What is sweet and sour sauce?

Call it what you will, sometimes it’s called sweet and sour sauce, sometimes it’s called sour-sweet sauce.

4.73/5 (22)

Whatever the case, it always leaves a memorable impression, or rather, an unforgettable taste. An almost universally appreciated sauce, it readily accompanies savory dishes and comes in a magnificent range of possibilities for its use.

Chicken samosas — Pretty homemade samosas accompanied by a sweet and sour sauce

Whether in my samosa recipe or for my crispy sweet and sour chicken.

Origin of sweet and sour sauce

A “chameleon sauce,” sweet and sour sauce is as much a testament to Creole cuisine as it is to Asian… or even French, where the sweet-savory mix is termed “aigre-doux.”

Its origin is believed to be in China, more precisely in the Hunan province (by the way, come here to discover my Hunan beef recipe). Sweet and sour sauce is said to have been imported by Arabs to Europe, and by Chinese to North America.

beef with cumin — Hunan beef, whose taste has nothing to do with sweet and sour, demonstrates the culinary richness of China

One thing is certain, sweet and sour sauce knows how to make itself appreciated, as evidenced by its geographical expansion. That’s not nothing for a sauce, after all!

The different types of sweet and sour sauces

We distinguish two main categories of sweet and sour sauces:

Dipping sweet and sour sauce: As its name suggests, it’s a sauce for dipping. Whether it’s shrimp fritters or samosas, it’s generally served cold during appetizers.

delicious sweet and sour pork — Sweet and sour pork fritters are a perfect use of this magical sauce

Cooking sweet and sour sauce: once again, the name speaks for itself. It’s used as a condiment to incorporate into noodles, chicken in sauce, sweet and sour fish, etc…

The main ingredients of sweet and sour sauce

Ketchup: try to get the least processed one possible, read the ingredients on the label carefully
Rice vinegar: essential for the ‘sour’ part, discover how to use it here or buy it on Amazon

Sweet and sour sauce recipe

Tips for successful homemade sweet and sour sauce

It’s marginal, but if you set aside the water and cornstarch in a separate bowl (mixing them well), you can wait until the rest of the ingredients start to boil and add the cornstarch/water mixture while stirring to thicken, the texture will be slightly better.