EAT MY GLOBE

AWESOME SAUCE: THE HISTORY OF SAUCES

Simon Majumdar (“SM”):

Hey, April.

April Simpson (“AS”):

Yeah, Simon.

SM:

Did you know why the cranberry sauce crossed the road?

AS:

I don't know. Why did the cranberry sauce cross the road?

SM:

To get to the other sides.

[Laughter]

AS:

Oh.                                                          

INTRO MUSIC

SM:

Hi everybody.

And, welcome to a brand-new episode of Eat My Globe, a podcast about things you didn’t know you didn’t know about food.

And on today’s very special episode, we are going to be looking at the history of sauces.

We’ll start at the very beginning. Then, we will look at sauces from ancient history, through the middle-ages, and trough the beginnings of French gastronomy. And certainly, through to some of the other sauces we see from Asia, and many others.

Now, let’s look at the purpose of why sauces are created. Do they just enrich the flavor of food? Or, do they have some other purposes too?

Well, according to the research done by Lynne Olver at the website, “Food Timeline,” sauces have three main purposes:

Quote

“1. Cooking medium

 2. Meat tenderizer

 3. Flavor enhancer”

End quote.

So, now we know the purpose of sauces. But, what is the definition of “sauce”? Our friends at the Cambridge Dictionary defines sauce as

Quote

“a thick liquid eaten with food to add flavor:

·       a savory/sweet sauce [or]

·       [a] tomato sauce”

End quote.

And according to our friends at Dictionary dot com, the first time the word, “sauce,” appears on record was around the 14th century. While that might seem relatively recent, it is believed that the word itself is actually derived from the Latin word “salus,” which means “salted.”

I find this very, very interesting because “salt” had a key role in preserving meat and fish that goes as far back as the ancient Roman times. In fact, people at the time used to call salt “white gold.” So precious was their impact.

Out of interest, the word salary is also believed to have come from the word salt. The theory is that Roman soldiers were paid in salt, therefore giving them a form of payment for whatever they needed as they travelled.

Now, before we go any further, we should discuss the difference between “sauce” and “condiment.” We already have the definition of sauce from earlier. So, let’s look at the definition of “condiment.”

According to our friends at Cambridge Dictionary, a “condiment” is

Quote

“a substance, such as salt, that you add to food to improve its taste.”

End quote.

From these definitions, while both add flavors to food, a sauce is always a liquid, while a condiment may or may not be liquid. With those definitions in mind, this episode will focus on sauces which may include liquid based condiments.

Back to sauces.

I am certain that there may have been some use of sauces in other parts of the ancient world and I will talk about that later.

But first, let's talk about sauce that probably dates back to the 5th century BCE in ancient Greece, where it was known to be produced in the coastline area by the Black Sea. It was known as “Garos,” which was basically a fermented fish. Yes, I am talking about fish sauce.

Between the 1st and 3rd century CE, “Garos” arrived in ancient Rome and became known as “Garum.”

Ancient Romans also used another form of fish sauce – the “Liquamen.” However, according to author, Maryann Tebben, in her book, “Sauces: A Global History,” both “Garum” and “Liquamen” were very similar but she said

Quote

“Liquamen [was] the term for fermented fish sauce made from whole fish and garum for the higher-status sauce made from fish blood; liquamen is believed to have been an ingredient used by cooks in the kitchen hence its lower status, and relatively expensive forms of garum may have been used by elite diners as a table condiment.”

End quote.

I guess my wife and I are not elite diners because our fish sauce does not use fish blood, which is rather disappointing. Anyway.

Quite a few times on “Eat My Globe,” I have mentioned Apicius’s “Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome” including on an episode of The History of the Cookbook. As I mentioned in that episode, there were three Apicius – or is it Apicii? – who were gourmands that may have written the book although one Marcus Gavius Apicius is the one who most scholars believe had actually written it. Although, it is possible that the book was updated after that Apicius died because it was completed in the 3rd century CE – long after he died in 40 CE.

In any event, Apicius's book had a number of dishes where “Garum” was used and made. For example,

Quote

“garum: Boil a sextarium of anchovies and 3 sextarii of good wine until it is thick purée. Strain this through a hair sieve and keep it in glass flask for future use.”

