Worcestershire Sauce was commercialised after chemists Lea and Perrins – both from Worchester, England – produced the first bottle of the condiment. The unique savoury taste quickly captured the taste buds of many and it was used for dining in hotels and cruises. This has led many to believe that the sauce originated from England. But the recipe was in fact, first brought over from India during the British Raj period.

The exact recipe of the acclaimed sauce is a closely guarded secret, but the essential ingredients include tamarind, soya sauce, shallots, anchovies, nutmeg and cardamom. Both tamarind and cardamom spices are popular among Indian recipes as they give off a distinct flavour, while the rest are commonly used in Asian cuisine.

Worcestershire sauce is used in a wide variety of food and beverages. Hainanese Western restaurants especially, such as Mariner’s Corner and Jack’s Place, use Worcestershire way more than even soy sauce. This particular cuisine was created by Hainanese who worked as house help during the British Colony, thus the more regular usage of the western condiment. (Click here for a review of Mariner’s Corner)

It is also commonly used to marinate meats in Indian cuisine, amplify the taste of steam beef balls in Cantonese dim sum and the spicing up of a Bloody Mary cocktail.