Sauces have been around since about 200 AD when the Romans used it to mask the lack of freshness of the meat they were serving. They were also used to display the number of costly spices available in the kitchen of the host during those times. The Roman cooks used so many spices that it was hard to pinpoint what the main course actually contained.
A sauce, if defined, is a liquid or semi-solid edible accompaniment to food, used either as gravy or a condiment. The most popular sauce in the world today would be tomato sauce or ketchup. It can be used to compliment almost any savoury food from French fries and eggs to parathas.
Another common sauce is mayonnaise. Used in sandwiches and subs, mayonnaise forms a base for other sauces and can be used as salad dressing.
Over the years, the French took command over sauces and even though French food is considered bland by most of the world, actual culinary studies still contain the five ‘Mother’ sauces that the French chefs created.
As the name suggests, these five sauces work as the base for almost all other sauces. These original sauces are :
Béchamel: A mixture of flour, butter and milk. It serves as a base for all white, cheese sauces used in pastas and for other baked dishes.
Hollandaise: This is a little more complicated and it is prepared by whisking clarified butter into warm egg yolks. The hard part is to not scramble the eggs and for this the temperature has to be absolutely perfect.
Red Sauce: This is tomato sauce thickened with purees or roux (a mixture of flour and butter). It forms the base for sauces like Puttanesca, Marinara, Bolognese and Spanish.
Espagnole: This is brown sauce made with the stock of beef. It is used to make secondary sauces like mushroom and madeira. It is most often used to relish red meats.
Veloute: This sauce uses a white stock like chicken or fish. It is a lighter sauce thickened by using eggs or flour. This is again used for making white sauces like the white wine sauce and mushroom sauce. It is most commonly used with poultry or fish.
Other than these European sauces there are Asian sauces that are extremely popular throughout the world, especially soy sauce. Used mostly in South East Asian cuisine, soy sauce can be used for giving colour and saltiness to a prepared dish or be used as a dip for cold dishes like sushi. In this cuisine there is the peanut-based satay sauce, the hoisin sauce, fish sauce and the sweet and sour teriyaki sauce.
Another sauce that has gained popularity these days is the ‘sriracha sauce’. This is a Thai hot sauce made from crushed chillies, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. Sriracha sauce was originally used as a topping for Pho (soup-based south east Asian dish). Now it is used as a hot sauce accompanying almost anything from sandwiches to fried chicken.
Indian sauces are mostly called ‘chutney’. They are used as either a condiment or a dip and are made from tamarind, mint, or mango to name a few. Since India has no dearth of spices, Indian sauces are full of them, making them exceptionally tangy.
Not to be forgotten are the sugary sauces that sweeten the palate. Cranberry, strawberry, butterscotch and chocolate are the most common sweet sauces used to complement ice cream.
They are drizzled on cakes and along with whipped cream make the most heavenly combination.
Sauces have been the epicenter of the culinary world for ages. Books have been written about them and there is a special position in the high-end commercial kitchens for a person who just prepares these sauces. A saucier’s job is extremely sought after as it is the most important position under the chef and the sous chef. These sauciers are responsible for making the sauces and all sautéed dishes. Not enough importance is given to these dainty little drizzles on food but one has to agree that the world would be a rather bland place if sauces had not been invented.