End quote.

And here is one of the dishes that was made for using it, called “Cuminatum in Ostrea et Conchylia” or “Cumin Sauce for Shellfish,”

Quote

“[. . . Cumin Sauce (so called because cumin is its chief ingredient) for oysters and clams is made of] pepper, lovage, parsley, dryd mint, Malabar leaves, quite some cumin, honey, vinegar, and broth.”

End quote.

Which, I have to say, sounds rather lovely.

Now, this sauce was popular with just about everyone in ancient Rome. After all, Pliny described it as, quote, “exquisite liquid,” end quote, and quote, “so pleasant that it can be drunk,” end quote.

I'm with you Pliny, I am with you.

Interestingly, the humble fish sauce may have travelled outside the Roman Empire via the Silk Road to Asia. Now this is disputed. I should note that there are claims that the Asian nations developed their fish sauce independent of garum.

Whatever may be true, what I find very fascinating is, according to Declan Henesy in his article in the World History Encyclopedia, scientists compared the composition of garum found in archaeological digs in Pompeii with those of fish sauce in Southeast Asia, and they apparently had

Quote

“almost identical taste profile.”

End quote.

Which is amazing. As they say, great minds think alike.

The Silk Road was not the only way ingredients and other food travelled around the world – indeed, another transportation route allowed for sauces to develop in Europe. According to Raymond Sokolov in his book, “The Saucier’s Apprentice: A Modern Guide to Classic French Sauces for the Home,” he said

Quote

“The Crusades reopened commerce with the East and broadened the palette of exotic spices that French Chefs injected into their sauces.”

End quote.

And as people traveled from Europe to the Holy Land and back during the Crusades, which started in 1095, we do begin to see spices, such as pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg, being brought into Europe that may have been used by cooks.

Indeed, by the 14th century in France, we see that sauces had begun to develop by using spices from the east. As Sokolov puts it

Quote

“The first French cookbook, the celebrated  Viandier of Taillevent. . ., provides ample proof that the fourteenth century still doted on Oriental tastes. A typical Taillevent sauce for roasts consisted of mustard, red wine, powdered cinnamon, and sugar. Elsewhere, ginger and saffron crop up frequently.”

End quote.

Now, you may have heard of the name Taillevent before. I did talk about him on the Eat My Globe episode on The History of the Cookbook. But as a quick refresher, Taillevent was the nom de plume of a French chef named Guillaume Tirel. Apparently, Taillevent got his nickname while he was working in the French royal kitchen. According to authors, D. Eleanor Scully and Terence Scully, Taillevent means

Quote

“wind slicer”

End quote.

While author Mary Darmesteter says that the nickname is due to

Quote

“the lightness of his hand.”           

End quote.

Taillevent was likely born in 1315. In 1326, he started working for the queen, Jeanne D’Evreux, turning the spit in the kitchen, but he later rose through the ranks to become the head of the royal kitchen or the “Premier Ecuyer” under Charles VI.

He is thought to have written a manuscript called, “Le Viandier.” Although, there is now some thought that he may have taken existing recipes rather than writing himself.

Whoever really wrote “Le Viandier,” it is one of the first, if not the first, cookbook to contain 14th century sauces and descriptions of what went into them. Indeed, “Le Viandier” includes two types of sauces – unboiled and boiled. For example, as it comes in the translation of Terence Scully, “The Viandier of Taillevent,” a type of unboiled sauce is the Cameline.

Quote

“Cameline: To Make Cameline Sauce. Grind ginger, a great deal of cinnamon, cloves, grains of paradise, mace and, if you wish, long pepper; strain bread that has been moistened in vinegar, strain everything together and salt as necessary.”

End quote.

Now, I do say that sounds delicious.

Jessica Savage at Princeton University describes Cameline sauce as

Quote

“perhaps the original steak sauce. . . [and] was the perfect accompaniment to roast meats.”

End quote.

Cameline was so popular in Paris, it was sold by vendors for people to take home with them.

