce is [[garum]], the [[fish sauce]] used by the [[Ancient Romans]], while [[doubanjiang]], the Chinese soy bean paste is mentioned in ''[[Rites of Zhou]]'' 20.

Sauces need a [[liquid]] component. Sauces are an essential element in cuisines all over the world.

Sauces may be used for sweet or savory dishes. They may be prepared and served cold, like [[mayonnaise]], prepared cold but served lukewarm like [[pesto]], cooked and served warm like [[bechamel]] or cooked and served cold like [[apple sauce]]. They may be freshly prepared by the cook, especially in restaurants, but today many sauces are sold premade and packaged like [[Worcestershire sauce]], [[HP Sauce]], [[soy sauce]] or [[ketchup]]. Sauces for [[salad]] are called [[salad dressing]]. Sauces made by [[Deglazing (cooking)|deglazing]] a pan are called pan sauces.

A chef who specializes in making sauces is called a [[saucier]].

==Cuisines==
{{more citations needed section|date=March 2025}}
===American===
American sauces include prepared cold condiments like [[ketchup]], [[Mustard (condiment)|mustard]], [[mayonnaise]], [[tartar sauce]], [[cocktail sauce]], various [[Hot sauce|hot (spicy) sauces]], and a variety of [[Salad dressing|salad dressings]], often used for dishes other than salad. [[Barbecue sauce]] is used both as a condiment and as an ingredient in some varieties of [[Barbecue in the United States|barbecue]]. 

Hot sauces include [[gravy]], and [[tomato sauce]], often served with pasta. [[Béchamel sauce|White (béchamel) sauce]] is widely used as an ingredient.

Dessert sauces include [[fudge sauce]], [[butterscotch sauce]], [[hard sauce]] (which is not liquid), and many others.

===British===
In traditional British cuisine, [[gravy]] is a sauce used on [[roast dinner]]. The sole survivor of the medieval bread-thickened sauces, [[bread sauce]] is one of the oldest sauces in British cooking. [[Apple sauce]], [[mint sauce]] and [[Horseradish|horseradish sauce]] are used on meat (usually on [[pork]], [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]] and [[beef]] respectively). [[Redcurrant jelly]], [[mint jelly]], and [[white sauce]] may also be used. [[Salad cream]] is sometimes used on salads. [[Ketchup]] and [[brown sauce]] are used on fast-food type dishes. Strong English [[Mustard (condiment)|mustard]] is also used on various foods, as is [[Worcestershire sauce]]. [[Custard]] is a popular [[dessert sauce]]. Other popular sauces include [[mushroom sauce]], [[marie rose sauce]] (as used in a prawn cocktail), [[whisky sauce]] (for serving with [[haggis]]), [[Albert sauce]] (horseradish sauce to enhance flavour of braised beef) and [[cheddar sauce]] (as used in cauliflower or [[macaroni and cheese]]). In contemporary British cuisine, owing to the wide diversity of British society today, there are also many sauces that are of British origin but based upon the cuisine of other countries, particularly former colonies such as [[India]].<ref>{{cite book   | title = British Food: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of History | author= Colin Spencer |publisher = Grub Street Publishers  |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=w8SIDwAAQBAJ&q=sauce | date = 2011 | isbn = 9781908117779 | access-date = 13 January 2020}}</ref>

=== Caucasian ===
* [[Ajika]] is a spicy hot sauce originating in [[Abkhazia]], widely used in [[Georgian cuisine]] and found also in parts of [[Russia]], [[Armenia]], and [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]].
* [[Ships (sauce)]] is a traditional sauce of [[Circassian cuisine]], made on a base of meat [[broth]] with pounded garlic, pepper, and [[Soured milk|sour milk]] or cream.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jaimoukha|first1=Amjad|title=Circassian Cuisine|url=https://www.circassianworld.com/pdf/AdygheCuisine.pdf|access-date=15 July 2019|publisher=CircassianWorld.com}}</ref>
* [[Tkemali]] is a tart and savoury traditional [[Georgian cuisine|Georgian]] sauce of [[Prunus cerasifera|cherry plum]]s in combination with various spices, including garlic, [[wikt:pennyroyal|pennyroyal]], [[coriander]], [[dill]], and chili.

