I have a weird fascination with sauces.
It’s the only thing I really like to cook.
Not full meals. Not elaborate dishes. Just sauces.
There’s something deeply satisfying about transforming simple ingredients into complex flavor bombs that can elevate anything they touch. A perfect sauce can turn boring rice into a meal worth remembering. It can make vegetables taste like they matter. It can rescue overcooked chicken from the trash.
And the best part? Sauces are forgiving. They’re chemistry without the pressure. You can taste, adjust, taste again. Add a splash of this, a pinch of that. They tell you what they need.
Unlike a steak that’s either perfect or ruined in 30 seconds, sauces give you time to think. Time to fix. Time to make it yours.
Over the years, I’ve fallen down rabbit holes learning about sauces from every corner of the world. From the five French mother sauces that form the foundation of Western cooking, to the complex spice blends of Southeast Asia, to the fermented magic of East Asian cuisine.
This series is that obsession, organized.
What This Series Covers
I’ve structured this into five modules, spanning the globe:
9 Sauces] A --> C[Module 2: Europe
20 Sauces] A --> D[Module 3: Americas
5 Sauces] A --> E[Module 4: Africa & Middle East
4 Sauces] A --> F[Module 5: Modern Fusion
3 Sauces] B --> B1[Japan: Teriyaki] B --> B2[China: Kung Pao, Black Bean] B --> B3[Southeast Asia: Satay, Rendang, Massaman] B --> B4[South Asia: Makhani, Korma, Rezala] C --> C1[French Mother Sauces:
Béchamel, Hollandaise, Velouté
Espagnole, Tomat] C --> C2[Italian Classics:
Alfredo, Carbonara
Bolognese, Puttanesca] C --> C3[Mediterranean:
Romesco, Aioli
Tzatziki, Avgolemono] C --> C4[Eastern Europe:
Paprikash, Stroganoff] D --> D1[Mexico: Mole Poblano] D --> D2[South America: Chimichurri] D --> D3[North America: Southern Gravy, Choron] D --> D4[Caribbean: Jerk Sauce] E --> E1[Africa: Peri-Peri, Maafe] E --> E2[Middle East: Chermoula, Tahini] F --> F1[Continental: Mushroom Cream, Au Poivre] F --> F2[Fusion: General Tso's] style A fill:#2d3748,stroke:#4a5568,stroke-width:3px,color:#fff style B fill:#3182ce,stroke:#2c5282,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff style C fill:#38a169,stroke:#2f855a,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff style D fill:#d69e2e,stroke:#b7791f,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff style E fill:#e53e3e,stroke:#c53030,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff style F fill:#805ad5,stroke:#6b46c1,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
How Each Lesson Works
For every sauce, you’ll get:
Origin: Where it comes from and why it matters
Flavor Profile: What it tastes like—sweet, savory, spicy, tangy, umami, or some magical combination
Use Cases: What you should put it on (rice, noodles, grilled meats, vegetables, etc.)
The Story: Because every great sauce has one
How to Think About It: The principles behind the flavor, not just the recipe
Why Organize by Geography?
Because sauces tell the story of a region’s ingredients, climate, and culture.
Asia uses fermentation, coconut, and bold spice.
Europe masters cream, butter, and stock reductions.
The Americas bring heat, herbs, and indigenous ingredients like chocolate and peanuts.
Africa and the Middle East blend spices with nuts, yogurt, and citrus.
Modern fusion breaks all the rules and creates something new.
Understanding where a sauce comes from helps you understand what makes it work. And once you understand the principles, you can riff on them endlessly.
The Five Modules
Module 1: Asia (9 Sauces)
From the sweet glaze of Japanese teriyaki to the numbing heat of Sichuan kung pao, to the rich coconut-spice of Indonesian rendang, to the creamy cardamom magic of Bangladeshi rezala.
Module 2: Europe (20 Sauces)
The French mother sauces that form the foundation of Western cooking. Italian pasta sauces that need nothing but good ingredients. Mediterranean sauces built on olive oil, garlic, and time. Eastern European cream and paprika classics.
Module 3: Americas (5 Sauces)
Mexican mole with 20+ ingredients and days of simmering. Argentinian chimichurri that makes steak unnecessary (almost). Caribbean jerk that makes you sweat and smile at the same time.
Module 4: Africa & Middle East (4 Sauces)
Fiery peri-peri. Herbal chermoula. Nutty tahini. Rich West African groundnut sauce that proves peanuts belong in savory food.
Module 5: Modern Fusion (3 Sauces)
Where traditions collide: mushroom cream sauces, brandy-laced au poivre, and Chinese-American sweet-and-sour magic.
A Note on Recipes
This isn’t a recipe series.
There are already thousands of recipes online. Most of them work. Some of them don’t.
This is about understanding sauces—what makes them work, how to think about their flavor profiles, when to use them, and why they exist.
Once you understand the principles, you can find (or create) your own recipes.
Let’s Start
Think of this series as a guided tour through the world’s flavor systems.
By the end, you won’t just know 41 sauces. You’ll understand:
- How fermentation creates umami
- Why cream and acid need each other
- When to use butter vs. oil
- How to balance sweet, salty, sour, and spicy
- What makes a sauce “work” with a particular dish
Ready?
Let’s start where my obsession began: Asia.