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What is Sweet and Sour Sauce?

29 August 2019
A dish using sweet and sour sauce

Sweet and sour sauce is one of the most classic and vastly enjoyed condiments in the UK, predominantly with Chinese food. Despite being used for Chinese food, sweet and sour sauce truly came into its own in America in the 1800s.

What is Sweet and Sour Sauce?

So, what is in this delicious condiment that has got us hooked? The sauce includes malt vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, pineapple chunks with the juice, soy sauce and spring onions. What might sound like a very odd combination has become the poster sauce for Chinese food everywhere.

While originating from China in the 1700s, sweet and sour sauce developed into the popular sauce it is today in America during the late 19th century. During this period, Chinese labourers formed communities to support each other, which ended up creating food that represented a familial comfort of what had been left behind.

During the early 1900s, Chinese cuisine had become increasingly popular in America, and Chinese chefs struggled to keep up with demand while maintaining their intricate cooking techniques and complex spice mixes. Looking for a quick and easy dish to produce for the crowds, sweet and sour sauce became increasingly popular, playing to the sweeter taste buds of the American diners.

Can You Make Your Own Sweet and Sour Sauce?

The short answer is yes! This sauce takes a bit of care and balance, but once attained, this dream sauce can be yours. For a simple sweet and sour sauce recipe, you will need the following six ingredients:

  • Water
  • Corn starch
  • Cider Vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Ketchup
  • Soy Sauce
  • Optional - Pineapple in juice

Maybe the pork is already done, or the chicken is already crispy? If you’re in a hurry, some recipes say you could add all of your sauce ingredients to the saucepan, stir and wait for it to reduce.

However, if you have a little more time, for the best saucy outcome, you should add each ingredient one at a time. Corn starch never works as well being added straight to hot water and could leave a mess.

We suggest mixing your corn starch with cold water to form a paste before adding it to the hot saucepan to make sure everything blends much evenly, then continue to add in each ingredient and blend.

If you want a chunky sauce, then you can always add some green peppers for a crunch, not forgetting pineapple chunks for extra texture, and the fruity taste that makes us love sweet and sour so much!

For the ingredients and anything extra you might be inspired to try, have a browse through our online oriental supermarket store to grab that authentic soy sauce you need to make a sweet and sour sauce, and more!

So, you’ve made your sauce – now what?

Popular Sweet and Sour Dishes

Now you know how to make your very own delicious sweet and sour sauce, what are you going to eat with it? We’re not going to stop you eating it with just a spoon, but we do have some alternatives which may be more up your street.

Sweet and sour pork or sweet and sour chicken are time-favoured classics when it comes to this sauce dish. If you’re vegetarian, you can also opt for tofu or use fibrous vegetables in place of meat such as cauliflower, which is excellent for soaking up sauce!

Don’t forget deep-fried balls of meat or veg that famously use sweet and sour as a dipping sauce or a cheeky French fry!

Now you have made your fresh sweet and sour sauce, and you’ve decided what is going to accompany this star of the show, what’s a sit-down meal without gorgeous Chinese tableware? Complete your meal with these authentic finishing touches!

We hope you enjoy making your own sweet and sour sauce, get in touch via our social media channels to let us know how it goes!

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