Monkey gland sauce facts for kids

Monkey Gland Sauce is a popular and tasty condiment from South Africa. It's a thick, dark sauce that tastes both sweet and tangy. You'll often find it served with grilled steaks or burgers.

This sauce has been a favorite in South African restaurants and fast food places since the 1930s. Besides steaks and burgers, people also use it as a marinade for meat, a dipping sauce for onion rings and fries, or even on roasted potatoes.

What's in Monkey Gland Sauce?

The main ingredients that give Monkey Gland Sauce its sweet flavor are chutney and tomato sauce. Chutney is a fruity or savory preserve, often with spices.

To balance the sweetness, other ingredients are added. These include chopped onions, vinegar, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. These additions give the sauce a unique savory-sweet taste that makes it so popular.

How Did It Get Its Name?

Don't worry, despite its unusual name, Monkey Gland Sauce does not contain any actual monkey glands! The name is just a funny story from its past.

One popular story about its origin comes from the old Carlton Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. In the 1930s, French chefs worked there, preparing fancy dishes. However, South African diners often liked to add their own sauces to the French food. They would mix things like chutney, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce right at the table.

The chefs, who were perhaps a little annoyed by this, decided to create a special sauce. They combined all the condiments that diners loved to add. They then jokingly named this new mixture "Monkey Gland Sauce." At that time, there was a strange idea that monkey glands could help people stay young, which might have inspired the name.