Editing Worcestershire sauce

{{Short description|English fermented condiment}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox food
| name             = Worcestershire sauce
| image            = Worcester Sauce 001.jpg
| image_size       = 
| image_alt        = Brown, slightly translucent liquid in a flat, transparent glass dish.
| caption          = Worcestershire sauce in a dish
| alternate_name   = Worcester sauce
| place_of_origin          = [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], England
| region           = 
| associated_cuisine = 
| creator          = {{hlist|[[John Wheeley Lea]]|[[William Henry Perrins]]}}
| course           = 
| type             = [[Condiment]]
| served           = 
| main_ingredient  = {{hlist|[[Vinegar#Grains|Malt vinegar]]|[[spirit vinegar]]|[[Anchovies as food|anchovies]]|[[tamarind]]|[[garlic]]|[[onion]]s|[[molasses]]|[[sugar]]|[[Edible salt|salt]]|[[spice]]s|[[flavourings]]}}
| variations       = 
| calories         = 
| other            = 
}}
'''Worcestershire sauce''' or '''Worcester sauce'''<ref>{{Citation |title=Worcester, n. |url=https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/230189 |work=OED Online |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en-GB |access-date=2022-03-30 |archive-date=30 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330130050/https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/230189 |url-status=live }}</ref> (UK: {{IPAc-en|audio=En-Worcester sauce.ogg|ˈ|w|ʊ|s|t|ə|(|ʃ|ə|)}} {{respell|WUUST|ə(|shə)}}) is a [[Fermentation in food processing|fermented]] [[liquid]] [[condiment]] invented by pharmacists [[John Wheeley Lea]] and [[William Henry Perrins]] in the city of [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] in [[Worcestershire]], England, during the first half of the 19th century. The inventors went on to form the company [[Lea & Perrins]].<ref name="Epicurious">{{cite web |last1=Zuras |first1=Matthew |date=11 January 2023 |title=The Murky, Salty Mystery of Worcestershire Sauce |url=https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/history-of-worcestershire-sauce |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301100333/https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/history-of-worcestershire-sauce |archive-date=1 March 2023 |access-date=1 March 2023 |website=[[Epicurious]] |publisher=}}</ref>

Worcestershire sauce has been a [[generic term]] since 1876, when the [[High Court of Justice]] ruled that Lea & Perrins did not own a [[trademark]] for the name "Worcestershire".<ref name="Epicurious"/><ref name="soyinfocenter.com" />

Worcestershire sauce is used directly as a condiment on steaks, hamburgers, and other finished dishes, and to flavour [[cocktail]]s such as the [[Bloody Mary (cocktail)|Bloody Mary]] and [[Caesar (cocktail)|Caesar]].<ref>{{cite web |title=It's 2009, the 40th Anniversary of 'Canada's Drink': The Caesar |url=http://www.thatsthespirit.com/en/drinks/caesar.asp |work=That's the Spirit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120215217/http://www.thatsthespirit.com/en/drinks/caesar_40th.asp |archive-date=20 January 2013}}</ref> It is also frequently used to augment recipes such as [[Welsh rarebit]], [[Caesar salad]], [[Oysters Kirkpatrick]], and [[devilled eggs]].<ref name="Epicurious"/> As both a background flavour and a source of [[umami]] (savoury), it is also added to dishes such as [[beef stew]] and [[baked beans]].{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

==History==

Fish-based fermented sauces, such as [[garum]], date back to antiquity. In the seventeenth century, English recipes for sauces (typically to put ''on'' fish) already combined anchovies with other ingredients.<ref name="monitor">{{cite book |last1=H |first1=W |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ivlmAAAAcAAJ&dq=fish%20sauce%20anchovies&pg=PA101|title=The Young Cook's Monitor: Or, Directions for Cookery and Distilling|publisher=William Downing |year=1683  }}</ref>