In another 14th century book, “Le Menagier de Paris,” which means “The Goodman of Paris” or “The Householder of Paris,” there is a range of Cameline sauces, too, including

Quote

“GARLIC CAMELINE SAUCE FOR SKATE. Bray ginger, garlic and crusts of white bread moistened with vinegar; and if you add liver thereto it will be better.”

End quote.

So, there you go. Add liver to your sauce and it “will be better.”

By the 17th century, French sauces were less reliant on spices that were prevalent in  Le Viandier or Le Menagier. One of the most well-known chefs of the 17th century who exemplified French cooking was a gentleman called François Pierre, who was perhaps best known for his alias – “Sieur de La Varenne” or “La Varenne” for short. This nickname apparently means,

Quote

“lord of the game preserve.”

End quote.

In Susan Pinkard’s book, “A Revolution in Taste: The Rise of French Cuisine, 1650-1800,” she says that

Quote

“In the nineteenth century, when French gastronomes went in search of the ancestors of haute cuisine, they quickly identified La Varenne’s Cuisinier as the seminal work of the canon a status it retains today.”

End quote.

So, let’s talk about La Varenne.

He was born around 1615 in Chalone-sur-Saone in Burgundy. He started working in the kitchen in the 1630s, and at 25 years old, he started working as a cook for the Marquis d’Uxelles. He later rose to the ranks of Ecuyer de Cuisine, a highly regarded position. While working for the Marquis, he wrote his book, “Le Cuisinier.”

Author Leon G. Fine claims that La Varenne’s “Le Cuisinier” emphasized emulsification and creating a roux. By emulsifying his sauces, they remained creamy and a bit sticky so they do not split. And by creating a roux – which meant adding flour to fat – he could prepare sauces in advance.

Which, I think, brings us on to the “Mother Sauces” – the group of sauces that chefs even use today. Again, they come from France.

When people think of the mother sauces, people tend to look at Georges Auguste Escoffier, the world-famous chef who brought the kitchen hierarchy into a military order, as it were. I have done an episode on Escoffier in Season 2, so give that a listen.

But, before we look at him, we should at first look to Marie-Antoine Carême, who later used the name Antonin Carême.

Carême was, as the Smithsonian Magazine, put it,

Quote

“How A Destitute, Abandoned Parisian Boy Became the First Celebrity Chef.”

End quote.

Now, I have mentioned Carême in the episode I did about Escoffier. But, a quick refresher. Carême was born in 1784, and died just 49 years later of a pulmonary disease caused by probably the airless and charcoal filled kitchens of that time. But, during that time he had become the most legendary chef in France.

But along the way he classified four types of “mother” sauces that became the basis for high-end French cuisine.

Now, Carême wrote a number of books which were meant to train chefs including, “L'Art de la Cuisine Française au Dix-neuvième Siècle” written around 1833 to 1847. But before that, in 1822, he wrote “Le maître d’Hotel Français,” which included his “mother sauces.”

Now, these were Velouté, Béchamel, Espagnole and Allemande.

I doubt that Carême actually invented these sauces. Indeed, in “Le maître d’Hotel Français,” he gave credit to some people – and I am using Google Translate here so... let's see how it goes.

Quote

“If my age does not give me the advantage of being mentioned as a pupil of the first house of the ancient nobility, that of Condé, I may say that I was brought up among the men of reputation of that time. It was under Messrs. Richaut, famous sauciers of the house of Condé, that I learned the work of sauces.”

End quote.

And, according to the author Raymond Sokolov, Carême also wrote in his 1828 book, “Le Cuisinier Parisien”

Quote

“I will add to our espagnole and our allemande (I underline the possessive pronounce to emphasize that these sauces are of French origin). . . .”

End quote.

By the time Carême passed away on the 12th of January 1833, he had left behind so many of the skills that chefs were going to use all the way through to today.

Now, Georges Auguste Escoffier was born in 1846 – so, some thirteen years after Carême’s death. And, if you want more of his history, I really do suggest you listen to my podcast on his unique contribution to world cuisine.

In 1903, Escoffier wrote one of his master works, “Le Guide Culinaire,” which is a guide that all chefs should follow. One of the things he did was to take the four “Mother” sauces of Carême’s and begin to formulate them into what became his five “mother sauces” from which all other sauces in French cuisine could be derived.

