Sweet and sour is a favorite condiment for many. It can be used as a dip for chicken nuggets or as a side dish for spring rolls.
Have you ever wondered what the secret ingredient is that gives this sauce its trademark tanginess? You can’t go wrong with pineapple juice.
Pineapple juice, which is high in sugar and acid, makes the perfect base for sweet and sour as we know it.
First, let’s take a look at some history.
The personal chefs of the Long family, who were well-known in Jiangsu province north of Shanghai at the time, are widely credited with creating the 18th-century dish of pork and sweet, sour sauce.
As Chinese immigrants migrated to the US and Australia and traded their mining and construction skills for cooking, the dish gu lao-rou (pork in vinegar and sweetener) became popular in the West.
The addition of pineapple to the recipe created a combination that was palatable for western palates. A star was thus born.
Other fruits can be found in sweet-and-sour sauce besides pineapple.
McDonald’s uses both peaches and apricots to make its famous nugget sauce.