The [[Lea & Perrins]] brand was commercialised in 1837 and was the first sauce to bear the Worcestershire name.<ref name="Heinz_Acq" /><ref name="Epicurious" /> The origin of the Lea & Perrins recipe is unclear. The packaging originally stated that the sauce came "from the recipe of a nobleman in the county". The company has also claimed that "[[Marcus Sandys, 3rd Baron Sandys|Lord Sandys]], ex-Governor of [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]]" encountered it while in India with the [[East India Company]] in the 1830s, and commissioned the local [[pharmacists]] (the partnership of John Wheeley Lea and William Perrins of 63 Broad Street, Worcester) to recreate it.<ref name="Epicurious" /> However, neither Marcus Lord Sandys nor any Baron Sandys was ever a Governor of Bengal, nor had they ever visited India as far as available records indicate.<ref name="LiveHistory">{{Cite web|language=en|url=https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/living-culture/worcestershire-a-sauce-from-india|title=Worcestershire A Sauce from India?|last=Pezarkar|first=Leora|website=Live History India|date=12 June 2017|access-date=23 January 2022|archive-date=23 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123110656/https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/living-culture/worcestershire-a-sauce-from-india|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to company lore, when the recipe was first mixed, the resulting product was so strong that it was considered inedible and the barrel was abandoned in the basement. Looking to make space in the storage area some 18 months later, the chemists decided to try it and discovered that the long-fermented sauce had mellowed and become palatable. In 1838, the first bottles of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce were released to the general public.<ref name="soyinfocenter.com">{{cite book |last1=Shurtleff |first1=William |url=http://www.soyinfocenter.com/pdf/152/Worc.pdf |title=History of Worcestershire Sauce (1837–2012) |last2=Aoyagi |first2=Akiko |publisher=Soyinfo Center |year=2012 |isbn=9781928914433 |access-date=21 May 2018 |archive-date=16 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516182913/http://www.soyinfocenter.com/pdf/152/Worc.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="brian">Keogh, Brian (1997) ''The Secret Sauce: a History of Lea & Perrins'' {{ISBN|978-0-9532169-1-8}}</ref>

== Ingredients ==
The ingredients vary by manufacturer but often include vinegar, salt, a sweetener such as sugar or [[molasses]], aromatics such as garlic, shallots, or onions, soy sauce, and fish or [[fish sauce]].<ref name="Epicurious" /> Some formulations may include [[tamarind]], [[umeboshi]] or other pickles, chili peppers, citrus, or spices such as [[Clove|cloves]].<ref name="Epicurious" />

Several anchovy-free [[vegetarian]] and [[vegan]] varieties are available for those who avoid<ref name="Simpson2009">{{cite book|last=Simpson|first=Alicia C. |title=Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food: Over 150 Great-Tasting, Down-Home Recipes and 65 Everyday Meal Ideas—for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lQjoM8EImZIC&pg=PP13|year=2009|publisher=The Experiment|isbn=978-1-61519-109-3|page=13}}</ref> or are allergic to fish.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Steinman | first=HA | title='Hidden' allergens in foods | journal=Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology | volume=98 | issue=2 | date=August 1996 | pages=241–250 | doi=10.1016/s0091-6749(96)70146-x | pmid=8757199 | doi-access=free }}</ref> The ''[[Codex Alimentarius]]'' recommends that prepared food containing Worcestershire sauce with anchovies include a label warning of fish content, although this is not required in most jurisdictions. The [[US Department of Agriculture]] has required the recall of some products with undeclared Worcestershire sauce.<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=USDA |title=Alabama Firm Recalls Beef Jerky Products Due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergen |date=June 12, 2013 |url=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/FSIS-Content/internet/main/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2013/fsis-rc-039-2013 |access-date=14 January 2014 |archive-date=17 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417150150/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/FSIS-Content/internet/main/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2013/fsis-rc-039-2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title = Fish Allergy: Fish and Products Thereof | last1 = Taylor | first1 = SL | last2 = Kabourek | first2 = JL | last3 = Hefle | first3 = SL | journal = Journal of Food Science | publisher = Institute of Food Technologists | date = October 2004 | volume = 69 | issue = 8 | pages = R175–R180 | url = http://www.aseanfood.info/Articles/11014190.pdf | access-date = 14 January 2014 | doi = 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2004.tb18022.x | archive-date = 16 January 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140116131850/http://www.aseanfood.info/Articles/11014190.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref>  Generally, Orthodox Jews refrain from eating fish and meat in the same dish, so they do not use traditional Worcestershire sauce to season meat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ask-the-expert-meat-and-fish/|title=Ask the Expert: Meat and Fish—My Jewish Learning|access-date=17 February 2017|archive-date=18 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218064448/http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ask-the-expert-meat-and-fish/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, certain brands are certified to contain less than [[Milk and meat in Jewish law#Minuscule quantities|1/60]] of the fish product and can be used with meat.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.crcweb.org/kosher_articles/fish_and_meat.php |last = Cohen |first = Dovid |title = Fish and Meat |publisher = Chicago Rabbinical Council |access-date = 14 January 2014 |archive-date = 5 March 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305080932/http://www.crcweb.org/kosher_articles/fish_and_meat.php |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.star-k.org/cons-faqs-KKMU.htm#worcestershire | publisher = Star-K | title = Kosher certification | access-date = 4 July 2009 | archive-date = 22 July 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090722173159/http://www.star-k.org/cons-faqs-KKMU.htm#worcestershire | url-status = live }}</ref>