These were:

One, the Velouté Sauce – this is a sauce that I like to make a lot. It means velvety in English. It involves a clear stock made from the bones of fish, beef or poultry, with a roux of flour and butter added. Oh. The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Home Gourmet notes that the bones must not be roasted, or you’ll get a dark sauce. You could add wine, cream or other liquid to this stock.

Two, the Béchamel Sauce – Now like the velouté, this is a sauce made of a roux of butter and flour, and then adding milk.  These will all be stirred together to form a smooth sauce. It’s a versatile sauce so if you add cheese to this sauce, it becomes Mornay, for example. According to the Oxford Reference, Béchamel was invented by the Marquis de Béchamel, a general in the French army, by allegedly adding cream to that other mother sauce, velouté. While Escoffier did not create this sauce, as the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Home Gourmet puts it,

Quote

“his interpretation of this mother sauce is considered the culinary authority.”

End quote.

Three, the Hollandaise Sauce – Oh. I'm getting really, uh, I’m getting really hungry reading all of these. They're all my favourite sauces to make. Oh. Anyway, this sauce is made by whisking together butter, lemon juice, and egg yolks. According to Alan Davidson’s “The Oxford Companion to Food,” this sauce has a reputation for being difficult because the egg yolks could curdle if they get too hot. So, difficult to make, but terrific when you do.

Despite its reputation, it should be very familiar for you brunch lovers because you would see it on Eggs Benedict, for example. Or you may have tried one of the Hollandaise sauce’s daughters and my own favorite sauce, the Béarnaise Sauce, which is a sauce made with the addition of vinegar, and which I think goes so well with steaks. But definitely, this sauce is great for the hollandaise.

Did you write that?

[Laughter]

SV:

[Laughter]

You did. That is. . . the holidays, hollandaise. Gah. I'm sorry this is... Anyway, moving on! Yes, definitely moving on.

Four, the Tomato Sauce – this is a basic tomato sauce to which is added things like,

Quote

“oregano and basil, onions and garlic, cayenne and coriander.”

End quote.

But, Escoffier’s tomato sauce is made with,

Quote

“salted pork belly, onion, bay leaves, thyme, puréed or fresh tomatoes, roux, garlic, salt, sugar, and pepper.”

End quote.

Which, I think, apart from the roux, would be pretty much how we would make one today.

And number five, the Espagnole Sauce - or Spanish Sauce. It is made with a roux of butter and flour, and then adding stock from roasted veal bones – oh – as well as herbs and spices. The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Home Gourmet claims that it was so named because of the wedding of French King Louis XIII to a Spanish princess. Although, we do have many different reasons as well for this naming.

The Espagnole Sauce will create a “daughter” sauce like a “Demi-Glace,” which I will often use to make another sauce and then add to steak. Or, I may add an Espagnole Sauce to the juices of an orange to create the sauce for a duck a l’orange. Lovely, lovely stuff. It adds a deep richness to a stock.

Well, now I’ve covered French sauces, because I am British, you may not have noticed, we should now have some sauce from the English Channel.

Now, there are many types of sauces in Britain, but the first I wanted to start with is Bread Sauce, which, I think, is very much like the “Cameline” of the French Middle Ages. As the name suggests, bread sauce is made with bread, and added to it are milk and onions that are then boiled together. I love to add cloves, nutmeg, or its sister spice, mace. For anyone who has not tried this sauce, it is fantastic with a roast dinner, particularly, Christmas dinner. And in fact, I do have a recipe of Bread Sauce on my website.

It seems that bread sauce may be similar to a style of sauce made in the 14th century called, “Galentyne,” as listed in the book, “Forme of Curry.”  

Quote

“Take crust of Brede and grynde hem smale, do to powdo of galyngale, of canel, of gyngyn and salt it, tempre it with vyneg and drawe it up purgh a strayno and messe it forth.”

End quote.

Bread sauce is still very popular in the UK today, as I said, particularly around Christmas, and really lovely stuff it is too, so give it a try.

