The New Mother Sauces

From Lebanon to Thailand, chefs share the essential sauces that shape their cooking—and simple ways to use them at home.

- KATE HEDDINGS,GREG DUPREE,MERYL ROWIN

SAUCES HAVE BEEN SHAPING the way we cook for millennia: Researchers have found evidence that suggests an early form of hot sauce, perhaps a simple blend of chiles and water, was made in Mexico more than 2,000 years ago.

Much more recently, in the 19th century, French chef Marie-Antoine Carême formalized the idea of “mother sauces,” a system later refined by Auguste Escoffier. Those five classics—velouté, béchamel, hollandaise, espagnole, and sauce tomate—form the backbone of countless dishes and the framework from which dozens of “daughter sauces” developed. Those foundational techniques underpin everything from eggs Florentine (hollandaise, recipe p. 35) to béchamel-based dishes like chicken potpie and lasagna, and the tomato sauces that define Italian American classics like spaghetti and meatballs.

But French cuisine represents just one chapter of a much broader global tradition. Around the world, sauces and condiments are the building blocks of home cooking and restaurant kitchens alike. And interest in them is booming: According to Grand View Research, the global prepared-sauce market is projected to top $60 billion by 2030, fueled by cooks looking for flavorful, time-saving shortcuts.

So when is something a sauce versus a condiment? What’s the definition? In principle, sauces are used during cooking, while condiments are added afterward. But in real kitchens, those distinctions blur. What matters most is how these essential flavor-makers function: as building blocks for marinades, stews, dressings, and more, or as instant boosts that can make a simple meal taste special.