Although [[soy sauce]] is used in many variations of Worcestershire sauce since the 1880s,{{cn|date=August 2024}} it is debated whether Lea & Perrins has ever used any in their preparation. According to [[William Shurtleff]]'s SoyInfo Center, a 1991 letter from factory general manager J. W. Garnett describes the brand switching to [[hydrolyzed vegetable protein]] during World War II due to shortages.<ref name="soyinfocenter.com"/> As of 2021, soy is not declared as an ingredient in the Lea & Perrins sauce.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Sauce – Lea & Perrins UK |url=https://www.leaandperrins.co.uk/our-sauce |website=www.leaandperrins.co.uk |access-date=3 January 2022 |archive-date=3 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103051015/https://www.leaandperrins.co.uk/our-sauce |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Varieties ==
=== Lea & Perrins ===
{{Main|Lea & Perrins}}
{{Multiple images
| total_width       = 220
| image1            = Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce 150ml.jpg
| height1           = 3000
| caption1          = Lea & Perrins as sold in the UK, Canada and other countries
| image2            = US Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce.jpg
| height2           = 3000
| caption2          = Lea & Perrins as sold in the U.S.
}}

The [[Lea & Perrins]] brand was commercialised in 1837 and continues to be the leading global brand of Worcestershire sauce.<ref name=Heinz_Acq>{{Cite news|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20050816005517/en/Heinz-Acquires-Leading-Sauce-Brands-Including-Lea|title=Heinz Acquires Leading Sauce Brands, Including Lea & Perrins(R), From Groupe Danone for US$820 Million; Transaction Accelerates Growth in Global Condiments and Sauces|access-date=2018-02-24|language=en|archive-date=25 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225065027/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20050816005517/en/Heinz-Acquires-Leading-Sauce-Brands-Including-Lea|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 16 October 1897, Lea & Perrins relocated manufacturing of the sauce from their pharmacy in Broad Street to a factory in the city of [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] on Midland Road, where it is still made. The factory produces ready-mixed bottles for domestic distribution and a concentrate for bottling abroad.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Spicy delight as our world-famous sauce is bottled in city again|url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/7859155.spicy-delight-as-our-world-famous-sauce-is-bottled-in-city-again/|access-date=2021-07-23|website=Worcester News|date=25 August 2006 |language=en|archive-date=23 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723143823/https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/7859155.spicy-delight-as-our-world-famous-sauce-is-bottled-in-city-again/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1930, the Lea & Perrins operation was purchased by [[HP Foods]], which was in turn acquired by the [[Imperial Tobacco]] Company in 1967.  HP was sold to [[Danone]] in 1988 and then to [[Heinz]] in 2005.

