July 05, 2008

When I came to Pakistan quite some time back, the only sauce easily available was ‘ketchup’. Being an avid lover of the red ‘life-saving’ sauce, I would dip and coat all eatables with it. My father who was afraid of the extraordinary ketchup budget and my ever increasing weight, would sarcastically remark of me not having ketchup but taking a bath in it! Later on, with food sense developing and more foreign eatables, especially the fast food, making way into local menu, gave way to many different kinds of spreads, dressing and sauces.

Here are a few of the wonderful, taste enhancing sauces and dips to satisfy your taste buds.

Ketchup

Ketchup, unarguably the most sought-after and the most common sauce globally, can safely be termed as the King of all the Sauces. Ketchup, also known as Catsup, Tomato Ketchup, Tomato Sauce, Red Sauce, Tommy Sauce, Tommy K, or Dead Horse, is a condiment, usually made with ripe tomatoes. The other ingredients are vinegar, sugar, salt, spices, and onions. A must with French fries, fast food and other fried items, ketchup with mayonnaise forms the base of Thousand Island dressings, fry sauce and barbecue sauce.

Ketchup is one of the sauces that one can’t get enough of!

Soy Sauce

Soy sauce or soya sauce is made from soybeans, grains, water and salt. Originating in China, soy sauce is used throughout the world mostly for East and Southeast Asian cuisines, giving food a dark colour and unique taste. The most common soy sauce being used locally is Chinese soy sauce. There are two types of the same: light or fresh (dark brown in colour, used as topping or seasoning over soups) and dark or old (much darker, used in cooking since its flavour develops under heating). Traditional Chinese cooking caters to one of the two types, or a mixture of both to attain different flavour and colour for the dish.

Mayonnaise

A must with fast food, mayonnaise made its way into the country with junk meal. Mayonnaise is sought after by youngsters and elders alike. It is one of the most common sauces used by the health conscious and those trying to reduce weight. Small quantity of mayonnaise with lots of different vegetables making a wonderful salad is the morning meal for them. Similarly many take mayonnaise spread sandwich to school and the workplace.

Mayonnaise can easily be made at home. Eggs mixed with sugar, salt, spices, garlic and vinegar are beaten while oil is trickled down drop by drop. Salads are thus enjoyed at almost every possible food shop as well as local vendors on carts; one can even find mayonnaise finding its way into the local tikka paratha and kebab paratha rolls!

Mustard

Mustard is a thick yellow paste with a sharp taste prepared from the ground seeds of mustard plants by mixing them in water, vinegar and adding ingredients for taste. Mustard paste is used as a base for many toppings, salads and other sauces. Hotdogs are considered incomplete without a squeeze of mustard paste over them.

One has to develop a taste for it. It might be one reason that children here do not appreciate its taste initially.

Vinegar

Vinegar, derived from the Old French vin aigre meaning “sour wine”, is one of the oldest sauces ever. Its traces were found in the Egyptian urns from around 3000 BC. It is sometimes infused with spices or herbs. Across the world there are different types of vinegar including the classical white, malt, wine, apple cider, balsamic, cane, coconut, raisin, date, fruit, beer, honey, flavoured vinegars and Kombucha (primarily used to make vinaigrette) are made.

Vinegar is commonly used in food preparation, particularly in pickling cucumbers, chillies and other vegetables. It is an ingredient in sauces such as mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise, local chutneys, kanji and achaar. It is also used for marinating different meat products especially steak and roast. Vinegar is commonly used in different soups to add sour taste.

Chilli garlic sauce

Those who find ketchup very sweet or less spicy usually turn up to chilli garlic sauce. It is one of the most common sauces in the local fast food market after the ketchup.

Thousand Island

Thousand Island, also known as American dressing, is usually made of mayonnaise, ketchup, and finely chopped vegetables like pickles, olives, and bell peppers. It is used both in salads and as a sauce for different snacks, sandwiches and fast food. It is one of the most common dressings being used locally by many fast food outlets.

Worcestershire sauce

Worcestershire sauce (Worcester sauce, Wooster sauce) is locally made up of vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, tamarind, dates, onion, garlic, spices. Anchovies and flavouring are added in the developed countries where it is considered as one of the many legacies of British contact with the subcontinent. The integral component of Caesar salad, this sauce is usually used with beef and steak both for marinating or as a topping or dipping while gobbling down the same. The sauce is locally served with pasta, soups, fish, chicken and other meat dishes. Worcestershire sauce still couldn’t make into the traditional local recipes.

Oyster sauce

Oyster sauce is a dark brown sauce commonly used in Chinese and Thai cuisine. Oyster sauce is prepared from oysters, brine, and different flavours. No salt or sugar is added since oyster is supposed to provide all the flavours. For vegetarians a variety is prepared where oysters are replaced with mushrooms. Oyster sauce is used to enhance the flavour of many savoury foods and as a topping for steamed vegetables.

Humus

Humus is a dip or spread made of blended chickpeas, lemon, and garlic. Humus is popular in various local forms throughout the Middle East. Humus is traditionally scooped with flatbread (pita), and also used as a dressing for falafel, sandwiches and grilled chicken. Different Middle Eastern countries have different variations in the dip. In Pakistan, Humus, made its way with the people returning from Saudi Arabia and Middle Eastern countries. It is a common sauce for shawarma.

Most, if not all, of the sauces do not have much nutritional value. But small amount of the same with different foods can result in really healthy food, the most common example being the salad where small quantity of mayonnaise is added to different vegetables to make a vitamin rich meal. So whatever food you are having, you always have one sauce or another. Lick them, dip in them, fold in them, roll in them, drink them, eat them or just have a bath in them! Enjoy your sauce, make your food saucilicious!