sauces

Sauces are flavorful liquids or semisolid preparations used to flavor, moisten, or accompany foods. They can be thin or thick, hot or cold, and are built from a liquid base such as stock, wine, dairy, fruit juice, or oil, with seasonings and other ingredients.

In Western traditional cooking, a framework identifies several foundational sauces. A classic set, sometimes called mother sauces, includes béchamel, velouté, espagnole, tomate, and hollandaise. Derivatives achieve new flavors by adding aromatics, reductions, or emulsions. Thickening methods include starch from flour or cornstarch, reduction to concentrate flavors, and emulsification to suspend fat in water. Sauces are often categorized by their base and texture, such as creamy, tomato-based, brown, white, or clear glazes.

Sauces vary widely across cuisines. Emulsified condiments such as mayonnaise and hollandaise are common in many kitchens, while cream, butter, or cheese-based sauces appear in various European traditions. Tomato-based sauces play a central role in Italian cooking, whereas soy-based, fermented, or fish-derived sauces (for example soy sauce, fish sauce, hoisin) are essential in East and Southeast Asian cooking. Chutneys, salsas, and sambals provide fresh, sweet, sour, or hot notes in Indian, Latin American, and Southeast Asian dishes.

Preparation and use aim to balance moisture, aroma, acidity, sweetness, and salt. Sauces can influence texture and perception of a dish, and their preparation—from reductions to emulsions—requires attention to proportion and stability. Proper storage varies by type, with some sauces improving with time and others best used fresh.