Sweet and sour is a generic term that encompasses many styles of sauce, cuisine, and cooking methods. It is commonly used inEast Asia andSoutheast Asia and has been used inEngland since theMiddle Ages.[1] Sweet and sour sauce remains popular in Asian and Western cuisines.
Sweet and sour dishes, sauces, and cooking methods have a long history in China. One of the earliest recordings of sweet and sour may come fromShaowei Yanshi Dan (traditional Chinese:燒尾宴食單;simplified Chinese:烧尾宴食单;pinyin:shāowěi yànshí dān),[2] a menu of the food served inTang dynasty (618–907) "Shaowei banquet[3]" festivals written in 708. It included many sweet and sour adjacent dishes and recorded that they were invented by ChancellorWei Juyuan underEmperor Zhongzong of Tang when he hosted the Emperor at his house. Some authors say that the original sweet and sour sauce (traditional Chinese:糖醋醬;simplified Chinese:糖醋酱;pinyin:tángcùjiàng) came from theChinese province ofHenan,[4] but the sauce in this area is a lightvinegar and sugar mixture not resembling what most people, including the Chinese, would call sweet and sour. Many places inChina 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.[5]
This style of using sauces is popular amongst Chinese who tie certain sauces to particular meats such as chili and soy for shrimp and vinegar andgarlic for goose. There are, however, some dishes, such as theCantonese sweet and sour pork or loong har kow (sweet and sour lobster balls), in which the meat is cooked and a sauce added to thewok before serving.[6]
Not all dishes are cooked; some, such as "sweet and sour fruit and vegetable" salad from the eastern regions of China, also find their way in Chinese cuisine.[7] This cold dish combines salad vegetables such ascucumber,tomato,bell pepper, andonion with a mixture ofpineapple (orpear),vinegar, and sugar.
In China, the sauces are traditionally made by mixing sugar or honey with a sour liquid such asrice vinegar orsoy sauce and spices such asginger and cloves. Sometimes a paste made from tomatoes is used, but this is rare and normally restricted to Western cooking.[8]
Cantonese sweet and sour sauce is the direct ancestor of the sauce of the same name in the West and was originally developed for sweet and sour pork. The late renowned chef fromHong Kong Leung King included the following as his sweet and sour sauce recipe: whiterice vinegar, salt, Chinese brown candy,ketchup,Worcestershire sauce, anddark soy sauce. Hong Kong's gourmet Willie Mark Yiu-Tong (better known as Wei Ling|唯靈), himself a longtime friend of Leung, suggests to contemporary eateries not to resort to cheap bulk manufactured versions of vinegar, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, or the sauce will risk being too sharp in taste and might break the balance of flavours. He suggests the more acidic white rice vinegar could be replaced with apple cider vinegar and that ketchup and Worcestershire sauce should be of renowned gourmet brands.[9]
The original Cantonese sweet and sour pork (traditional Chinese:咕嚕肉;simplified Chinese:咕噜肉;pinyin:gūlūròu;Cantonese Yale:gūlōuyuhk;lit. 'rumbling meat') is made with vinegar, preserved plums and hawthorn candy for an almost scarlet colour and sweet-sour taste.[10] A relatedHong Kong/Cantonese-based dish is sweet and sour spareribs (Chinese:生炒排骨; pinyin:Shēngchǎo páigǔ; Cantonese Yale:sāangcháau pàaigwāt;lit. 'stir-fried spare ribs'). The methods used are identical, with spareribs used instead of pork loins.
Guo bao rou (traditional Chinese:鍋包肉; simplified Chinese:锅包肉; pinyin:Guō bāo ròu) is a classic dish fromNortheast China (Dongbei), originating inHarbin,Heilongjiang Province.[11] It consists of large thinly sliced pieces of pork tenderloin inpotato starchbatter, deep-fried twice until crispy. They are then lightly coated in a variation of a sweet and sour sauce, made from freshly preparedsyrup and rice vinegar, and flavoured with ginger and garlic. The batter absorbs the sauce and softens. A Beijing variant has the sauce thin and watery, while the dish as prepared in Liaoning Province often has a thicker sauce made with ketchup (tomato sauce). However, the true or original version of guō bāo ròu served in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, is made with an amber-coloured sauce due to the fact that it uses caramelized sugar.[citation needed]
A similar dish isgu lao rou or sweet and sour pork.[12]
Originating inSuzhou,Jiangsu province, thesquirrel-shaped Mandarin fish (Chinese:松鼠鱖魚; pinyin:Sōngshǔ Guìyú) has a crisp skin but soft centre. The fish body ofSiniperca chuatsi is scored such that it fans out when cooked, similar in appearance to a bushy squirrel tail. The fish is served with a sweet and sour sauce drizzled on top and garnished with a little shrimp meat and dried bamboo shoots.[13]
A speciality ofShandong province, in particular the city ofJinan,[14] theYellow River carp is prepared by making diagonal slices partway through its flesh. It is next coated in corn flour then deep fried causing the fish to curl and the slices to open out. Finally, a sweet and sour sauce is poured over the cooked fish. This is one of the distinctive dishes typical ofShandong cuisine.
