How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce: 7 Steps (with Pictures) (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional sweet and sour sauce made of? ›

While sweet and sour can be found in diverse forms in China, the American version builds upon the simple mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices with the addition of fruit juice—most commonly pineapple—and ketchup, giving the sauce both its red hue and uniquely Western flavor.

But have you ever wondered about the secret ingredient that gives this sauce its trademark tang? Look no further than the magic of pineapple juice. High in acid and sugar, pineapple juice is the ideal platform for sweet and sour sauce as we know it today.

It's that bright orange dipping sauce that accompanies the aforementioned sweet and sour chicken in Westernized Chinese food. It is said that this sauce evolved from the Cantonese culinary tradition, emigrating to the United States in the late 1800s and evolving into what we know today.

It's not quite the same as sweet and sour sauce, but the flavors are pretty similar. I would say that duck sauce is more for dipping and sweet and sour sauce is used more for coating and glazing, as in sweet and sour pork or sweet and sour chicken. The ingredients differ slightly too.

Ingredients: Water, Sugars (sugar, Plum Puree, Concentrated Pineapplejuice), Modified Corn Starch, White Vinegar, Tomato Paste, Salt,seasoning, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Red Bell Pepper Powder,beta-carotene Colour, Annatto Extract Colour.

Ingredients. High Fructose Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Corn-Cider Vinegar, Water, Sugar, Salt, Cucumber Juice, Dehydrated Onion, Vinegar, Celery Seed, Xanthan Gum, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Calcium Disodium EDTA Added to Protect Flavor, Natural Flavors, Yellow #5.

Ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Apricot Puree Concentrate And/or Peach Puree Concentrate, Distilled Vinegar, Contains 2% Or Less: Soy Sauce (water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), Salt, Modified Food Starch, Sherry Wine Powder, Dextrose, Soybean Oil, Xanthan Gum, Spices, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Natural ...

Many places in China use a sweet and sour sauce as a dipping sauce for fish and meat rather than in cooking, as is common in Westernized Chinese cuisine.

If the sauce isn't thick enough, you can add one more tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk it in. But remember, the sauce will thicken even more as it cools down. So only add more cornstarch if the sauce is way too thin. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Agrodolce — Italian for “sour, sweet,” this reduction of sugar and vinegar can be enjoyed on a variety of foods. See recipe below. Chakalaka — A South African relish made with chiles, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage vinegar, spices (like masala) and traditionally eaten with braai (barbecue).

Who invented sweet and sour? ›

While originating from China in the 1700s, sweet and sour sauce developed into the popular sauce it is today in America during the late 19th century.

Pineapple flavor is a fusion of sweet and acidic notes (Zhu and Yu, 2020) and (along with ripeness) determines the use of pineapples. Consistency in fruit taste and flavor is essential for both pineapple exports and locally consumed fruit.

Yum Yum Sauce is made of mayonnaise, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, sugar, paprika and water to thin the sauce out. That's it! It's really just a matter of the right ratios of ingredients to get the flavor you want!

It's also easy to customize sweet & sour sauce if you don't want to make a special trip to the store! Replace the pineapple juice with a mixture of orange and lemon juice, and opt for tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to make it gluten-free.

Sweet and sour sauce features a balanced combination of sweet and tangy flavors, making it a versatile condiment that can be used in various ways to enhance the flavor of your dishes.

Also common is the use of cornstarch as a thickener for the sauce and tomato ketchup to give a stronger red colour to the dish and to add a Western taste. Most supermarkets across Europe and North America carry a range of prepared sweet and sour sauces for adding to stir-fry or dipping.

As for the consistency of Chick-fil-A's Polynesian Sauce, it's apparently a bit thinner than sweet and sour sauce, but still perfect for dipping. As explained by a Redditor, "I highly recommend nuggets with Polynesian."

I can taste the apricot now.” McDonald's states its Sweet 'N Sour sauce “blends flavours of apricot and peach with savoury spices and leaves a slight lingering heat”.