Sauce

Italy

Carne capuliata is a Sicilian meat sauce that's typically served with pasta such as macaroni and anelletti. Although this sauce is similar to rag&ugrave; alla bolognese, it differs from it in the amount of tomato used and the absence of celery and carrots. This Sicilian capuliata is made with finely chopped beef, onions, olive oil, white wine, Sicilian tomato paste (estratto) and tomatoes, oregano, basil, and bay leaves. Once done, it's combined with pasta and enjoyed as it is, but the dish can also be baked in the oven with the addition of grated cheese on top.

Carne capuliata

United States

Carolina Gold is a mustard-based sauce that pairs especially well with poultry and pork dishes. Apart from mustard, the sauce is thinned with vinegar, then perfected with the addition of various spices and ingredients such as honey, hot sauce, and brown sugar for a tangy, slightly sweet and hot flavor. Numerous sources claim that Carolina Gold is best used with pulled pork, providing contrast and depth of flavor to the whole meal.

Carolina Gold

Uruguay

This Uruguayan sauce is typically served warm over pasta. It consists of cream, mushrooms, cheese, meat broth, and ham. It can be enriched by the addition of onions, garlic, and various fresh herbs. The earthy and comforting sauce was invented in the 1950s in Montevideo by Raymundo Monti, a chef who wanted to make a new sauce based on the traditions of Italian cuisine. It quickly became popular, and Monti named it after the famous Italian tenor Enrico Caruso.

Caruso Sauce

Cebolada is a traditional sauce or paste that's made with onions as the key ingredient. Although there are many recipes, cebolada usually also includes tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, paprika, and additional (optional) ingredients such as parsley and red bell peppers. The ingredients are saut&eacute;ed in olive oil until the sauce thickens. Once prepared, it is chilled, then used with a variety of meat dishes such as steaks and pork chops, as well as fish. Some of the dishes where cebolada is used include atum de cebolada (tuna steak and cebolada) and bife de cebolada (thinly sliced steak and cebolada), which is usually served with fried potatoes on the side.

Cebolada

Checca is a traditional uncooked sauce (or condiment) hailing from Rome. It's usually made with a combination of firm tomatoes, green olives, parsley, basil, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. The ingredients are simply mixed together and the sauce is left to rest, covered, for about half an hour. It is then served with pasta such as cavatelli, strascinati, conchiglie, lumachelle, and farfalle. The tomatoes should be firm, acidic, and on the greener side &ndash; definitely not bright red or ripe. This sauce is especially popular during the summer. It is believed that checca was named after an unidentified Roman woman, probably Francesca, as checca is a diminutive of that name.

Checca

What harissa is to Moroccan cuisine and what mustard is to hot dogs in the USA, chimichurri is to steaks in Argentina. It is an aromatic mixture of parsley, garlic, oregano, sunflower oil, vinegar, and hot red pepper flakes, although additional ingredients such as coriander or chopped tomatoes are sometimes also included in the combination, while others may be omitted as there are numerous variations on chimichurri. This vibrant green sauce (sometimes used as a marinade) is typically served alongside grilled beef steaks, but it also does wonders for grilled pork, chicken, lamb, fish, or duck, and it is quite common to pair it with Malbec wine. There are two theories about the origin of the name&ndash;one says that it was invented (and aptly named) by a British meat dealer called Jimmy Curry, and the other one says that it stems from the phrase "che mi curry", spoken by captive English soldiers who requested to eat curry after their unsuccessful attempt to invade Argentina, a Spanish colony at the time. The origin of the name may be unknown, but it is a known fact that chimichurri will spark up any dish that it is added to.

Chimichurri

Red chimichurri or chimichurri rojo is a variation of the quintessential Argentinian chimichurri sauce, which is also called green chimichurri or chimichurri verde due to its vibrant green color. This so-called &ldquo;red version&rdquo; of the sauce is typically made with a combination of olive oil, minced garlic, Spanish sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, cayenne, paprika (sweet, hot, or smoked), bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Ripe tomatoes and red bell peppers are also common additional ingredients that, along with the paprika, give the sauce a distinctive, reddish-brown hue, hence the name red chimichurri. Alternatively, the chimichurri base consisting of parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, red chili pepper flakes, and vinegar can be enhanced with the addition of paprika, tomatoes, or red bell peppers to yield a red-colored sauce, thereby imparting a sweet and spicy kick to the intense herbal flavor of traditional chimichurri. Just like green chimichurri, red chimichurri is also used as a traditional accompaniment to grilled meat, fish, or poultry, although it also pairs well with roasted vegetables, empanadas, and tofu.