From bread sauce we move to Worchesterhire Sauce. Yes, it’s a long name. It is pronounced WOOS-TER-SHER. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the story goes that in 1835, a former governor of Bengal in India approached two chemists – or what you call pharmacists, for my American listeners. Those chemists were from Worcester – which was an area located in England, kind of towards the Welsh borders. These chemists were called John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins. The former governor asked Lea and Perrins to create a sauce based on the recipe he had while stationed in India. The former governor came back for the sauce but was not happy with it, so Lea and Perrins kept it in the basement where they promptly forgot about it for 18 months. When they found it again, they tasted it and realized that fermenting the sauce made it delicious. So, they bottled it and started selling it in 1837.

In another version according to Alan Davidson’s “The Oxford Companion to Food,” a customer asked Lea and Perrins to create a vinegar-based style of sauce that derived from an Indian recipe but the customer never showed up to pick up the goods, so the sauce languished in the basement for a while. Now, someone tasted it right before they were going to throw it away, and apparently it tasted delicious so they started to bottle it.  

Whatever the version of the story, according to Tom Nealon, the author of the book, “Food Fights & Culture Wars,”

Quote

“Worcestershire Sauce was the first global, virally marketed food.”      

End quote.

Because, apparently, Lea and Perrins paid ship workers to serve them to passengers aboard ships on lengthy journeys. The thinking was, once the passengers got the taste for it, they would keep on buying it. Pretty smart, I think.

Now, Worcestershire sauce is wonderful stuff and it's useful in many things such as a base for soups and stews, or even just sprinkling on food.

Its flavors are, according to The Spruce Eats,

Quote

·       “Distilled white vinegar

·       Anchovies

·       Garlic

·       Molasses

·       Onions

·       Salt

·       Sugar

·       Water

·       Chili pepper extract

·       Cloves

·       Natural flavorings [and]

·       Tamarind extract”

End quote.

With all those ingredients you may want to ask why is Worcestershire sauce so special? Well, it's hard to say.

SV:

[Laughter]

SM:

[Laughter]

I'm sorry, this is my wife having some fun with this

There are many competitors to Worcestershire sauce. I'm not going to say Henderson's or Hendo's which is made in Sheffield in South Yorkshire because that's not a fermented sauce but on next week's episode I will be chatting with Matt Davies from Henderson's Relish, which is one of my favourite, favourite, favourite sauces anywhere. So, make sure you watch out for it.

Another British sauce is Liquor or Parsley Sauce. It is a sauce that has no liquor and which originated in London and in particular, in the East End of London. Served with Pie & Mash, or Eels & Mash, it is made from the water used to cook the eels and then adding parsley. Now, the reason I mention it now is that many of these shops in what was once a thriving business have become scarce. I love the idea of bringing them back.

And let's finish in Britain with something that is always a staple of my sauces here in the USA to make me feel like I am back home again. It has the name Brown Sauce but I think that's a very British way of saying “it has too many ingredients in it to list them so we're just going to call it Brown Sauce.” At least that's my theory.

Brown sauce is, according to The Spectator,

Quote

“a classic culinary product of [The British] Empire, with tomatoes, tamarind, dates, molasses and soy amongst its ingredients. Then it was simply a case of blending these ‘most delicious oriental fruits and spices with a suitable proportion of pure malt vinegar’ and voilà.”

End quote.

I think it is the perfect thing to put on a Full English Breakfast, oh, oh, a Bacon Sarnie or Sandwich, with a pork pie or a Ploughman’s Lunch, which is one of my favourites – which is a lunch featuring cheese, ham, pickled onions, chutney, maybe a hard-boiled egg and salad. But I am often also known to use it on the side when I make a curry, when I have a salad or, to be honest, when I have just about anything.

Now, the most famous brand is “HP Sauce,” which stands for Houses of Parliament. It dates back to around 1884 when it was created by a grocer from Nottingham called Frederick Gibson Garten. He first trademarked it in 1890 as “The Banquet Sauce.” But he later got a new name and trademark for it and called it “Garton’s HP Sauce” because he found out it was being served at the Houses of Parliament.  And in 1903, another company bought Garton’s business including the name and the recipe for £150. What a bargain. Because it now has around 71 % of the market in the UK.

Now, there are other similar sauces to HP Sauce, like Daddy's, which was created in 1904.  

