Famous Sauces: Origins and Secrets

Explanation: Béarnaise is distinguished from hollandaise by the addition of a reduction of vinegar with tarragon and shallots, giving it its characteristic flavor.

Explanation: Soy sauce originated in China over 2,000 years ago before spreading to Japan and throughout Asia. It is made by fermenting soybeans.

Explanation: Mole is a complex Mexican sauce that can contain more than 20 ingredients including chilies, bitter chocolate, nuts, and various spices.

Explanation: Authentic wasabi is prepared from the rhizome of the Wasabia japonica plant, grated just before consumption. Commercial wasabi is often colored horseradish.

Explanation: Traditional Genoese pesto is made from fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, pecorino, and olive oil, ground with a mortar and pestle.

Explanation: Espagnole sauce is one of the 5 mother sauces of classic French cuisine. It serves as the base for many brown sauces like bordelaise or chasseur.

Explanation: American sauce (or Armorican sauce) gets its color from lobster or spiny lobster coral, mixed with a base of tomatoes, cognac, and fish stock.

Explanation: Horseradish sauce is the traditional condiment for English roast beef. Its pungent, fresh taste perfectly complements red meat.

Explanation: Worcestershire sauce contains fermented anchovies that give it its characteristic umami taste. This 19th-century English sauce is used worldwide.

Explanation: Aioli is an emblematic Provençal sauce prepared with pounded garlic emulsified with olive oil. It traditionally accompanies the grand aioli, a dish of vegetables and fish.

Explanation: Sweet fish sauce (or sweet and sour sauce) is a blend of fish sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, and chilies. It is essential in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.

Explanation: Buffalo sauce was created in 1964 in Buffalo, New York, at the Anchor Bar. This spicy sauce made from hot sauce and butter accompanies the famous chicken wings.

Explanation: Traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena is made exclusively from Trebbiano or Lambrusco grape must, aged for at least 12 years in wooden barrels.

Explanation: Chimichurri is a green Argentinian sauce made of parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, and oil. It is the essential accompaniment for asado (Argentinian barbecue).

Explanation: Auguste Escoffier rationalized and codified the mother sauces (béchamel, velouté, espagnole, tomato, hollandaise) in his Guide Culinaire (1903), simplifying Carême's system.