Chimichurri rojo

Thicker than fudge sauce, but thinner than chocolate pudding, chocolate gravy is typically made with cocoa powder, sugar, flour, milk, and fat (usually butter). It is especially popular in the Southern United States, where the gravy is served with fresh biscuits on Sunday mornings. It is called gravy because any sauce thickened by a roux and made in a skillet was called a gravy, whether savory or sweet. Although chocolate gravy is usually served with biscuits, some cooks like to add savory bacon bits into the gravy after it has been properly prepared.

Chocolate Gravy

Often associated with the Turkish dish &ccedil;ullama, Romanian ciulama is a simple gravy-like dish made with a mixture of flour, butter, meat stock, sour cream, and optionally egg yolks. The dish is cooked until thick and creamy, ensuring it has a smooth and lump-free texture. It can be plain or combined with mushrooms, vegetables, or meat, typically chicken or veal. Traditional ciulama calls for a combination of chicken gizzards, chicken stock, and sm&acirc;nt&acirc;na - Romanian sour cream. This Romanian classic traditionally accompanies mămăligă (polenta), and is usually topped with chopped dill or parsley.

Ciulama

Creole sauce is a traditional spicy, tangy, and flavorful sauce from Louisiana. It is an essential part of Creole cuisine, popular in the Southern United States and most Caribbean countries. Creole sauce was originally created to accompany seafood dishes, which were a staple of Creole cooking. It was made with a blend of ingredients readily available in Louisiana, including tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and garlic. It was often spiced up with cayenne pepper, which gave it a distinct kick. Over time, the sauce evolved, and different versions emerged - milder, spicier, one with Worcestershire sauce, and many more. Despite these variations, the core ingredients remained the same, and the sauce continued to be a beloved part of Creole cuisine and an integral part of many regional dishes.

Creole Sauce

Cumberland sauce is a traditional sauce originating from the historic county of Cumberland. This sweet and spicy sauce is usually made with a combination of orange juice, lemon juice, port, orange zest, lemon zest, mustard powder, cloves, raisins, and currant jelly. The jelly, port, orange juice, and lemon juice are heated and stirred until they all blend together and the jelly becomes liquid. The mustard powder, ground cloves, raisins, orange zest, and lemon zest are mixed in and stirred until the cloves dissolve in the sauce. The mixture is simmered over low heat for a bit more until the raisins become plump. The sauce is then chilled or used warm over slices of cooked ham, roast chicken, or salmon.

Cumberland sauce

Gaeng is a Thai word for the world-famous Thai curry paste, either yellow, red, or green in color, sorted by the order of spiciness where yellow curry is slightly spicy and green curry is the spiciest. Yellow curry consists of coconut milk as its base and toasted and powdered variety of spices such as turmeric, anise, cinnamon, dried chilis, bay leaves, ginger, coriander, cumin, and fermented shrimp paste. Yellow curries are often prepared with bits of beef, lamb or chicken, onions, potatoes, and pineapple. Red curries consist of coconut milk, red chili powder, white pepper, cumin, nutmeg, coriander, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and grated kaffir limes. The sauce pairs well with roasted pork, beef, shrimp, duck, eel, bamboo shoots, Thai basil, and pumpkin. Green curries consist of coconut milk, hot green chilis, lemongrass, ginger, coriander, cumin, white pepper, onions, palm sugar, grated kaffir lime, garlic, and holy basil (Thailand's beloved pungent herb). This devilishly hot curry pairs well with beef or chicken and Thai eggplants. There is also a popular Thai curry that is not linked with a specific color - massaman curry, consisting of cumin, caraway, cloves, anise, cinnamon, cardamom, white pepper, ginger, nutmeg, cashews, lime, garlic, lemongrass, and the extremely hot bird's eye chilis. Massaman curry is a legacy of Muslim spice traders, so it is not usually paired with pork, but with tamarind, bitter oranges, potatoes, pineapples, chicken, or beef, which is the reason why it is more aromatic than spicy in the end. One might wonder why most curries are served with rice on the side, and the reason is that beverages and liquids spread the spicy, hot oils all over the surface of the tongue while rice is used to "mop them up" - so the next time you eat a hot and spicy curry, try eating more rice instead of drinking a cold beverage to soothe the palate.

