XO sauce

XO sauce
Rice topped with XO sauce
Type	Condiment
Place of origin	Hong Kong
Created by	Unknown
Main ingredients	dried scallop, chilli peppers, Jinhua ham, dried shrimp, garlic, vegetable oil
Media: XO sauce

XO sauce

Traditional Chinese

XO醬

Simplified Chinese

XO酱

Cantonese Yale

XO jeung

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	XO jiàng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	XO jeung
Jyutping	XO zoeng3

XO sauce is a spicy seafood sauce from Hong Kong^[1] with an umami flavour.^[2] It is commonly used in southern Chinese regions such as Guangdong.

History

[edit]

Developed in the 1980s in Hong Kong for Cantonese cuisine, XO sauce is made of roughly-chopped dried seafood, including dried scallops (conpoy), fish and shrimp, which are cooked with chilli peppers, onions and garlic. This dried seafood-based sauce resembles the Fujianese shacha sauce. Spring Moon, the Chinese restaurant of the Peninsula Hong Kong hotel, is often credited with the invention of XO sauce, although some claim it came from other nearby restaurants in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Kowloon.^[3]

Etymology

[edit]

The name XO sauce comes from fine XO (extra-old) cognac, which is a popular Western liquor in Hong Kong, and considered by many at the time to be a chic product. The name is a misnomer since the condiment contains no cognac, and it is not really a sauce in the traditional, smooth sense, but more chunky, like a relish.^[4] The term XO is often used in Hong Kong to denote high quality, prestige and luxury. Indeed, XO sauce has been marketed in the same manner as French liquor, using packaging of similar colour schemes.

Ingredients

[edit]

Typical ingredients of XO sauce include dried scallop, red chilli pepper, Jinhua ham, dried shrimp, garlic and vegetable oil.^[5] Some other recipes also call for salted cured fish and diced onion.^[6]

An XO sauce gift pack
Anji Brand XO Sauce, made in China

Uses

[edit]

XO sauce can be used as a table condiment or in cooking to enhance the flavour of fish, meats, vegetables, and otherwise bland foods such as tofu or noodles.

References

[edit]

^ Vos, Heidemarie (2010). Passion of a Foodie. p. 591. ISBN 978-1-934925-63-8.
^ Dan Holzman and Matt Rodbard (16 Dec 2015). "The Secrets of Making XO Sauce, the Magic Condiment of China". Saveur.
^ "XO sauce". gourmettraveller.com.au. Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
^ Bill Daley (18 Feb 2015). "XO sauce adds luxurious flavour to Chinese New Year". Chicago Tribune.
^ "Flavor Ammo: Is XO Sauce the World's Most Baller Condiment?". Grubstreet. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
^ "Hong Kong's best condiment". CNN Go. 15 October 2010. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2012.

v t e Cantonese cuisine
Main dishes	Bao yu Bird's nest soup Buddha's delight Cantonese seafood soup Chinese steamed eggs Congee Crispy fried chicken Dragon tiger phoenix Egg foo young Eight treasure duck Hot pot Lemon chicken Pork knuckles and ginger stew Seafood birdsnest Shark fin soup Snake bite chicken Soy sauce chicken Steam minced pork Subgum Suckling pig Sweet and sour pork White boiled shrimp White cut chicken Wonton noodles Yangzhou fried rice
Dim sum and yum cha	Almond tofu Beef tripe Cha siu bao Chicken feet Coconut bar Har gow Jian dui Jiaozi Lo mai gai Nian gao Ox-tongue pastry Rice noodle roll Shumai Spring roll Steamed meatball Swiss wing Taro cake Taro dumpling Tendon Tofu skin roll Turnip cake Water chestnut cake Yau gok Youtiao Zhaliang
Siu laap	Char siu Chinese sausage Lou mei Orange cuttlefish Roast goose Siu mei Siu yuk White cut chicken
Desserts and pastry	Almond biscuit Biscuit roll Deuk Deuk Tong Douhua Ginger milk curd Lo mai chi Malay sponge cake Mooncake Red bean cake Red bean soup Sausage bun Tang bu shuai Tong sui White sugar sponge cake
Condiments and spices	Fermented bean curd Five-spice powder XO sauce
Ingredients	Beef ball Black bean paste Chenpi Conpoy Fermented black beans Fish ball Fishcake Frog legs Garland chrysanthemum Kai-lan Mantis shrimp Ong choy Pig blood curd Pig's ear Rapeseed Saang mein Sea cucumbers Shahe fen Shrimp roe noodles Spare ribs Suan cai Tofu skin Wonton Yi mein Youmian Zha cai
Others	Chinese herb tea Dried shredded squid Lou fo tong
Cantonese restaurant Beijing cuisine Shanghai cuisine Hong Kong cuisine Macanese cuisine Chinese cuisine History of Chinese cuisine

