The story of Worcestershire sauce: How an accident became an A-list condiment

It’s one of England’s greatest exports, a staple condiment in pantries around the world and an umami bomb of flavour. But what is Worcestershire sauce, exactly?

Holbrooks, one of several popular makers of Worcestershire sauce.

The most commonly asked question about Worcestershire sauce is (probably): “How on Earth do I pronounce that?”. We think the second most commonly asked question is: “How on Earth do I spell that?”. And the third most commonly asked question (maybe) is: “What even is it?”. We too were intrigued about what exactly is in the salty, umami sauce (the pronunciation and spelling too), so we thought we’d do a deep dive into the true identity of Worcestershire sauce; because it deserves to be known for a lot more than its confusing name.

BACK WHEN WORCESTERSHIRE WAS BORN

Let’s take it all the way back to 1837, when horse and carriages roamed the streets, electricity didn’t exist and corset dresses were the in-thing. It was in this year that the now-famous Worcestershire sauce was born, and its origins are probably not what you would expect.

According to The Spruce Eats, Worcestershire sauce was invented after a man named Lord Sandys returned home to England from India after years of governance in Bengal and really missed a specific Indian sauce. In an attempt to crush his cravings back in the UK, he reached out to the owners of a local drugstore in Worcester, England – John Lea and William Perrin – with a request to try and recreate this sauce. However, after attempting to replicate it by using pungent ingredients like fish sauce and a variety of vegetables, they realised the aroma was too strong to handle, so they bottled it up, and stored it in the pantry… and forgot about it.

Fast forward two years and the forgotten sauce was found hiding in the cupboard during a pantry clean-up (we’ve all been there). But instead of it becoming gross and icky, to their surprise it had fermented into a delicious, flavourful condiment. And that is the ‘accidental’ origin of Worcestershire sauce! The original Lea & Perrins brand still exists and can even be found in Aussie supermarkets.

WHAT IS WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE MADE FROM?

Let’s just say it’s a bit of a concoction of ingredients. Think vinegar, molasses, anchovies, garlic, tamarind extract, chilli pepper extract, sugar, and salt. They’re all the ingredients we know to be in the condiment, but apparently there are some other ‘secret’ additions, which some believe to be cloves, soy, essence of lemons, and pickles. The sauce is then aged for between 18 and 24 months (wowza), which is the reason why it packs such a strong punch of flavour.

WHAT IS WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE USED FOR?

Many Aussies associate Worcestershire sauce with meat, whether it’s a marinade for steak, or a way to season meatballs. And Brits will know it as their favourite thing to splash onto scrambled eggs, cottage pie or cheese on toast (try it, Worcestershire sauce lovers!) But the umami-packed condiment can also be used in a variety of other dishes, like a Bloody Mary dipping sauce, sausage rolls, and even your favourite beef stroganoff.

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Originally published on Delicious.com.au asWhat is Worcestershire sauce? We’ve answered all your burning questions

Originally published as The story of Worcestershire sauce: How an accident became an A-list condiment