What are Condiments?

A condiment is a spice, sauce, or spice mixture that is mainly added to different food dishes to contribute a specific flavour, to improve its flavour, or in some nations, to supplement the dish. For example, food items such as pickles, sauces, mustards are considered to be condiments.

Besides that, there are two different terms of sauces in the culinary arts, which is known as “mother sauce” and “small sauce”. They’re called mother sauces because each one is like the head of its own unique family.

A sauce is essentially a liquid plus some sort of thickening agent along with other flavouring ingredients. Each of the five mother sauces is made with a different liquid, and a different thickening agent—although three of the mother sauces are thickened with roux, in each case the roux is cooked for a different amount of time to produce a lighter or darker color.

What are the two types of condiments?

Simple: Simple condiments are celery salt, garlic salt, onion salt, pepper salt, etc.

Compound: Compound condiments are products such as chilli sauce, chutney, horseradish sauce, meat sauce, mint sauce, prepared mustard, soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, tomato ketchup, etc.

Five nonexclusive categories of Condiments

• Salt

Salt is often a constituent ingredient in many other condiments. It is employed on a wide range of foods, including vegetables, meats, fish, and poultry. It is a major preservative and today is commonly found in most processed foods.

• Sugar or Sweeteners

Sugar and honey are used directly in bitter beverages, such as tea, coffee, and chocolate, and as a topping for breakfast cereals. Sugar and honey are used in making other condiments such as jams, jellies, preserves, and marmalades, and are also used extensively on bread, rolls, scones, and pastries.

• Pickled foods

Some of the common pickled foods used as condiments include ginger (Japan), chutney (South Asia), and cucumbers. Almost all vegetables have been pickled and used as condiments in some form. They are served whole, in slices, or diced in a relish. Sliced and diced pickles are frequently used on sandwiches as well.

• Spicy or Hot foods

Examples of spicy or hot foods are black pepper, chilli pepper, mustard, garlic, horse-radish, and onions. Black pepper is commonly served in a dried state and is usually ground into a coarse or fine state before consumption. Like salt, pepper is used in savory dishes. Chilli pepper is used in dried form on diverse foods. Tabasco sauce was an early American condiment based on chilli pepper and vinegar.

• Compound sauces

It is including ketchup, fish sauces, soy sauce, salad dressings, curries, and barbecue sauces. The earliest known compound sauces were made of fish. Sauces are more than just flavour enhancers, they do contain high levels of protein and other nutrients.

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