Some sizes of bottles sold by Lea & Perrins in the United States come packaged in dark glass with a beige label and wrapped in paper. Lea & Perrins USA explains this practice as a vestige of shipping practices from the 19th century, when the product was imported from England, as a measure of protection for the bottles.<ref>{{Citation | url=http://www.leaperrins.com/about-lea-perrins.aspx | title=About | publisher=Lea & Perrins | access-date=16 February 2010 | archive-date=21 February 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221005450/http://www.leaperrins.com/about-lea-perrins.aspx | url-status=live }}</ref> The producer also claims that its Worcestershire sauce is the oldest commercially bottled condiment in the U.S.<ref>{{Citation | title = History | url = http://www.leaperrins.com/history.aspx | publisher = Lea & Perrins | access-date = 5 March 2012 | archive-date = 9 March 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120309140206/http://www.leaperrins.com/history.aspx | url-status = live }}</ref>  The ingredients in the US version of Lea & Perrins also differ somewhat, in that the US version (which include distilled white vinegar, molasses, sugar, water, salt, onions, anchovies, garlic, cloves, tamarind extract, natural flavorings, and chili pepper extract<ref>[https://www.kraftheinzawayfromhome.com/products/10051600003011-the-original-worcestershire-sauce Lea & Perrins, The Original Worcestershire Sauce, Product Information]</ref>) replaces the malt vinegar used by the UK and Canadian versions with [[spirit vinegar]].<ref name="Sprucestershire">
  {{
    cite web
      | url=https://www.thespruceeats.com/worcestershire-sauce-history-1807686
      | title=The Interesting Origin and History of Worcestershire Sauce
      | access-date=21 December 2022
      | archive-date=21 December 2022
      | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221203417/https://www.thespruceeats.com/worcestershire-sauce-history-1807686
      | url-status=live
      | ref=Sprucestershire
  }}
</ref>

=== Brazil and Portugal ===
In Brazil and Portugal, it is known as {{lang|pt|molho inglês}} ('English sauce').

=== Costa Rica ===
In Costa Rica, a local variation of the sauce is {{lang|es|[[Salsa Lizano]]}}, created in 1920 and a staple condiment at homes and restaurants.

=== El Salvador ===
Worcestershire sauce, known as {{lang|es|salsa inglesa}} ('English sauce') or {{lang|es|salsa Perrins}} ('Perrins sauce'), is very popular in [[El Salvador]]. Many restaurants provide a bottle on each table, and the per capita annual consumption is {{convert|2.5|oz}}, the highest in the world as of 1996.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB837987019746627000 |title=Salvadorans Relish a Bottle of Worcestershire Sauce |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=22 July 1996 |access-date=10 January 2018 |archive-date=10 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110234247/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB837987019746627000 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Germany ===
A sweeter, less salty version of the sauce called {{lang|de|Worcestersauce Dresdner Art}} was developed in the beginning of the 20th century in [[Dresden]], Germany, where it is still being produced. It contains smaller amounts of anchovies. It is mostly consumed in the eastern part of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strehlener erfand Dresdner Worcester-Sauce|url=https://www.saechsische.de/plus/strehlener-erfand-dresdner-worcester-sauce-2938648.html|access-date=2021-11-18|website=www.saechsische.de|language=de|archive-date=18 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118125539/https://www.saechsische.de/plus/strehlener-erfand-dresdner-worcester-sauce-2938648.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Mexico ===
In Mexico, it is known as {{lang|es|salsa inglesa}} (English sauce).<ref name="Epicurious"/>

=== United Kingdom, Australia ===
Holbrook's{{sfn|Shurtleff|Aoyagi|2012|p=57}} Worcestershire was produced in Birmingham, England, from 1875 but only the Australian subsidiary survives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://letslookagain.com/tag/history-of-holbrooks-worcestershire/|title=Let's Look Again|date=12 October 2015|website=Let's Look Again|access-date=8 June 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141444/http://letslookagain.com/tag/history-of-holbrooks-worcestershire/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== United States ===
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is sold in the United States by [[Kraft Heinz]]<ref name="Epicurious"/> following the Kraft & Heinz merger in 2015.

