Shacha sauce facts for kids
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| Place of origin | Chaoshan, China |
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| Region or state | Chaoshan, Fujian, Taiwan |
Shacha sauce (pronounced "sah-chah") is a tasty, slightly spicy sauce from China. People in the Chaoshan region, Fujian province, and Taiwan use it a lot in their cooking. It's made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chili peppers, a type of fish called Chinese brill, and dried shrimp. Sometimes, you might see it called "Chinese barbeque sauce."
This special sauce can be used in many ways! You can add it to soups to give them flavor, or rub it on meat before grilling. It's also a popular dipping sauce for hot pot, which is a fun meal where you cook food in a simmering broth at your table. Shacha sauce is also great for stir-fries, making them extra delicious. Some instant noodles, especially those made in Vietnam, even come with a small packet of shacha sauce inside!
Where Did Shacha Sauce Come From?
Shacha sauce is also known as sa-te in some Chinese dialects, like Teochew and Hokkien. This name hints at its history, as it came from satay sauce. Satay sauce was brought to China by people from the Min Nan region who had lived in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.
During the 1900s, Chinese workers from the Chaoshan area traveled to Southeast Asia. They learned about satay sauce and changed it to fit their own tastes. They added ingredients like dried seafood, which made shacha sauce quite different from the peanut-based satay sauce popular today in Malaysia and Indonesia.
After the Chinese Civil War, many Chaoshan people moved to Taiwan. They brought shacha sauce with them, and it quickly became a part of Taiwanese cuisine. A man named Liu Lai-chin, who owned a noodle shop in Tainan and was from Chaoshan, created the famous Bullhead brand (牛頭牌) of shacha sauce in 1958. In the 1960s and 1970s, as more people in Taiwan started eating beef, shacha sauce became even more popular because it pairs so well with beef dishes.
How Is Shacha Sauce Used?
Shacha sauce is super versatile in the kitchen! Here are some common ways people use it:
- Dipping Sauce: It's a favorite dipping sauce for hot pot, giving cooked meats and vegetables a rich, savory flavor.
- Stir-Fries: A spoonful of shacha sauce can add a deep, umami taste to stir-fried noodles, rice, or vegetables.
- Soup Base: It's often used as a base for flavorful broths, especially in noodle soups or hot pot.
- Marinade or Rub: You can use it to marinate meats, especially beef, before grilling or stir-frying. It gives the meat a unique "barbecue" flavor.
See Also
In Spanish: Salsa shacha para niños