=== Chinese ===
{{seealso|List of Chinese sauces}}
There are many varied cuisines in China, but many of them compose dishes from sauces including different kinds of [[soy sauce]], [[fermented bean paste]] including [[doubanjiang]], [[Chili sauce and paste|chili sauces]], [[oyster sauce]], and also many oils and vinegar preparations. These ingredients are used to build up a range of different sauces and condiments used before, during, or after cooking the main ingredients for a dish:

* Braising sauces or marinades (卤水)
* Cooking sauces (调味)
* Dipping sauces (蘸水)

In some [[Chinese cuisine]]s, such as [[Cantonese cuisine|Cantonese]], dishes are often thickened with a slurry of [[Corn starch|cornstarch]] or potato starch and water.

=== Filipino ===
[[Filipino cuisine]] typically uses "toyomansi" ([[soy sauce]] with [[kalamansi lime]]) as well as different varieties of [[vinegar|suka]], [[fish sauce|patis]], [[bagoong]] and [[banana ketchup]], among others.[[Image:Kolasås sjudandes på spisen.jpg|thumb|right|Caramel sauce]]

===French{{anchor|French_cuisine}}===
[[File:Flickr avlxyz 4140435178--Salmon Benedict on potato cake.jpg|thumb|[[Hollandaise sauce]] atop a salmon [[Eggs Benedict]]]]{{Main|French mother sauces}}
Sauces in [[Cuisine of France|French cuisine]] date back to the Middle Ages. There were many hundreds of sauces in the culinary repertoire. In ''[[cuisine classique]]'' (roughly from the end of the 19th century until the advent of ''[[nouvelle cuisine]]'' in the 1980s), sauces were a major defining characteristic of French cuisine.

In the early 19th century, the chef [[Marie-Antoine Carême]] created an extensive list of sauces, many of which were original recipes. It is unknown how many sauces Carême is responsible for, but it is estimated to be in the hundreds. Many are included in his ''Art de la cuisine française au XIXe siècle''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Carême|first=Marie-Antoine (1784-1833) Auteur du texte|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k853460z|title=L'art de la cuisine française au XIXe siècle : traité élémentaire et pratique,.... T. 2 / par M. A. Carême,...|date=1833}}</ref>

Carême considered the four ''grandes sauces'' to be [[Espagnole sauce|espagnole]], [[Velouté sauce|velouté]], [[Allemande sauce|allemande]], and [[Sauce Béchamel|béchamel]], from which a large variety of petites sauces could be composed.<ref name="Carême1854">
{{
cite book|last=Carême|first=Marie Antonin|year=1854|title=L'art de la cuisine française au dix-neuvième siècle|volume=3|publisher=Au Depot de librairie|location=Paris|language=fr|author-link=Marie-Antoine Carême|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0543991261|page=1|access-date=7 December 2013
}}</ref>

In the early 20th century, the chef [[Auguste Escoffier]] refined Carême's list of basic sauces in his classic ''[[Le Guide culinaire|Guide culinaire]]''. Its 4th and last edition listed the foundation or basic sauces as espagnole, velouté, béchamel, and tomate.<ref name='Guide culinaire 1921-EngPub'>
{{cite book |last1=Escoffier |first1=A. 
|title=Le guide culinaire = The complete guide to the art of modern cookery : the first complete translation into English 
|year=1979 |orig-year=1921 
|publisher=Mayflower Books |location=New York |isbn=0831754788 
|page=33 |edition=1st American 
|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=pst.000061786981&view=1up&seq=64https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=pst.000061786981&view=1up&seq=33&q1=espagnole%20veloute%20bechamel%20tomato |access-date=17 December 2020
}}
</ref> Sauce allemande, which is a variant of velouté made with egg yolks,<ref name="Escoffier1903">
{{
cite book|last1=Escoffier|first1=Auguste|author-link=Auguste Escoffier|last2=Gilbert|first2=Philéas|last3=Fétu|first3=E.|last4=Suzanne|first4=A.|last5=Reboul|first5=B.|last6=Dietrich|first6=Ch.|last7=Caillat|first7=A.
|title=Le Guide Culinaire, Aide-mémoire de cuisine pratique
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t8UeTMbS5uYC|access-date=7 December 2013|year=1903
|publisher=Émile Colin, Imprimerie de Lagny|language=fr|location=Paris|display-authors=etal|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104165512/http://books.google.com/books?id=t8UeTMbS5uYC|archive-date=4 January 2014
}}
</ref> is replaced by sauce tomate.<ref name=escoffier1912>
{{
Cite book|last=Escoffier|first=Auguste (1846-1935)
|title=Le Guide Culinaire: aide-mémoire de cuisine pratique (3e édition) / par A. Escoffier; avec la collaboration de MM. Philéas Gilbert et Émile Fétu
|page=13|date=1912|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k96923116|access-date=2020-12-08|archive-date=2020-10-21
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021072046/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k96923116|url-status=live
}}
</ref> Another basic sauce mentioned in the ''Guide culinaire'' is sauce mayonnaise, which Escoffier wrote was a mother sauce akin to the espagnole and velouté due to its many derivative sauces.<ref name="escoffier1912" /><!-- Page 48 -->