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A popular dish inShanghai cuisine, sweet and sour spare ribs (Chinese:糖醋小排; pinyin:tángcù xiǎopái) are made using pork ribs that are lightly coated in cornstarch and seasoned before being fried and served in a sweet and sour sauce.
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InSouth Korea, a sweet and sour meat dish known astangsuyuk (탕수육;糖水肉) is one of the most popularKorean Chinese dishes. Made with eitherpork orbeef, the bite-sized pieces are usually coated withpotato/sweet potato starch/cornstarch orglutinous rice flour and double-fried in oil.[15][16][17] The dish is served with sweet and sour sauce, typically made by boilingvinegar,sugar, and water with a variety of fruits and vegetables likecarrot,cucumber,onion,wood ear mushroom, andpineapple. Starch slurry is used to thicken the sauce.[15]
Sweet and sour sauces have been used inEnglish cuisine since theMiddle Ages, with recipes for sweet and sour meat and fish in the 1390 cookery bookThe Forme of Cury.[1]
InFrench cuisine, a sweet and sour sauce base made from sugar and vinegar is agastrique. "Aigre-doux" is a sweet and sour sauce in general.[18]
Agrodolce (Italian:[ˌaɡroˈdoltʃe]) is a traditional sweet and soursauce inItalian cuisine. Its name comes fromagro (lit. 'sour') anddolce (lit. 'sweet'). Agrodolce is made byreducing sour and sweet elements, traditionallyvinegar andsugar. Sometimes, additional flavorings are added, such aswine,fruit, or evenchocolate. One recipe for lamb agrodolce is served overrigatoni or wide noodles, such aspappardelle.[19]
InFilipino cuisine, sweet and sour sauces are known asagre dulce orFilipino sweet and sour sauce. It is made by mixingcornstarch with water, salt, sugar, and a tangy ingredient (typicallytomato ketchup,banana ketchup, orpineapples). The mixture is brought to a boil then simmered until it thickens.Labuyo chilis may also be added.[20][21][22] The name means "sour-sweet" inPhilippine Spanish, fromSpanishagrio ("sour") anddulce ("sweet"). It is also known asagri dulci inChavacano and can refer to dishes cooked with the sauce.[23]Agre dulce is commonly used as a dipping sauce for appetizers likelumpia orokoy.[22]
Sweet and sour chicken is a dish frequently served in Chinese restaurants in various countries in Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America and available at some restaurants in East Asia and Southeast Asia in an essentially identical version. The dish generally comprises cubes of white meat chicken deep-fried in batter and served with sweet and sour sauce. Sometimes it is topped with pineapple, green pepper, carrot, or sweet pickles.
Sweet and sour pork is a Chinese dish particularly popular in Westernised Cantonese cuisine and may be found worldwide. Several provinces in China produce various dishes that claim to be the ancestor, including a traditional Jiangsu dish called "pork in a sugar and vinegar sauce" (糖醋里脊; pinyin: táng cù lǐjǐ). The dish consists of deep-fried pork cut into bite-sized pieces and subsequentlystir-fried in a more customized version of sweet and sour sauce made of sugar,ketchup, white vinegar, and soy sauce and additional ingredients includingpineapple,green pepper (capsicum), andonion. In more elaborate preparations, the dish's tartness is controlled by requiring that Chinese white rice vinegar be used sparingly and using ketchups with less vinegary tastes, while some restaurants use unripe kiwifruits andHP sauce in place of vinegar.[citation needed][24]
Western cultures use sweet and sour sauce in two different ways. Dishes can either include the sauce as an ingredient in cooking or use the sauce as a pour-over or dipping sauce for the meal.
Chinese restaurants in Western countries commonly serve battered and deep-fried chicken, pork, or shrimp with a sweet and sour sauce poured on top. It is also common to find the sweet and sour sauce cooked with sliced green peppers, onions, and pineapple before it is poured over the meat.
Many Western dishes involve cooking the meat with a variety of ingredients to make a complete sweet and sour dish in the manner of gu lo yuk. The most popular dishes are those of pork and shrimp. InFrench cuisine, it has been developed contrary to traditional French cooking practices, and the preparation of sweet and sour sauce (Aigre-douce) often involves immersing the food in a plentiful amount of sauce.[25]
Common in Western sweet and sour sauce is the addition of fruits such aspineapple and vegetables such assweet pepper andgreen onions. Traditional rice vinegar is becoming more readily available due to the increase in Asian food stores but a mixture of vinegar and drysherry is often still used in sweet and sour dishes. Also common is the use of cornstarch as a thickener for the sauce andtomato 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.
Primarily inNorth America, sweet and sour sauce is available as a dipping sauce at Chinese takeout establishments in small plastic packets or containers.
In Britain,Thai-stylesweet chilli dipping sauce has recently overtaken the previous popularity of Chinese-style sweet and sour sauce to the extent it can often be found at non-Asian establishments for a wide variety of Western-style snacks fromfishcakes tochips and seafood such ascalamari andprawns.
A number of variations are used inbarbecue cuisine, either home-made or prepared from a number of common brands.
Besides American Chinese restaurants, popularfast food restaurants such asMcDonald's,[26][27]Burger King,[28][29] andWendy's[30] carry their own proprietarybrands of sweet and sour saucepackets. These are commonly offered and used as adipping sauce forchicken fingers andchicken nuggets.[28]
