Worcestershire sauce is originally produced by Lea and Perrins. Although there are substitute and home made options these days, the exact recipe that the company uses still remains a top secret.
The recipe of Lea and Perrins may remain tightly locked inside a volt but the general ingredients for concocting a delicious Worcestershire sauce is known to many. The rich flavor is achieved by using ample amount of fish. Hence it is not vegan and it is not recommended for people who are allergic to seafood.
Vinegar plays an essential role in creating this delicious sauce. It gives the tangy flavor which makes it delightful for the taste buds. Because of the vinegar, this sauce becomes a perfect companion for various types of food. The generous amount of vinegar that it has provides the acidity that this sauce is known for.
When there is vinegar, there should be an ingredient that balances out the taste by giving it a little sweetness, right? Molasses is the key in neutralizing the vinegar. Aside from the sweet taste that this gives, it also improves the texture of the sauce, making it thicker and more viscous.
Aside from using other types of fish as an ingredient, Worcestershire sauce also contains a specific fish: anchovies. This is essential for creating an interesting flavor which heightens the taste of the food to which this sauce is added to. This ingredient makes the sauce perfect, especially for various types of meat dishes.
Yes, there are brands of Worcestershire sauce that contain high fructose corn syrup though most of them use natural sugar. This usually causes an alarm especially to people who aim to regulate their blood sugar level due to diabetes. The good news is that, the use of this ingredient is limited and remains much lower than those found in sodas and processed juices. Since the primary role of this ingredient is to add a little more sweetness to the sauce, people who aim to create it can find healthier sweetening substitute.
The original Lea and Perrins ingredients include tamarind concentrate. Tamarind is a type of fruit which can be seen in Africa and Asia. This is known to have a distinct combination of sweetness and sourness. Adding this to the sauce allows it to have a more natural combination of the two flavors and regulates the strong flavor caused by mixing vinegar and molasses.
Of course, the sauce would not be complete without adding some more spices. Onions, salt and garlic are all staple ingredients for making this sauce. Because of this spices, even dishes which taste a bit bland will automatically have an exciting flavor once the sauce is used.
Adding all those ingredients together would result to a pasty sauce which might not be pleasing to use on dishes, especially because it involves the use of molasses. Hence, it is important to dilute the concoction with ample amount of water. This is the key in achieving a smooth and consistent texture which makes the Worcestershire sauce the perfect companion for a myriad of dishes.
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