Sweet & sour sauce is a very popular sauce that combines both sweet and sour tastes and is a common accompaniment that is used in North American, Chinese and European Cuisine. Sweet & sour sauce can be tangy, salty, sour and sweet and the actual taste can vary according to the preparation method.
History of Sweet & Sour Sauce
Sweet & sour sauce has been attributed to the Chinese but virtually every cuisine all over the world has some kind of accompaniment that has the same taste combination. The first Sweet & sour sauce was native to the Chinese province of Hunan where a weak vinegar and sugar combination was created. This sauce was a popular dip for fish, meat and vegetables and was provided on the table as an uncooked version. Over the ages, a similar Sweet & sour sauce was incorporated into a pork dish called Sweet and Sour Pork. The sauce was prepared separately and added to the pork at the end of cooking. In Western cuisine, cranberry sauce, or pineapple sauce is the closest in taste and the French also make their own version called the Aigre-douce. Italians produce a thick dipping sauce of grapes that has the same sweet and sour tones called as Saba, while in America, a sweet and sour barbeque sauce or dipping sauce is produced by mixing honey and orange juice.
Ingredients Used and Popular Methods of Preparation of Sweet & Sour Sauce
Sweet & sour sauce can be prepared with a wide range of ingredients by following various sweet & sour sauce recipes. Different ingredients result in different colored sauces. In China, the original sweet & sour sauce was created with white vinegar or rice vinegar combined with sugar which imparted a transparent golden color to the sauce. A combination of pineapples, pears and vinegar was also used in the eastern regions of China to produce the same sweet & sour sauce taste. Over time, chefs added their individual choices to the basic sweet & sour sauce recipe like Worcestershire sauce, Soy Sauce, Chinese brown sugar, and even ketchup which resulted in the wide range and taste sensation of sweet & sour sauces in China as well as across the world. Adding more ingredients resulted in richer and denser sauces like Hoisin sauce, and plum sauce.
Serving and Eating Sweet & Sour Sauce
Traditionally in China, sweet & sour sauce is provided as a dip along with deep fried fish, and meat. The same sauce is also added to the wok to create Sweet and Sour Pork. Sweet & sour sauce is also combined into a dish with cucumbers, and bell peppers to create vegetarian sweet & sour sauce dishes in Eastern China. In the western world, sweet & sour sauce is commonly found in supermarkets and is provided by large restaurant chains like McDonalds and KFC with their dishes.
Nutritional Value of Sweet & Sour Sauce
The commercial sweet & sour sauce recipe suggests use of considerable quantities of sodium and MSG which is not good for health. One should read nutritional labels to ascertain the exact ingredients.