Tartar sauce facts for kids
Tartar sauce (sometimes spelled tartare in places like the United Kingdom and Australia) is a creamy, tangy sauce. It is often served as a condiment with seafood dishes. Think of it like mayonnaise, but with extra ingredients that give it a special flavor.
What is Tartar Sauce?
Tartar sauce is a popular sauce that adds a lot of flavor to your food. It is usually served cold. People often put it on fish and chips, fried shrimp, or crab cakes. It makes these dishes taste even better with its fresh, slightly sour, and savory kick.
What's in It?
The main ingredient in tartar sauce is mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is a thick, creamy sauce made from oil, egg yolks, and vinegar or lemon juice. To make tartar sauce, other ingredients are mixed in. These often include:
Sometimes, people also add capers, dill, or lemon juice for even more flavor. All these ingredients are chopped very finely and mixed together.
Where Did the Name Come From?
The name "Tartar" in tartar sauce comes from the Tatar people. The Tatars are a group of Turkic people who historically lived in parts of Eastern Europe and Asia.
The sauce is believed to have been named after them because of a dish called "steak tartare." Steak tartare is a dish of raw ground beef, often served with a sauce that includes capers, onions, and other ingredients. While tartar sauce itself is not raw meat, the name likely stuck because it was a sauce often served with dishes that were considered "Tatar style" or had a similar flavor profile.
See also
In Spanish: Salsa tártara para niños
