Condiments Across Tables

Start with the home table

A condiment carries its region's priorities. Korean kitchens value fermentation and depth; Tunisian cooks balance chilli with caraway and olive oil; Vietnamese tables put a small dipping bowl at every setting so each diner adjusts flavour bite by bite. Understanding that context makes you a better experimenter, because you learn what the condiment was designed to do before asking it to do something new.

In this guide each entry gives the traditional use first. Where we suggest a new use, we say so clearly. Those suggestions are our own kitchen trials, not claims about how anyone else cooks.

East Asia

• Gochujang

  Korea's fermented red chilli paste, made with glutinous rice, fermented soybean powder and salt. Traditionally mixed into bibimbap, tteokbokki and stews such as jjigae. Our experiment: a teaspoon whisked into butter for corn on the cob.

  Heat · Umami

• Doubanjiang

  Fermented broad bean and chilli paste, famously produced in Pixian, Chengdu, and the backbone of mapo tofu. Fry it in oil first so its colour and aroma bloom.

  Umami · Heat

• Miso

  Japanese fermented soybean paste in white, yellow and red styles. Used in soup, marinades and dressings. White miso is milder and works in sweet-savoury experiments.

  Salt · Umami

Southeast Asia

• Fish sauce

  Called nước mắm in Vietnam and nam pla in Thailand, made by fermenting anchovies with salt. Phú Quốc island is well known for it. A few drops season dressings, soups and braises.

  Salt · Umami

• Sambal

  A family of Indonesian and Malaysian chilli relishes. Sambal oelek is simple and sharp; sambal terasi adds fermented shrimp paste for depth.

  Heat

Middle East and North Africa

• Harissa

  Tunisian chilli paste with garlic, caraway and coriander; recognised by UNESCO in 2022. Served with bread and olive oil or stirred into soups. Experiment: fold into yoghurt for roast carrots.

  Heat

• Toum

  Lebanese garlic sauce emulsified with oil and lemon, served with grilled chicken. Pungent, creamy and bright.

  Acid · Fat

• Pomegranate molasses

  Reduced pomegranate juice used across Iran, Syria and Turkey, essential in muhammara. Sweet-sour and deeply fruity.

  Acid · Sweet

Europe

• Colatura di alici

  Anchovy extract from Cetara on the Amalfi Coast, a descendant of Roman garum. Traditionally dressed over spaghetti with garlic and oil on Christmas Eve.

  Salt · Umami

• Dijon mustard

  Named after the Burgundian city, made with brown or black mustard seed and verjuice or wine. Emulsifies vinaigrettes and lifts pan sauces.

  Heat · Acid

• Worcestershire sauce

  Sold by Lea & Perrins in Worcester from 1837, built on vinegar, molasses, tamarind and anchovy. Deepens gravies, beans and cheese on toast.

  Umami · Acid

The Americas

• Chimichurri

  Herb, garlic and vinegar sauce of Argentina and Uruguay, served with asado. Experiment: spoon over roasted cauliflower.

  Acid

• Salsa macha

  Dried chillies, garlic, nuts and seeds fried in oil, associated with Veracruz. Rich, crunchy and smoky over eggs or tacos.

  Heat · Fat

• Ají amarillo paste

  Peru's fruity yellow chilli, central to ají de gallina and causa. Bright heat with a sunny, fruity aroma.

  Heat

West Africa

• Shito

  Ghanaian black pepper sauce made with dried fish or shrimp, chilli and oil, served with kenkey and rice dishes. Intense, so start small.

  Heat · Umami

Choosing your next jar

Go back to your diagnosis. If your meals are often heavy, a bright condiment like chimichurri or toum earns its fridge space. If they are often thin, a fermented paste such as miso or doubanjiang will be used weekly. Buy one at a time, use it in its traditional dish first, then let it wander into your everyday cooking.