Food connects people in the world, especially when we are talking about various flavors. The British are very passionate about their food and their sauces. There are multiple varieties that people love to eat with their meals, and they are well aware of what Sauce goes well with the dish.
The British sauces differ slightly from other countries, and one can find many varieties of dips that can be seen elsewhere. Let’s check out the most British Sauce consumed by its people.
- Worcester Sauce:
Made this Sauce around 1840 A.D in the city of Worcester. It has a unique flavor that combines vinegar, molasses, garlic, anchovies, tamarind pulp, chili, pepper powder, sugar, salt, cloves, soy, lemon essence, and pickles. One can enjoy the Sauce over a sausage, chops, toasted cheese, steaks, etc. Sometimes we can raise the taste of some dishes like meat stews, casseroles, pies, soups, and marinades by adding this Sauce. The popular drink classic Bloody Mary is prepared by adding a little Worcester sauce.
- Marmite Sauce:
This Sauce is a somewhat sticky, dark brown paste with a powerful smell and flavor of salt. This food spread is made from yeast extract. A teaspoon of it is added to French onion soup for extra flavor, Bolognese, and meaty stews. Most British people apply this paste on the whole chicken while roasting to get golden salty skin. Sometimes can use the spread on toasts and poached eggs, cheese sandwiches, or crackers.
Even though this spread is widely used in various dishes, it also has a wrong side: high sodium content. If used on a large scale, then one can suffer from hyponatremia or sodium poisoning.
- Mint Sauce:
It is a sweet and sour sauce that was used a lot during medieval times in Europe. It’s made with chopped spearmint in vinegar and sugar. One can use fresh mint to get the extra fresh flavor. This Sauce cannot be used as a spread on chicken for roast due to its sweet and sour taste. As many new sauces have come up in this modern era, people tend to use less mint sauce. There are few pubs and restaurants that still serve mint sauce even today.
- Ketchup:
Who is not aware of this finger-licking sauce “Ketchup.” Anywhere around the world, you go this Sauce plays an integral part in fast foods. Made with simple ingredients like tomatoes, sweetener, and vinegar, mixed with other seasonings and spices like onions, allspice, coriander, cloves, cumin, garlic, mustard, cinnamon, ginger, and sometimes celery.
In the U.K, Heinz is the top company that produces the maximum ketchup. Ketchup is also known as tomato sauce by the British people. It is eaten with chips, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, wedges, etc. I guess we can eat it with pretty much any starters.
- Brown Sauce:
The name itself says that it is a dark brown color sauce that is quite popular in Britain. The ingredients are simple to find in the market, such as tomatoes, molasses, dates, apples, tamarind, spices, and vinegar. Sometimes raisins or anchovies are added to get a distinct taste. It tastes sweet and peppery, similar to Worcester sauce. Many places make this Sauce, but the best one comes from the Daddies brand from Britain. It is used on sausage rolls, bacon sandwiches, fish & chips, and a full English breakfast.
- Piccalilli:
It’s a mix of Indian pickles like chopped pickled vegetables and spices. The British have a recipe that contains different vegetables like cauliflower, onion, and gherkin. The seasonings used are mustard and turmeric. This mix has everything from vegetables to spices to color. The rich yellow color attracts many to taste the dish, and all love it. First, made the mix a bit chunky and later made it into a smooth paste. It’s eaten with cold meats like ham and head cheese and traditional Ploughman’s lunch served with bread, meat, onions, and butter.
- English Mustard:
Mustard sauce is famous all over the world. Some of the places serve it with thick consistency while others are in a bit tin. Let it be any form; it still tastes the best with hot dogs, sandwiches, and burgers. English mustard tends to be the most desirable variety globally, with a bright yellow color attracting the eyes. There are many brands now in the market, but Colman’s mustard is famous as a powder in 1814. It will be sold as a ready-made sauce just waiting to be squeezed on your favorite dish in the coming years.
- Branston Pickle:
It’s a bit similar to Piccalilli sauce that has diced veggies. Still, Branston pickle also includes carrots, onions, and cauliflower pickled in a sauce made from vinegar, tomatoes, apples, and spices. The British version uses corn syrup while preparing thin Sauce, whereas they use sugar in the American version. So, the British people still go with their original sweet and spicy Sauce with chutney-like consistency. One can find some sandwich shops selling cheese and pickles as a lunchtime option. This spread can be made with significant veggies or as a small chunk to spread on the bread.
- Liquor:
The name itself makes people think that liquor is used in the preparation. It’s not correct as it is made with parsley and eaten with London-style Pie and mash. Adding the Sauce to pie and mash is confusing, but sellers think they go well with the dishes and earn extra money.
- Bread Sauce:
Two simple ingredients: bread crumbs and milk combined to form the Bread sauce. This Sauce is eaten with Turkey or roast chicken. We can add onion, salt, cloves, mace, pepper, and bay leaf to bring in more flavor. Sometimes the fat that oozes out of the roasted chicken can be added for additional taste. To get the best bread sauce use slightly stale bread as one can use leftover bread without throwing it.
- Gravy
It is a sauce that is usually in liquid form. It is made from juices of cooking meats that are mixed with wheat flour for texture. If one wants to color the gravy and add flavor, we can put in some gravy salt made from salt and caramel food coloring. We also get ready-made cubes like OXO and powders like Bisto that can be used instead of gravy on meats and vegetable extracts. We can eat the Sauce with Sunday roast, Pie & Mash, and Chips.
There are so many sauces around the world that explain their Culture, Country, Region, and Heritage. People might use the same ingredients for a sauce, but the style of preparing it differs. In this modern and ever-growing world, we try out many new dishes, curries, and Sauces to please our appetite by adding extra ingredients, but one thing does not change at all, and that is the base of the Sauce. The British do love their food topped with juicy, sticky, sweet, and sour Sauce.
In Brook Pub, we prepare the best sauces from fresh ingredients brought from the local market. Our cooks understand that the newer the ingredients are, we can make the best Sauce. We are open to know more about our customers’ different dips as we think each one has its twist.
Come In to enjoy some of the main course dishes served at the Brook Pub in Cambridge, along with our finest wines and beverages.