Shacha sauce (Chinese: 沙茶; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sa-te; also spelled sa cha sauce) is a savory, slightly spicy Chinese condiment used in Min Nan cuisine (primarily Teochew, Fujian, and Taiwanese). It is made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chilies, Chinese brill, and dried shrimp.[1][2] It is also sometimes sold as "Chinese barbeque sauce".[3][4]
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| Place of origin | Chaoshan, China |
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| Region or state | Chaoshan, Fujian, Taiwan |
Shacha sauce is used many different ways; as a soup base, a barbeque meat rub, a dipping sauce (for hot pot), or a seasoning for stir-fries. It is also included with instant noodles manufactured in Vietnam, in their own packet alongside packets of soup base, dried vegetables, or other seasonings.[5]
Origin
Shacha sauce is also known as sa-te in the Teochew and Hokkien dialects, reflecting its origin in the satay sauce introduced by expatriate Min Nan people returning to China from Southeast Asia.[6] During the 20th century, Chinese labourers from the Chaoshan region who worked in Southeast Asian countries (e.g., modern-day Malaysia and Indonesia) adapted satay sauce to local tastes, including the introduction of dried seafood.[6] Shacha is now quite different from the peanut-based satay sauce popular in Malaysia and Indonesia.[7] Following the Chinese Civil War, Chaoshan immigrants resettled in Taiwan and introduced shacha sauce to the Taiwanese culinary repertoire.[8][6] One in particular, Liu Lai-chin, a Tainan-based noodle shop owner originally from Chaoshan, created the iconic Bullhead brand (牛頭牌) of shacha sauce in 1958.[8][6] In the 1960s and 1970s, as beef consumption slowly gained cultural acceptance in Taiwan, shacha sauce became more popular among locals.[6]
See also
- List of Chinese sauces
- Siu haau sauce
- Peanut sauce
- XO sauce
- Shito - Similar condiment used in Ghana