To be honest, I love both. Which kind of puts me on the fence a bit, because those in the UK who expressed a difference, would choose one or the other.

Let's move on and talk about ketchup. It is arguably the most popular sauce in the US where 97 % of households have it and spend about, get this, $5.85 billion on it. Remember, while ketchup is a condiment, it also falls under the definition of “sauce.”

[Sighs]

So, this is my wife's doing, this is not me. So let's KETCHUP on the “sauce” definition again.

AS:

[Laughter]

SM:

See what. . . . Now, don't see what I did, this is from my wife.

Seriously,

Quote

“a thick liquid eaten with food to add flavor:

·       a savory/sweet sauce

·       tomato sauce”

End quote.

Ketchup is a thick liquid eaten with food to add flavour and is a tomato sauce, you see? So, ketchup fits the sauce description to a tea.

Ketchup likely got its name from what we're told is the Hokkien Chinese word, “Kê-Tsiap,” or “Ke-tchup” or “cat-sup,” meaning fish sauce. The spelling might all be different because these are attempts to spell out the sounds of the Hokkien word using the Roman alphabet.  

The first mention of “catchup” in an English language document was in the 1690s in a book called, “A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew.” In 1711,  “Ketchup” is also mentioned in a book called, “An Account of the Trade in India,” where the author says,

Quote

“Soy comes in Tubbs from Jappan, and the best Ketchup from Tonqueen; yet good of both sorts are made and sold very cheap in China.”

End quote.

Now that we know the origins of the name, let's talk about the history of the sauce itself. You might be surprised to learn that ketchup started off as fish sauce. Not just the name, but the actual sauce itself.

So, let's take a quick detour to Asia and talk about fish sauce. As I mentioned earlier, the Greek Garos and Roman Garum probably developed separately from the Asian fish sauce even though they share the same flavor profile. Which is very fascinating.

The fish sauce in Asia goes back as far as 300 BCE in southern China. People there have been making the sauce by taking fish, and meat offal and soybeans and then fermenting them together. Then, around 200 BCE, it's used spread out of this area.  

Traders spread. . . did you really put that? Spread this sauce?

SV:

[Laughter]

SM:

[Laughter]

Oh, gah. . . Okay. Traders spread this sauce to places like Indonesia and the Philippines. However, after that, I can't seem to find any firm details of which way the Asian fish sauces develop. But I can tell you, in the countries I have visited, you can have you can have “Patis” in the Philippines. In Burma, you can have “Ngan Bya Yay.” In Cambodia, you have “Tuek Tre.” In Thailand, you have “Nam Pla.” In Laos, you have “Padaek.” In Vietnam, you have “Nuroc Cham.” And in China, you have “Yulu.” All of them have a salty note and you find them on tables where they could first be used in lieu of salt in cooking and dining. Use them sparingly at first though because like salt you can add more to a dish if you need it but it'll be difficult to take them out if they're in your dish.

So, while fish sauces flourished in East and Southeast Asia, by the 16th and 17th centuries, British sailors and traders found fish sauce in their colonies in Southeast Asia, apparently liked it, and started to spread it around the empire and back to England.   

Back in England, the British tried to recreate the fish sauce or ketchup as they enjoyed in Asia, and they started experimenting with ingredients they had with them at home.  

According to Andrew F. Smith, the first English language recipe for ketchup was published by Eliza Smith in her famous 1727 book, “The Compleat Housewife; or, Accomplished Gentlewoman’s Companion.”

Eliza Smith's recipe used white wine vinegar, shallots, white wine, anchovies, mace, ginger, cloves, pepper, nutmeg, lemon peel, and horseradish. She then instructs,

Quote

“for a Week shake it once or twice a Day, then use it; 'tis good to put into Fish Sauce, or any savoury Dish or Meat; you may add to it the clear Liquor that comes from Mushrooms.”

End quote.

Ketchup was soon made with oysters, mussels, fish and other ingredients. But during that period, the mushroom ketchup became the most popular in Britain. And apparently Jane Austen loved mushroom ketchup.

The first currently known published Tomato Ketchup recipe was created in the US by a Philadelphia scientist known as James Mease. He said that the best ketchup comes from “love apples.” According to Andrew F. Smith, Mease’s recipe was more similar to tomato sauce than the ketchup we're familiar with today.

