XO sauce is a condiment that was created at one of Hong Kong's high-end dining establishments in the early 1980s. Legend has it, a cook at the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon developed the sauce and named it after the pricy drink-of-the-moment, XO cognac. It is a chunky combination of dried seafood and Chinese aged ham, as well as other seasonings. It quickly became a hit, and today it appears in restaurant kitchens across North America. XO sauce is more than a table condiment, however. Its complex flavor is used to enhance stir-fried meat, seafood, tofu, and vegetables, as well as noodle dishes.
Fast Facts
Shelf life: two years
Place of origin: Hong Kong
Common use: condiment
What Is XO Sauce?
XO sauce has become a staple in southern Cantonese cooking, particularly in Hong Kong and Guangdong province. Although the sauce is named after the popular and expensive cognac XO, the liquor is not part of the recipe. In Hong Kong, the term XO is slang for something that is high quality and considered a luxury; XO sauce has even been nicknamed "caviar of the Orient."
The recipe can take several hours to make and calls for costly ingredients, like dried shrimp, dried scallops, and Jinhua ham. For this reason, XO sauce is expensive. The dried seafood and cured ham are finely chopped and blended with other ingredients (garlic, ginger, fresh and/or dried chiles, brown sugar, soy sauce, and sometimes other spices) into a chunky jamlike consistency.
How to Cook With XO Sauce
Considering its unique and profound flavor, XO sauce will bring any dish to a whole new level. It should be used sparingly, as a little goes a long way. Use a tablespoon or so to top roasted vegetables, grilled meats, cooked noodles, fried rice, steamed fish, and pork ribs. Chefs at Tokyo's Park Hyatt Hotel have decided XO sauce is the perfect accompaniment for stir-fried noodles with chicken and shrimp.
What Does It Taste Like?
XO sauce is full of flavor, mainly due to the concentrated taste of the dried seafood. It offers some spice along with the rich taste of umami and is an amalgamation of flavors, including sweet, smoky, and salty. This is a condiment that will dominate a dish with its intense taste.
XO Sauce Recipes
Whether you buy a jar of XO sauce or make your own, it will be the shining star of any dish. Enhance a batch of roasted broccoli, a bowl of plain noodles, or a piece of grilled swordfish.
Where to Buy XO Sauce
It used to be that you needed to go to a fine Chinese restaurant to enjoy XO sauce. But now there are a few brands of jarred sauce, including Lee Kum Kee and Morning Sky, available online and at Asian food markets. Expect to pay at least 10 times more than the price of soy sauce.
More adventurous cooks can make their own—just keep in mind that Jinhua ham cannot be imported, so you must substitute another type of cured ham, such as prosciutto. Since the ingredients in XO sauce are rather expensive, the most economical approach is to buy in bulk and make up more than one batch at a time.Then divide into jars and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Recipes for XO sauce will differ but will always include the dried shrimp and scallops.
Storage
XO sauce should be kept in the jar and stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for about two years.
FAQs
I put XO sauce in everything. It's great in stir-fries and soups, it elevates noodle dishes, it's great with eggs, I love it through fried rice and I even use it on plain steamed rice for a salty, umami hit. It works great with steamed fish and adds an edge to dumpling dipping sauces.
What is XO sauce made of? ›
Developed in the 1980s in Hong Kong for Cantonese cuisine, XO sauce is made of roughly-chopped dried seafood, including dried scallops (conpoy), fish and shrimp, which are cooked with chilli peppers, onions and garlic. This dried seafood-based sauce resembles the Fujianese shacha sauce.
Does XO sauce need to be refrigerated? ›
Make-Ahead and Storage. XO sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one month. For storing, make sure to keep the solids in the sauce submerged in the oil, so that they don't dry out.
What can I use instead of XO sauce? ›
What is a Substitute for XO sauce?
- Hoisin Sauce. Hoisin sauce is a popular Chinese condiment made from soybeans, sugar, vinegar, and various spices. ...
- Oyster Sauce. Oyster sauce is another popular Chinese condiment made from oyster extracts, soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings. ...
- Chili Oil or Chili Crisp.
The usage of XO sauce is limitless. It goes well with fresh scallop, squid and prawn in a stir-fry, the quintessential style of Cantonese cooking. It can even be stir-fried with rice noodle rolls or rice noodles with sliced beef. Many people would also serve it as a dipping sauce for hot pot.
How long can you keep XO sauce? ›
XO sauce should be kept in the jar and stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for about two years.
Is XO sauce unhealthy? ›
Mineral-wise, Xo Sauce is a potent source of Sodium, with 2124.0mg per 100g. Additionally, it offers Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium, which are vital for heart function, muscle contractions, and bone health respectively.
Is XO sauce really spicy? ›
Chilli is another star of XO, although the sauce is not supposed to be unbearably spicy. Rather, the dried and fresh chillies should add a smokiness and zing, elevating the other ingredients, rather than overpowering them. “XO is primarily supposed to be aromatic, rather than in-your-face hot,” Frank says.
Is there alcohol in XO sauce? ›
Although the sauce was named after the “XO” (extra old) designation for expensive, aged Cognacs, it doesn't contain any of its namesake alcohol.
Does sauce go bad if left out overnight? ›
Leftover Jarred Sauce and Homemade Varieties:
Opened jars of store-bought sauce and all homemade pasta sauce creations, regardless of ingredients, fall under the umbrella of perishable foods. Here's the golden rulefrom food safety experts: never leave perishable foods out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
The USDA's FoodKeeper app says that while hot sauce will maintain peak freshness for up to six months when stored at room temperature, it will last longer if stored in the fridge. Brigman echoes these guidelines, saying that refrigerated hot sauce typically lasts one to two years once opened.
What does XO stand for? ›
Hugs and kisses, abbreviated in North America as XO or XOXO, is an informal term used for expressing sincerity, faith, love, or good friendship at the end of a written letter, email or text message.
Can you use XO sauce as a dipping sauce? ›
It is an ideal appetizer or dipping sauce to enhance the taste of dim sum, noodles and all kind of dishes.
Why is XO sauce expensive? ›
Per The Spruce Eats, the ingredients that go into making XO sauce, along with the laborious process of making it which can take a couple of hours, are what really make the condiment so costly. The Woks of Life pointed out that the price is largely dependent upon the quality of the seafood used.
Does XO sauce taste like fish? ›
XO sauce is made from a variety of dried seafood (like and scallops and shrimp and stuff) mixed with chilis. It's got a seafoody flavor with heat and is chunky in texture.
Can you bring XO sauce on a plane? ›
XO sauce is a popular condiment made from dried seafood and Chinese ham, often used in Cantonese cuisine. The sauce is considered a liquid and falls under the restrictions on liquids and gels for carry-on luggage on flights.
What is horseradish sauce good on? ›
It is excellent paired with prime rib, steak or beef tenderloin.
How to use harissa sauce? ›
You can find prepared harissa in grocery stores, but it's also easy to make homemade harissa. Add it to cooked veggies, baked fish, stews, grilled chicken, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, and more.
