The world of sauces: what makes great sauces—and how to use them

What kinds of sauces are there?

Before we dive into the world of Asian sauces, a quick look at the Western classics. It pays to know where you're coming from before exploring new combinations. These cold sauces will be familiar to most chefs and restaurateurs—but they're worth a second look:

• BBQ sauce: the smoky-sweet flavour with a hint of acidity makes it a natural choice for grilled dishes, but it also works as a glaze for pulled pork or as a burger sauce.
   
• Aioli: garlic, oil and egg—the unmistakable classic. Perfect with seafood or grilled vegetables.
   
• Salsa verde: fresh and herby with a sharp note from capers and lemon. Excellent with fish, lamb or roasted vegetables.
   
• Cocktail sauce: the tomato-based, mildly spiced classic for prawns and seafood platters. With a little imagination, it has far more to offer than its dated reputation suggests.
   
• Curry sauce: entirely different depending on its origins—from mild and fruity to deeply savoury. Versatile enough to span everything from German currywurst to Asian curry.
   
• Worcester sauce: one of the most complex condiments in the Western kitchen—fermented, salty, faintly sweet and with a lingering flavour. Indispensable in marinades, dressings or the classic cocktail Bloody Mary.

Asian sauces: an overview

Asian sauces have become indispensable in European kitchens too—and rightly so. They often provide the much-discussed fifth taste: umami. It gives dishes greater depth and complexity, making it an essential element of professional cooking. Here are the key examples:

• Soy sauce: the foundation of Asian cooking—and for many chefs, the foundation of their own cooking, too. Kikkoman Soy Sauce is naturally brewed using a traditional process and is virtually indispensable as a seasoning base, marinade or dip.
• Oyster sauce: dark, thick and sweet-salty with an intense umami depth—reminiscent of a caramelised soy sauce. A classic seasoning base in Cantonese cooking and indispensable in wok dishes and braises.

• Sweet chilli sauce: fruity and sweet, with a gentle lingering heat. Best known as a dip for deep-fried spring rolls.
• Peanut sauce: distinctively nutty and creamy, and goes with almost everything. A classic alongside satay skewers and Indonesian noodle dishes, but equally good as a dressing for Asian salads.
• Sesame sauce: mild and nutty in flavour. Traditionally used in Japanese and Korean cooking as a dressing for blanched vegetables or a dip for steamed dishes—understated but effective.
• Ponzu: soy sauce meets citrus. Kikkoman Ponzu Lemon is salty, umami-rich and pleasantly fresh with a gentle acidity. Traditionally used as a dip for shabu-shabu and sashimi, it is also popular in Japan as a dressing for lighter salads.

• Teriyaki sauce: sweet, salty and faintly caramelised in flavour. Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade and Kikkoman Teriyaki Glaze are particularly effective at enhancing the flavours of grilled meat, fish and vegetables, and work equally well as a glaze applied just before serving.
   

• Hoisin sauce: thick in consistency, with a sweet, mildly spiced note. Well known as an accompaniment to Peking duck, it is also a classic marinade for spare ribs or a dip for Vietnamese spring rolls.

Unexpected sauce combinations for your restaurant

The most interesting combinations often emerge where two worlds meet that seemingly have nothing in common. Here are a few ideas that tend to surprise in practice, and work precisely because of that:

Soy sauce meets chocolate

A splash of Kikkoman Soy Sauce in a dark chocolate dessert—mousse, ganache or caramel sauce—accentuates the sweetness and adds an unexpected depth of flavour. An umami caramel in place of salted caramel would also add something genuinely different to your menu.

Ponzu as a vinaigrette for carpaccio

Stir Kikkoman Ponzu Lemon with a good olive oil and a little coarse-grain mustard and you have an Asian-inspired vinaigrette that works as well with beef carpaccio, white asparagus or roasted cauliflower as it does with sashimi. Lighter than lemon, more complex than white wine.

Teriyaki glaze on the cheeseboard

Kikkoman Teriyaki Glaze pairs well with bold, aged cheeses such as Manchego or Comté. The sweet-salty combination works much like honey or fig mustard, but brings a smoky depth that sets it apart. A bold combination that guests won't forget in a hurry.

Hoisin as a burger sauce

Mix hoisin sauce with a little mayonnaise, lime juice and ginger and you have a burger sauce with far more character than any BBQ variant. Particularly good with pulled duck or a beef patty seasoned with Sichuan pepper.

For the adventurous: sweet chilli on panna cotta

Sweet chilli sauce as a topping for vanilla ice cream or panna cotta. The sweetness of the sauce carries the dish, with the heat arriving as a surprise at the end. Not for every guest, but a dish that gets people talking!

The right sauce—a craft in itself

Sauces are a great opportunity to show your own culinary identity and courage to try new combinations on your menu. Expanding your sauce repertoire—and occasionally looking beyond familiar territory—gives your menu more variety and your guests something to talk about.

The Kikkoman range provides a reliable foundation: from naturally brewed soy sauce and Kikkoman Ponzu Lemon to Kikkoman Teriyaki Glaze and Kikkoman Kimchi Chili Sauce. All products that have proven themselves in professional kitchens. They show that a good sauce is sometimes the shortest route to an unforgettable dish. Try them and see for yourself.