In ''A Guide to Modern Cookery'', an English abridged translation of Escoffier's 1903 edition of ''Le guide culinaire'', hollandaise was included in the list of basic sauces,<ref>
{{
cite book | last=Escoffier | first=Auguste | author-link=Auguste Escoffier | date=1907 
| title=A Guide to Modern Cookery 
| pages=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924000610117/page/n27 2], 15 
| url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924000610117 
| location=London | publisher=William Heinemann 
| access-date=7 December 2013 
}}

</ref> which made for a list that is identical to the list of five fundamental "[[French Mother Sauces|French mother sauces]]" that is acknowledged by a variety of sources:<ref>
{{
Cite book|title=Understand Cooking|last=Lundberg|first=Donald E.|date=1965|publisher=Pennsylvania State University|page=277}}</ref><ref>
{{Cite book|title=Sauces Reconsidered: Après Escoffier|last=Allen|first=Gary|date=2019|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|page=52}}</ref><ref>
{{Cite book|title=The Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chef's Craft for Every Kitchen|last=Ruhlman|first=Michael|date=2007|publisher=Simon and Schuster|page=171}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallary |first=Christine  |date=September 29, 2022 |title=Do You Know Your French Mother Sauces? |url=https://www.thekitchn.com/do-you-know-your-french-mother-sauces-211794 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020549/https://www.thekitchn.com/do-you-know-your-french-mother-sauces-211794 |archive-date=2020-11-12 |access-date=2020-12-08 |website=Kitchn}}</ref>

* [[Espagnole sauce|Sauce espagnole]], a fortified brown veal stock sauce, thickened with a brown [[roux]]
* [[Velouté sauce|Sauce velouté]], a light stock-based sauce, thickened with a roux or a ''liaison'', a mixture of egg yolks and cream.
* [[Béchamel sauce|Sauce béchamel]], a milk-based sauce, thickened with a [[roux]] of flour and butter.
* [[Tomato sauce#France|Sauce tomate]], a tomato-based sauce.
* [[Hollandaise sauce|Sauce hollandaise]], warm butter and lemon (or vinegar) [[Emulsion#Emulsifiers|emulsified]] using [[egg yolk]].

A sauce which is derived from one of the mother sauces by augmenting with additional ingredients is sometimes called a "daughter sauce" or "secondary sauce".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--34435/small-sauce.asp|title=Small Sauce|access-date=31 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214020929/http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--34435/small-sauce.asp|archive-date=14 February 2017}}</ref> Most sauces commonly used in classical cuisine are daughter sauces. For example, béchamel can be made into [[Mornay sauce|Mornay]] by the addition of grated cheese, and espagnole becomes [[Bordelaise sauce|bordelaise]] with the addition of reduction of red wine, [[shallots]], and poached beef [[Bone marrow (food)|marrow]].

A specialized implement, the [[French sauce spoon]], was introduced in the mid-20th century to aid in eating sauce in French cuisine, is enjoying increasing popularity at high-end restaurants.{{Cn|date=July 2024}}

=== Indian ===
[[Indian cuisine|Indian]] cuisines use sauces such as tomato-based sauces with varying spice combinations such as [[tamarind sauce]], coconut milk-/paste-based sauces, and [[chutneys]]. There are substantial regional variations in [[Indian cuisine]], but many sauces use a seasoned mix of onion, [[ginger]] and garlic paste as the base of various gravies and sauces. Various [[cooking oil]]s, [[ghee]] and/or [[cream]] are also regular ingredients in Indian sauces.