It was not until 1876 that we began to see a company called “Heinz.” Out of interest the number 57 seen on every Heinz label are nothing to do with the variety of products but are in fact the combination of the favourite numbers of Mr. Heinz and his wife.  Or so I'm told.

Anyway, Heinz sells at least 650 million bottles each year in the US alone.

[Sighs]

It’s all my wife, I promise you. In Heinz-sight. . .

AS:

[Laughter]

SM:

. . . that's amazing. Uh,  I'm just. . .  if I never. . .  if I knew and I was sending this back to her. Ugh.

Okay, there are many more sauces in the US but due to time limitations I can't cover them all. I did particularly want to discuss barbecue sauce but I think that along with barbecue in general, it’s such a big topic that I might just do a whole episode on that subject another time.

And there is of course hot sauce.

But I will skip discussion of that today as I've already dedicated an episode to the lovely hot sauce on Eat My Globe. So do check it out if you want to learn more about it.

Let's talk about soy sauce. One of the first times we see the early use of this sauce in history is in China around 456 BC. According to author Maryann Tebben in her book, “Sauces: A Global History,” Confucius wrote that he ate food with “chiang,” which meant

Quote

“‘liquid or colloidal condiment containing bits of finely digested meat or other edible products.’”

End quote.

And according to Encyclopedia Britannica, chiang or jiang was produced after being

Quote

“placed in a jar, sealed, and allowed to ferment for at least 100 days. The meat dissolved, leaving behind a strong umami taste and a liquid condiment called jiang you.”

End quote.

Around the first century BCE, soybeans replaced meat and became the most popular ingredient for jiang. This was so essential in ancient China that, according to writer Fuchsia Dunlop, it was one of the

Quote

“Seven Essentials of Daily Life.”

End quote.

For those curious, the other essentials of life included firewood, rice, cooking oil, salt, vinegar and tea. I still think these to be equally essential today, to be honest.

From 250 to 710 CE, jiang travelled outside of China, including to Korea and Japan. In Japan, they made their sauce by adding roasted wheat to soybeans.  They also called their sauce “shoyu.”

Around the 13th century, a Japanese monk visited China and returned to his hometown near Yuasa, Japan with a recipe from miso based jiang. Ingredients included whole soybeans, barley, rice and vegetables.

Once he and his friends pressed all these ingredients together, it produced a liquid now known as “tamari,” which means “to accumulate.” Which I think is...

[Sighs]

This is my wife, SOY-perb.

AS:

[Laughter]

SV:

[Laughter and Clapping]

SM:

Honestly, she's had so much fun with this episode. Okay.

Our modern definition of “tamari” as explained by Brette Warshaw at Eater as

Quote

“Tamari is soy-sauce-like product that originated as a by-product of making miso. Classically, it’s made with only soybeans (and no wheat), making it more similar in flavor to Chinese-style soy sauce — and a great option for those who are gluten-free. (Many tamaris these days, however, do contain a bit of wheat — so if you’re concerned about gluten, make sure to check the bottle.)”

End quote.

Back to soy sauce.

According to the soy sauce company, Kikkoman, their history of making soy sauce started in the 1600s in the Chiba Prefecture of Japan.

Around the same time, Dutch traders have discovered soy sauce and started taking them to India and back to Europe. And as they say, the rest is history.

Now, let's move to Latin America.

There are a lot of sauces in this area, which again, because of limitations on time, we, we can't get to. But these would include sauces like salsa – which, is actually the Spanish word for sauce.

Another tasty sauce is a Chilean garlic sauce called Mojo de Ajo.

There are just too many to mention for this podcast. But I briefly wanted to touch on the history of Chimichurri.

Argentina is the home of the Chimichurri. Agostino Petroni, writing for the BBC, and Joyce Goldstein, writing for the SF Gate, tell us of three different myths for the origin of the name, “Chimichurri.” The first goes that this tasty sauce got its name when an Irish immigrant called Jimmy McCurry moved to Argentina in the 19th century. He was then, supposedly, craving Worcestershire sauce, so he tried to recreate it with ingredients available to him locally. The sauce was named after him, but was pronounced “chimichurri” by the locals.