Other Worcestershire sauce brands in the United States include [[French's]], which was introduced in 1941.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.foodchamps.org/best-worchestershire-sauce/ | title=Best Worcestershire Sauce Brands (Reviews & Guide) | date=30 November 2020 | access-date=21 December 2022 | archive-date=21 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221205239/https://www.foodchamps.org/best-worchestershire-sauce/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Venezuela ===
It is commonly named {{lang|es|salsa inglesa}} ('English sauce') and is part of many traditional dishes such as {{lang|es|[[Hallaca]]s}} (a traditional Christmas dish) and some versions of {{lang|es|Asado Negro}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bizcochosysancochos.com/2017/12/asado-negro-al-estilo-venezolano-receta.html?m=1 |title=Asado negro al estilo venezolano |author=Angélica |date=December 28, 2017 |work=Bizcochos y Sancochos |language=es |access-date=14 December 2020 |archive-date=30 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230173821/https://www.bizcochosysancochos.com/2017/12/asado-negro-al-estilo-venezolano-receta.html?m=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Non-fish variations ===

Some "Worcestershire sauces" are inspired by the original sauce but have deviated significantly from the original taste profile, most notably by the exclusion of fish.

[[File:Thai Worcestershire sauce.JPG|thumb|upright=0.4|right|Thai Gy-Nguang brand Formula 2 Worcestershire sauce (2010)]]
{{lang|th-Latn|Gy-Nguang}} ({{langx|th|ไก่งวง}}) Worcestershire sauce has been produced since 1917.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gy-nguang.com/about-gy-nguang.html |title=GY-NGUANG Worcester Sauce |publisher=Tinnakorn Worcester Sauce |website=www.gy-nguang.com |access-date=22 May 2018 |archive-date=23 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523011609/http://www.gy-nguang.com/about-gy-nguang.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It relies on soy sauce instead of anchovies for the umami flavour. The company makes two versions: Formula 1 for Asian taste, and Formula 2 for international taste. The two differ only in that Formula 2 contains slightly less soy sauce and slightly more spices.<ref>{{cite web |title=GY-NGUANG Worcester Sauce ingredient |url=http://www.gy-nguang.com/the_secret.html |website=www.gy-nguang.com |access-date=7 November 2019 |archive-date=15 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915214525/http://www.gy-nguang.com/the_secret.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In Japan, Worcestershire sauce is labelled ''Worcester'' (rather than ''Worcestershire''), rendered as {{Nihongo krt||ウスターソース|Usutā sōsu}}. Many sauces are more of a vegetarian variety, with the base being water, syrup, vinegar, puree of apple and tomato puree, and the flavour less spicy and sweeter.<ref>彩流社『ニッポン定番メニュー事始め』澁川祐子　198頁</ref> [[Japanese Agricultural Standard]] defines Worcester-type sauces by [[viscosity]], with Worcester sauce proper having a viscosity of less than 0.2 [[poiseuille (unit)|poiseuille]], 0.2–2.0 poiseuille sauces categorised as {{Nihongo||中濃ソース|Chūnō sōsu}}, commonly used in Kantō region and northwards, and sauces over 2.0 poiseuille categorised as {{Nihongo||濃厚ソース|Nōkō sōsu}}; they are manufactured under brand names such as Otafuku and Bulldog, but these are [[brown sauce]]s more similar to [[HP Sauce]] rather than Worcestershire sauce.

[[Tonkatsu sauce]] is a thicker Worcester-style sauce made from vegetables and fruits and associated with the dish {{lang|ja-Latn|[[tonkatsu]]}}.<ref name="about">{{cite web |url=http://tonkatsu.bulldog.jp/about/ |title=About Tonkatsu |publisher=Bull-Dog Sauce Company |access-date=22 April 2018 |archive-date=2 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502120053/http://tonkatsu.bulldog.jp/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kikkoman.com/foodforum/spotlightjapan/17.shtml |title=Western Roots, Japanese Taste: Tonkatsu |work=Food Forum |publisher=[[Kikkoman]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110404222642/http://www.kikkoman.com/foodforum/spotlightjapan/17.shtml |archive-date=2011-04-04}}</ref>

