Rice topped with XO sauce | |
| Type | Condiment |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Hong Kong |
| Created by | Unknown |
| Main ingredients | dried scallop,chilli peppers,Jinhua ham,dried shrimp,garlic,vegetable oil |
| XO sauce | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | XO醬 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | XO酱 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CantoneseYale | XO jeung | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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XO sauce is a spicyseafoodsauce fromHong Kong[1] with anumami flavour.[2] It is commonly used in southernChinese regions such asGuangdong.
Developed in the1980s in Hong Kong forCantonese cuisine, XO sauce is made of roughly chopped dried seafood, includingdried scallops (conpoy), fish and shrimp, which are cooked with chilli peppers, onions and garlic. This dried seafood-based sauce resembles the Fujianeseshacha sauce. Spring Moon, the Chinese restaurant of thePeninsula Hong Kong hotel, is often credited with the invention of XO sauce, although some claim it came from other nearby restaurants in theTsim Sha Tsui area ofKowloon.[3]
The nameXO sauce comes from fine XO (extra-old)cognac, which is a popular Westernliquor inHong Kong, and considered by many at the time to be a chic product. The name is amisnomer since the condiment contains no cognac, and it is not really asauce in the traditional, smooth sense, but more chunky, like arelish.[4] The termXO is often used in Hong Kong to denote high quality, prestige and luxury. Indeed, XO sauce has been marketed in the same manner as French liquor, using packaging of similar colour schemes.
Typical ingredients of XO sauce includedried scallop, redchilli pepper,Jinhua ham,dried shrimp,garlic andvegetable oil.[5] Some other recipes also call for salted cured fish and dicedonion.[6]

XO sauce can be used as a table condiment or in cooking to enhance the flavour of fish, meats, vegetables, and otherwise bland foods such astofu ornoodles.