Unrolling Saucy Terrain

The choice of identifying a good sauce is becoming difficult at a time when new flavours are emerging like Vidalia onion, raspberry, Beaujolais and so on.

In Indian food, we have a rich tradition of accompaniments and there are many things that can be termed as Indian version of Western sauces.

Sauce or ketchup or dip or paste, all, to some extent serve a common purpose and thus are perceived as near cousins in every respect. There first and foremost aim is to tenderize the food activity; "tenderizing" here refers to enhancement or fortification of food to be gulped.

Understanding the Importance

Sauces are available in varieties but they correspond to food in a typical fashion, and thus its importance. The moment we play too much with its flavour and experiment on our own to suit the palate, it leads to something that chef fraternity remark as "disaster".

Sauce is a very important ingredient in Italian food, or for that matter any food. In pasta preparations, bigger the size of pasta, more important is the sauce used. Heavy in taste, content of meat or fish or whatever required for the recipe, all needs to be taken care of.

Sauces are made in varying consistency depending upon the need i.e. type of food where sauces play its accompaniment role. The consistency, flavour, spiciness, all matters... All the said features differ for different sauces and simultaneously that makes it suitable for particular kind of dish (food item).

Criteria

Definition for a good sauce is simple: the one that does not overwhelm and masks the main dish but fortify its qualities by gelling well with it.