Curry Paste

This thick brown sauce is commonly used in French cuisine both as a standalone sauce and as a base for other sauces. It is a combination of brown stock and espagnole sauce simmered for a long time until its volume has reduced by half &ndash; thus the name demi-glace (French for &ldquo;half glaze&rdquo;). The original recipe for demi-glace was recorded and codified by Georges Auguste Escoffier, a famous French chef and food writer, however it is unclear as to whether Escoffier can be credited as having invented the sauce. Today, this flavorful sauce is mainly used as an accompaniment for meat, but it can also be used as a flavoring for various soups and stews. Extremely versatile in combination with other ingredients, this sauce serves as the foundation for other sauces such as Chausseur, Poivrade, Robert, and Bordelaise.

Demi-glace

Classified as both a soup and a sauce, dongo-dongo is a flavorful African dish that uses okra as the key ingredient. The dish is prepared by saut&eacute;eing onions, garlic, Maggi bouillon cubes, okra, and hot peppers. Water is added to the pot, along with dried, salted, or smoked fish, and either baking soda or tomato paste. The dish is simmered until the fish and okra are tender, and dongo-dongo is then typically served accompanied by starchy foods such as rice, fufu, or chikwangue. It is believed that dongo-dongo is a distant cousin of the popular Cajun-Creole gumbo.

Dongo-dongo

Duxelles is a traditional sauce consisting of minced mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, butter, and seasonings. The sauce can be served with numerous beef, poultry, seafood, vegetable, and egg dishes. It was invented in the 17th century by a famous French cook Pierre La Varenne, who named the sauce after his boss, Nicolas Chalon du Bl&eacute;, marquis d'Uxelles, mar&eacute;chal de France. Today, duxelles is often known as a key ingredient in the preparation of a popular dish known as beef Wellington, where it's layered between the meat and the pastry.

Duxelles

Egusi is a flavorful soup or sauce that is popular throughout West and Central Africa (most noteably Nigeria and Central African Republic) consisting of onions, tomatoes, hot chili peppers, and oil. It is traditionally thickened with flour that is made from seeds of gourds, pumpkins, melons, and squashes. The egusi is typically seasoned with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. When the soup or sauce develops a smooth consistency, it is then usually served with boiled vegetables, rice, or a variety of grilled fish and meat dishes.

Egusi soup

Filfel chuma is a Libyan hot sauce with a thick consistency. The sauce is made with ingredients such as garlic, bell peppers, cayenne pepper, sweet paprika, cumin, caraway, oil, salt, and lemon juice. Filfel chuma is known to keep well in the fridge when covered with a thin layer of oil, so it is recommended to always have some of this delicious sauce at hand. It originated in the ancient kitchens of Libyan Jews, and can be paired with anything from rice, beans, and egg dishes to roasted meat or fish dishes.

Filfel chuma

Technically a sauce, practically a stew, footi is a specialty of Guinea, but it is also popular in Senegal. It consists of tomatoes, eggplants, onions, kidney beans, water, and a bouillon cube. The ingredients are slowly simmered for about three hours, and the sauce is then ready to be consumed. It is traditionally served with rice or meat dishes.

Footi

Germany

Frankfurter Gr&uuml;ne So&szlig;e is a famous cold herb sauce from Frankfurt, consisting of sour cream, spices, and herbs. Traditionally, there should be seven herbs in the sauce, and 70% of them should have been grown in Frankfurt. These seven herbs are borage, chervil, garden cress, parsley, salad burnet, sorrel, and chives. The sauce is so well-known that there is even a Gr&uuml;ne So&szlig;e monument in Frankfurt-Oberrad. The monument consists of seven greenhouses, each one representing a different herb used in the sauce. It is still unknown whether the French immigrants or Italian traders brought the recipe to Frankfurt, since green sauces were known for centuries in those countries. There's also a very popular myth about the green sauce being Goethe's favorite dish, and according to it, it was invented by his mother. Although there is no evidence for the popular myth, it is a fact that the first recipe for the sauce was found in an 1860 cookbook written by Wilhelmine R&uuml;hrig. Today, the sauce is commonly served with boiled eggs and potatoes, fish, or Tafelspitz.

Frankfurter Grüne Soße

Thailand

Gaeng kiew wan is the name for green Thai curry paste. Although there are variations, it's usually made with a combination of green chili peppers, lemongrass, coconut milk, coriander, ginger, cumin, onions, white pepper, palm sugar, garlic, holy basil, and grated kaffir lime peel. The ingredients are mashed into a paste with a mortar and pestle, and the paste is then used to make spicy green curries that often contain fish, beef, or chicken, eggplants, basil, and even fruit.