=== Indonesian ===
[[Indonesian cuisine]] uses typical sauces such as ''[[kecap manis]]'' (sweet [[soy sauce]]), ''bumbu kacang'' ([[peanut sauce]]) and [[tauco]], while popular hot and spicy sauces are [[sambal]], [[colo-colo (condiment)|colo-colo]], [[dabu-dabu]] and [[rica-rica]]. Sambal is an umbrella term; there are many, many kinds of [[sambal]]. [[File:Sauce boat.jpg|thumb|In the European traditions, sauces are often served in a [[sauce boat]].]]

===Italian===
Italian sauces reflect the rich variety of the [[Italian cuisine]] and can be divided in several categories including:

====Savory====
=====For meats, fish and vegetables=====
Examples are:
* [[Sauce Béchamel|Besciamella]] from [[Tuscany]] and [[Emilia-Romagna]]
* [[Bagna càuda]] from [[Piedmont]]
* [[Salmoriglio]] from [[Sicily]]
* [[Gremolata]] from [[Milan]]
* [[Green sauce#Italian salsa verde|Salsa verde]] from Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany

=====For pasta=====
[[File:Tagliatelle al ragù (image modified).jpg|thumb|[[Tagliatelle]] al [[Ragù alla Bolognese]]]]
[[File:Ingredienti per il pesto Genovese (Ingridients for Pesto Genovese).jpg|thumb|Ingridients for ″Pesto Genovese″]]
There are thousands of such sauces, and many towns have traditional sauces. Among the internationally well-known are:
* [[Ragù alla Bolognese]] from [[Bologna]]
* [[Pesto]] from [[Genoa]]
* [[Carbonara]] and [[amatriciana]] from [[Lazio]]
*[[Neapolitan ragù|Ragù alla Napoletana]] from [[Campania]]

====Dessert====
* [[Zabaione]] from Piedmont
* [[Custard|Crema pasticciera]] made with eggs and milk and common in the whole peninsula
* "Crema al [[mascarpone]]" used to make [[Tiramisù]] and to dress [[panettone]] at Christmas and common in the North of the country.
{{Clear}}

===Japanese===
[[File:Sauce on Satay.jpg|thumb|Sauce being brushed on [[satay]] in the hawker food court at Tanjung Aru beach, [[Sabah]], [[Borneo]], [[Malaysia]]]]Sauces used in traditional [[Japanese cuisine]] are usually based on ''shōyu'' ([[soy sauce]]), ''[[miso]]'' or ''[[dashi]]''. ''[[Ponzu]]'', citrus-flavoured soy sauce, and ''[[yakitori]] no [[Tare sauce|tare]]'', sweetened rich soy sauce, are examples of shōyu-based sauces. Miso-based sauces include ''[[gomamiso]]'', miso with ground sesame, and ''[[amamiso]]'', sweetened miso. In modern Japanese cuisine, the word "sauce" often refers to [[Worcestershire sauce]], introduced in the 19th century and modified to suit Japanese tastes. [[Tonkatsu]], [[okonomiyaki]], and [[yakisoba]] sauces are based on this sauce.

=== Korean ===
[[Korean cuisine]] uses sauces such as [[doenjang]], [[gochujang]], [[samjang]], [[Fish sauce#Korea|aekjeot]], and soy sauce.

===Latin and Spanish American===
[[Salsa (sauce)|Salsas]] ("sauces" in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]) such as [[pico de gallo]] (tomato, onion and chili chopped with lemon juice), [[salsa cocida]], [[salsa verde]], [[chile sauce|chile]], and [[salsa roja]] are an important part of many Latin and Spanish-American cuisines in the Americas. Typical ingredients include [[Chili pepper|chili]], tomato, onion, and spices; thicker sauces often contain [[avocado]].

[[Mexican cuisine]] includes sauces which may contain chocolate, seeds, and chiles collectively known by the [[Nahuatl|Nahua]] name [[Mole (sauce)|mole]] (compare [[guacamole]]).

In [[Argentinian cuisine|Argentinian]] and [[Uruguayan cuisine|Uruguayan]] cuisine, [[chimichurri]] is an uncooked sauce used in cooking and as a table condiment for grilled meat.