[[File:Shanghai Worcestershire Sauce (narrow).jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|A bottle of Shanghainese "spicy soy sauce", Taikang Yellow brand]]

Worcestershire sauce has a history of multiple introduction in Chinese-speaking areas. These sauces, each differently named, have diverged both from the original and from each other:

; Spicy soy sauce ({{zh|s=辣酱油|p=là jiàngyóu}}), Shanghai
: Worcestershire sauce was first produced under this name in 1933 by Mailing Aquarius, then an English-owned company. With Mailing moving to Hong Kong in 1946, the Shanghai branch was nationalised in 1954. Sauce production was transferred to Taikang in 1960. The sauce was reformulated in 1981 under a "nine flavours in one" formula, and again changed in 1990 into two "Taikang Yellow" and "Taikang Blue" varieties.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=zh:上海轻工业志-第一编行业-第二章食品-第二节主要产品- 七.其他食品- 2.辣酱油|trans-title=Shanghai Chronicle of Light Industries, 1.2.2.7.2. Worcestershire sauce|url=http://www.shtong.gov.cn/newsite/node2/node2245/node68930/node68935/node68950/node68954/userobject1ai66580.html|access-date=April 5, 2008|archive-date=3 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103232837/http://www.shtong.gov.cn/newsite/node2/node2245/node68930/node68935/node68950/node68954/userobject1ai66580.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|script-title=zh:上海粮食志 -第七篇粮油工业-第六章产品开发-第一节粮油食品开发-辣酱油|trans-title=Shanghai Chronicle of Food, 7.6.1.x. Worcestershire sauce|url=http://www.shtong.gov.cn/newsite/node2/node2245/node4447/node55208/node55289/node55301/userobject1ai43272.html|access-date=April 5, 2008|archive-date=27 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327110657/http://www.shtong.gov.cn/newsite/node2/node2245/node4447/node55208/node55289/node55301/userobject1ai43272.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2020, only the yellow variety remains available.
: The Taikang Yellow sauce contains no fish. It is used in [[Haipai cuisine]], especially on pork chops and Shanghainese borscht.<ref name="上海热线">{{Cite web |url=http://hi.online.sh.cn/content/2012-06/15/content_5381184.htm |script-title=zh:舌尖上的海派西餐|trans-title=Haipai western cuisine on tongue-tip|date=15 June 2012|publisher=上海热线|access-date=8 February 2014|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227041600/http://hi.online.sh.cn/content/2012-06/15/content_5381184.htm|archive-date=27 February 2013|quote=上海人的炸猪排裹了厚厚的金黄色面包粉，外脆里嫩，完全不似现在的炸品那么油腻张扬，很多人吃之前上面略微浇一点口感带微酸的辣酱油，这也是上海人独有的吃西餐的诀窍。|trans-quote=The Shanghainese pork chop is heavily breaded in golden-yellow powder, crispy outside while tender on the inside, completely unlike the flagrantly oily fried food of today. Many people add a splash of slightly sour "spicy soy sauce" before eating, a western dining trick specific to the Shanghainese.}}</ref>
: A descendant of an earlier form of the sauce is found in Taiwan as "Mailing spicy soy sauce", originally produced by the HK branch of Mailing. It is found in steakhouses.
; Gip-sauce ({{zh|t=[[wikt:喼汁|喼汁]]|p=jízhī|j=gip1zap1}}), Hong Kong
: This variety is of uncertain etymology: it may have come from ''[[catsup]]'' or the verb ''give''.<ref>{{cite web|title=英式喼汁﹝Worcestershire Sauce﹞|url=http://the-sun.on.cc/cnt/lifestyle/20090630/00479_004.html|website=太陽報|language=zh|quote=此汁於二十世紀傳至中國廣東，並把英國人俗稱為Catsup的Worcestershire Sauce，直譯成喼汁，自此喼汁成為廣東人對Worcestershire Sauce的專用名詞。|trans-quote=This sauce is brought to Canton in the 20th century. The colloquial name "catsup" was directly [phonetically] translated into "gip-sauce", the Cantonese proper noun for Worcestershire Sauce ever since.|access-date=14 March 2019|archive-date=4 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704112714/http://the-sun.on.cc/cnt/lifestyle/20090630/00479_004.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Save for the Lea & Perrins original sold as a gip-sauce, most varieties of this type have a stronger umami flavour with the addition of soy sauce, fish sauce, and/or [[MSG]]; some commercial varieties forgo fish altogether.<!-- brands checked: Haitian, Haidi, Weidaozai --> This sauce is commonly used in [[dim sum]] dishes such as [[steamed meatball]] and [[spring roll]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=飲食中的東成西就 |trans-title=Achievements east and west, in food|work=長訊月刊 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924022853/http://www.goldenage.hk/b5/ga/ga_article.php?article_id=1723 |url= http://www.goldenage.hk/b5/ga/ga_article.php?article_id=1723 |archive-date=2015-09-24|quote=於是,這英國產物真正融入我們的飲食,無論你吃春卷、山竹牛肉,總有支喼汁在旁,或許我們接觸到最西化的 喼汁用法,就是把它加入雞尾酒 Bloody Mary。|trans-quote=So this English product truly blended into our [Hongkongese] diet, with a bottle of gip-sauce next to us whenever we eat spring rolls and steamed meatballs. Probably the most westernised way to use this sauce we see in everyday life is the Bloody Mary cocktail.}}</ref>
; Spicy vinegar ({{zh|t=辣香酢|labels=no}}), Taiwan
: This variety is descended from the Japanese Worcester Sauce via the Kongyen company, originally founded by Japanese businesspeople. It is also known under the name ''Taiwan Black Vinegar'' due to confusion post-WW2.