Another story says that the sauce got its name when the British lost its attempt to invade the Rio de la Plata Delta in the early 19th century, and when their captors asked them what they wanted to eat, they allegedly responded, quote, “give me the curry,” end quote. The locals supposedly thought the British said, “chimichurri.”

And finally, the last story is based on Basque people who immigrated to Argentina in the 19th century and made their sauce called “tximitxurri” – spelled T X I M I T X U R R I – which was made with herbs, spices, olive oil, vinegar and garlic.

While these myths may sound unlikely, according to Petroni, Argentinian historian Daniel Balmaceda thinks that Chimichurri is actually pre-Columbian and is based on the language of the indigenous Quechua people. Balmaceda says,

Quote

“It was a generic term used to describe strong sauces to accompany and conserve different kinds of meat.”

End quote.

However this sauce really began, Chimichurri is delicious. There are various recipes for this sauce, but it generally consists of parsley, garlic, oregano, chilies, vinegar and oil.

I actually do have a recipe for this really lovely sauce that you can find on Simon Majumdar dot com forward slash chimichurri. So, do check it out.

Now, before we end this episode, I wanted to give you some of my own favourite sauces that you may not know but that I love as I have made my travels around the world.

One of my favorite sauces is “Bagna Cauda,” which means “hot bath.” It’s a dish that goes all the way back to the Middle Ages, and originated in the Piedmont region of Italy. The “Delegazione di Asti” of the Italian Academy of Cuisine said that the recipe was,

Quote

“12 heads of garlic

3 cups extra-virgin olive oil and, if possible, a small glass of walnut oil

6 ounces of red anchovies”

End quote.

A delicious, but powerful sauce. Oh. I love that sauce. Anyway.

Another favorite of mine is the “Chermoula” sauce, which I encountered during my trips to Morocco and to other parts of North Africa. The use of fresh parsley and cilantro, lots of garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and other spices make this sauce very adaptable. You can use this sauce by itself as a dip, in marinades and so much more. Oh, I love that sauce.

And finally, Chilean “Pebre,” which is sort of like a Mexican salsa, but typically includes the use of fresh herbs, peppers, oil and vinegar. For example, Chef Roberto Marin's recipe for Merquén Pebre in his cookbook, “Secrets of Chilean Cuisine,” includes

Quote

“8 large dried red chili peppers, seeded

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons vinegar

1 tablespoon oil

Salt and black pepper.”

End quote.

Oh.

Now, there are many varieties of pebre and they can be used on breads, dips, marinades for vegetables, meat and seafood, and more. Oh.

Now, this I think brings us to a natural conclusion for this week's episode. Not least because I need to go and make some sauces now. Maybe some “Bagna Cauda” or “Chimichurri,” or maybe just even go and practice the “Mother” sauces. Or maybe just use Southeast Asian fish sauce or put some British “Brown Sauce” on anything that I'm about to eat.

Who knows?

Ugh, this is my wife speaking now, not me.

Well, SOY-long. Oh gosh.

[Chuckles]

Farewell. Au wiedersehen, good night.

AS:

[Laughter]

SM:

[Sighs]

AS:

Spreading the love.

SM:

Oh, she's certainly spreading the love. Like the sauces.

OUTRO MUSIC

SM:

Make sure to check out the website associated with this podcast at www.EatMyGlobe.com where we will be posting the transcripts from each episode, along with all the references and resources we used putting the episodes together, in case you want to delve deeper into each subject. There is also a contact button, so please do let us know if there are any subjects that you would like us to cover.

And, if you like what you hear, please don’t forget to join us on Patreon, subscribe, recommend us to your family and friends and give us a good rating on your favorite podcast provider.

Thank you and goodbye from me, Simon Majumdar, we’ll speak to you soon on the next episode of EAT MY GLOBE: Things You Didn’t Know You Didn’t Know About Food.

CREDITS

The EAT MY GLOBE Podcast is a production of “It’s Not Much But It’s Ours” and “Producer Girl Productions.”

[Ring sound]

We would also like to thank Sybil Villanueva for all of her help both with the editing of the transcripts and her essential help with the research.