Worcestershire sauce originated in Worcester, England, in the 1900s, thanks to scientists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins. While experimenting with vinegar-based seasoning sauces, they left a batch that didn’t taste right in the basement. The sauce fermented and developed an interesting flavour. Lea and Perrins bottled it and sold it under the brand name Lea & Perrins. To make the sauce, they allowed it to sit for two years, stirring periodically, and sifted the mixture. Worcestershire Sauce slowly spread throughout Europe, and reached America and other parts of the world.
Now, Worcestershire sauce is produced by many commercial retailers, and also under the original Lea & Perrins label. HP Sauce, another brown sauce, is similar but not the same as Worcestershire sauce.
Primary ingredients for the sauce include vinegar, which is used for its tanginess and also to preserve the other ingredients used in the sauce. The umami comes from anchovies. However, Worcestershire sauce’s unique flavour comes from tamarind. The sauce is tangy, savoury and sweet all at once. The balance of these flavours makes it a great accompaniment to sandwiches or salads. Spices used in the sauce vary by brand. Lea & Perrins’ American version is saltier and sweeter than the UK version, although both are marketed as the same sauce.
Besides being eaten with sandwiches and salads, Worcestershire sauce can be used in different ways in cooking. It is often used to make marinades or slathered on meat or fish before grilling. The sauce can also be used with vegetables. It adds savouriness to soups and stews. Today, bartenders and mixologists use it in cocktails like micheladas.
For those who are unable to find Worcestershire sauce, culinary experts have suggested substitutes like a mixture of soy sauce, hoisin sauce and apple cider vinegar; soy sauce and apple juice, and soy sauce, lime juice, molasses, garlic, vinegar and hot sauce.