v t e Hong Kong cuisine
Food	Almond biscuit Almond jelly Bakkwa Banana roll Bao yu Beef ball Beef bun Beef chow fun Bird's nest soup Biscuit roll Buddha's delight Cart noodle Cha siu bao Char siu Chinese herb tea Chinese sausage Cocktail bun Coconut bar Congee Cream bun Crispy fried chicken Deuk Deuk Tong Dim sum Douhua Dried shredded squid Egg tart Egg waffle Fish ball Fishcake Flame on the iceberg Got fan Ham and egg bun Haw flakes Honey walnut shrimp Hong Kong-style milk tea Hot pot Jerky Jin deui Kai-lan Lai fun Mango pomelo sago Mango pudding Nuomici Ox-tongue pastry Paper wrapped cake Peanut butter bun Pineapple bun Poon choi Put chai ko Rapeseed Red bean ice Rice noodle roll Roast goose Roasted pig Rousong Saang mein Sausage bun Sea cucumber Seafood birdsnest Shahe fen Singapore style noodles Siu mei Steamed meatball Shrimp roe noodles Shumai Sorrowful Rice Stinky tofu Sweetheart cake Swiss wing Tang bu shuai Taro cake Taro dumpling Tea egg Tofu skin roll Water caltrop Water chestnut cake White boiled shrimp White cut chicken White sugar sponge cake Wonton Wonton noodle XO sauce Yeung Chow fried rice Yi mein Yin Yang Fried Rice Yuenyeung Zha cai Zhaliang
Films	The Banquet (1991) Shogun and Little Kitchen (1992) The Chinese Feast (1995) The God of Cookery (1996) Osaka Wrestling Restaurant (2004) Kung Fu Chefs (2009)
TV series	Magic Chef (2005)
Culture	Hong Kong tea culture Siu yeh One bowl with two pieces Private kitchens Yum cha
Places	Cha chaan teng Dai pai dong
Beijing cuisine Cantonese cuisine Shanghai cuisine Macanese cuisine Chinese cuisine History of Chinese cuisine

v t e Fish sauces and pastes
Fish sauce	Anchovy essence Colatura di alici Budu Cincalok Garum Jeotgal Mahyawa Patis Pla ra Shottsuru Worcestershire sauce XO sauce
Fish paste	Anchovy paste Balao-balao Bagoong Bagoong monamon Bagoong terong Bekasang Burong isda Dayok Fish paste Garum Gentleman's Relish Jakoten Jeotgal Kamaboko Ngachin Ngapi Padaek Pissalat Pla ra Prahok Shiokara Shrimp paste Surimi Taba ng talangka Tomalley
List articles	Fish pastes Fish sauces

v t e Condiments
List of condiments List of common dips List of syrups
Sauces	Agre dulce Agrodolce Aioli Barbecue sauce Bigarade sauce Brown sauce Buffalo sauce Cheese sauce Alfredo sauce Caruso sauce Cheddar sauce Cheez Whiz Fondue Mornay sauce Nacho cheese Chili sauce Chimichurri Cocktail sauce Colo-colo Crema Caruru Dabu-dabu Fish sauce Fritessaus Fry sauce Garum Gastrique Gravy Hot sauce Latik Khrenovina Lechon sauce Marie Rose sauce Mayonnaise Kewpie Kielecki Miracle Whip Mignonette sauce Mild sauce Monkey gland sauce Mumbo sauce Oyster sauce Peanut sauce Pearà Pesto Pistou Remoulade Salsa golf Salsa verde Satsivi Steak sauce Tartar sauce Tatbila Teriyaki sauce Tiparos Tkemali Tomato sauce Vincotto XO sauce Zingara sauce
Dips	Ajika Baba ghanoush Chile con queso Duck sauce Duqqa Garlic chive flower sauce Guacamole Hogao Honey dill Hummus Muhammara Nam chim Nam phrik Nước chấm Skyronnes Sweet chili sauce Toum Tzatziki Zhug
Pickles and preserves	Amba Atchara Cheong Chutney Green mango chutney Curtido Encurtido Fruit preserves Gari Horseradish Ljutenica Pepper jelly Piccalilli Pickled cucumber Pickled fruit Relish Chicago-style relish Sauerkraut Kimchi Sumbala Taba ng talangka Tomato jam Watermelon rind preserves
Spreads and pastes	Ajvar Anchovy paste Bagoong Biber salçası Beurre Maître d'Hôtel Chili paste Chrain Coconut jam Fish paste Gochujang Liver spread Kyopolou Maafe Malidzano Meat extract Bovril Murri Nut butter Palapa Pindjur Roe Caviar Sahawiq Tapai Wasabi Yeast extract Marmite Vegemite Zacuscă
Oils and liquids	Chili oil Halford Leicestershire Table Sauce Mustard oil Olive oil Patis Perilla oil Ponzu Salmoriglio Sesame oil Soy sauce Soup soy sauce Sweet soy sauce Toyomansi Syrup Worcestershire sauce Tonkatsu sauce
Spices and powders	Asín tibuok Chipotle Crushed red pepper Gomashio MSG Nutritional yeast Paprika Popcorn seasoning Salt and pepper Tekka Za'atar
Salads	Carolina style Coleslaw Kachumbari Kachumber Salsa Pico de gallo Salsa criolla
Dressings	Blue cheese dressing French dressing Ginger dressing Green goddess dressing Italian dressing Louis dressing Mayfair salad dressing Ranch dressing Russian dressing Salad cream Tahini Thousand Island Vinaigrette Wafu dressing
Ketchups	Banana ketchup Curry ketchup Fruit ketchup Mushroom ketchup
Mustards	Dijon mustard Honey mustard Karashi Kasundi Mostarda Spicy brown mustard Creole mustard Sweet mustard Tecuci mustard Tewkesbury mustard Turun sinappi Yellow mustard
Vinegars	Apple cider vinegar Balsamic vinegar Balsamic vinegar of Modena Black vinegar Kaong palm vinegar Malt vinegar Nipa palm vinegar
List articles	Accompaniments to french fries Brand name condiments Chutneys Fish pastes Fish sauces Indian condiments Indonesian condiments Japanese condiments Mayonnaises Mustard brands Hot sauces Pakistani condiments Philippine condiments Pickled foods
Accoutrements	Cruet-stand Sachet Salt and pepper shakers Squeeze bottle

History

Etymology

Ingredients

Uses

See also

References

Further reading