==In popular culture==
On 1 April 2025, the [[University of Gloucestershire]] issued a tongue-in-cheek press release announcing a temporary ban on Worcestershire sauce across its campuses ahead of a Varsity competition against the [[University of Worcester]]. The ban was a light-hearted act of sporting rivalry intended to rally student support and generate social media engagement.<ref>{{cite web |title=UoG bans Worcestershire Sauce ahead of Varsity showdown |url=https://www.glos.ac.uk/content/uog-bans-worcestershire-sauce-ahead-of-varsity-showdown/ |website=University of Gloucestershire |access-date=1 April 2025}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Food}}
* [[A.1. Steak Sauce]]
* [[Anglo-Indian cuisine]]
* [[Fish sauce]]
* [[Oyster sauce]]
* [[Soy sauce]]
* [[French's]]
* [[Henderson's Relish]] – similar sauce without fish
* [[List of sauces]]
* [[Sarson's]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Citation | newspaper = The Seattle Times | date = 28 January 2001 | publisher = NW source | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2001/0128/taste.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020608220533/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2001/0128/taste.html | archive-date=8 June 2002 | first = Chef Greg | last = Atkinson | title = Sauce of Legend}}, abetted by Lea & Perrins, reports and debunks the myth, without unveiling Lady Sandys.
* {{Citation | url = https://www.foodsofengland.info/worcesterorworcestershiresauce.html | title = A very different history of Worcester Sauce | publisher = Foods of England}}.
*[http://songs.mister.red/#14  Song "Worcestershire Sauce"  written for a "Ballad Documentary" put on by the Somers Folk Club (Malvern) in 1984]

{{Fish sauce}}
{{Japanese food and drink}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Worcestershire Sauce}}
[[Category:1837 introductions]]
[[Category:British condiments]]
[[Category:Culture in Worcester, England|Sauce]]
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[[Category:Culture in Worcestershire|Sauce]]
[[Category:Fermented foods]]
[[Category:Fish sauces]]
[[Category:History of Worcester, England]]
[[Category:Umami enhancers]]
[[Category:Japanese condiments]]
[[Category:Food brands of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Steak sauces]]
[[Category:Anchovy dishes]]
[[Category:Sour foods]]