[[Peruvian cuisine]] uses sauces based mostly in different varieties of ''[[Aji (food)|ají]]'' combined with several ingredients, most notably [[salsa huancaína]] based on fresh cheese and [[salsa de ocopa]] based on peanuts or nuts.

===Middle Eastern===
* [[Fesenjān]] is a traditional Iranian sauce of [[pomegranate]]s and [[walnut]]s served over meat and/or vegetables which was traditionally served for [[Yaldā Night|Yalda]] or end of winter and the [[Nowruz]] ceremony.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sifton |first1=Sam |title=Fesenjan |url=https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017040-fesenjan |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Noll |first1=Daniel |title=Iranian Food: A Culinary Travel Guide to What to Eat and Drink |url=https://uncorneredmarket.com/iran-food/ |website=uncorneredmarket |date=8 December 2018 |access-date=8 December 2018}}</ref>
* [[Hummus]] is a traditional middle eastern sauce or [[Dipping sauce|dip]]. It originated in Egypt, but is considered as a traditional food of many Arab countries such as Syria and Palestine. It is made of [[chickpeas]] and tahina (sesame paste) and garlic with olive oil, salt and lemon juice.

=== Thai ===
* Southeast Asian cuisines, such as [[Thai cuisine|Thai]] and [[Vietnamese cuisine]], often use [[fish sauce]], made from fermented fish.

==Examples==
{{Main article|List of sauces}}
{{Gallery
| title        = 
|mode=packed
| align        =
| footer       =
| style        =padding: 0; overflow: auto;
| state        =
| height       =160
| width        =
|File:Sauce champignons.jpg|[[Mushroom sauce]]
|File:Béarnaise sauce with Tarragon garnish.jpeg| Sauce béarnaise or [[Béarnaise sauce]].
|File:Apple-sauce-544676.jpg|[[Apple sauce]]
|File:Bread sauce.jpg|[[Bread sauce]]
|File:Steak with five pepper sauce.jpg|A [[Beefsteak|beef steak]] served with [[peppercorn sauce]]
}}

==See also==
{{portal|Food}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Pickling|Pickle]]
* [[Chutney]]
* [[Condiment]]
* [[Coulis]]
* [[Dip (food)|Dip]]
** [[Dip (food)#List of common dips|List of dips]]
* [[Gastrique]]
* [[Gravy]]
* [[Instant sauce]]
* [[List of foods]]
* [[List of condiments]]
* [[List of dessert sauces]]
* [[List of sauces]]
* [[Peanut sauce]]
* [[Salad|Salad dressing]]
* [[Salsa (sauce)|Salsa]]
* [[Sambal]]
* [[Saucery]]
* [[Sofrito]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
===Footnotes===
{{reflist}}

===Citations===
* {{cite book|author=Peterson, James|title=Sauces|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=1998|isbn=0-471-29275-3}}
* {{cite book|author=Sokolov, Raymond|title=The Saucier's Apprentice|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HKUSH4Pu_f0C|publisher=Knopf|year=1976|isbn=0-394-48920-9}}
* {{cite book|author=McGee, Harold|title=On Food and Cooking|publisher=Macmillan|year=1984|isbn=0-02-034621-2}}
* {{cite book|author=McGee, Harold|title=The Curious Cook|publisher=Macmillan|year=1990|isbn=0-86547-452-4|url=https://archive.org/details/curiouscookmorek00mcge_1}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Corriher|first=Shirley|author-link=Shirley Corriher|title=Cookwise, the Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking|edition=1st|year=1997|publisher=William Morrow & Company, Inc.|location=New York|isbn=0688102298|chapter=Ch. 4: sauce sense|ref=cookw|url=https://archive.org/details/cookwisehowswhys00corr}}
* Murdoch (2004) [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ro3e18nC6psC&q=%22Essential+Seafood+Cookbook%22 ''Essential Seafood Cookbook''] Seafood sauces, p.&nbsp;128–143. Murdoch Books. {{ISBN|9781740454124}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Sauces}}
{{Cookbook|Sauces}}
* [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/525307/sauce "Sauce" entry at Encyclopædia Britannica]

{{cuisine}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sauces| ]]
[[Category:Culinary terminology]]