Tomato sauce
Alternative names | Salsa roja, sugo |
---|---|
Type | Sauce |
Place of origin | Mexico[1] |
Region or state | Aztec Empire |
Main ingredients | Tomatoes |
Variations | Salsa picante, arrabbiata sauce |
Tomato sauce (also known as . All of these qualities make them ideal for simple and appealing sauces.
In countries such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, the term tomato sauce is used to describe a condiment similar to what Americans call ketchup. In some of these countries, both terms are used for the condiment.
History
Tomato sauces, along with similarly related and prepared tomatillo sauces, are presumed to have been in use since antiquity by the peoples of Central and South America as bases for many dishes. However, much of Pre-Columbian cuisine history in Mexico, along with other culturally significant information, had been purged during the periods of conquest by Europeans, chiefly the Spanish.[2]
Cooked tomato sauces
A simple tomato sauce consists of chopped or ground tomatoes sautéed in
. Tomato skins and seeds are generally removed.Tomato sauce may be thinner than the tomato purée it may be made from. It may serve as an ingredient in other dishes, such as spaghetti and meatballs.
Water or a more flavorful liquid such as stock or wine is sometimes added to keep the sauce from becoming too thick while simmering. Onion and garlic are often sweated or sautéed before the tomatoes are added, or puréed together with tomatoes and then cooked together. Other seasonings typically include dried red chili flakes, epazote, basil, oregano, parsley, and black pepper.
Many meat-based sauces include tomatoes, such as
Raw tomato sauces
In Italy, there are many pasta sauces based on raw, uncooked tomatoes.[5] In Mexico, the best-known raw tomato sauce is pico de gallo, also known as salsa cruda.
Varieties
Mexico
Tomato sauce was an ancient condiment in
They sell some stews made of peppers and tomatoes – usually put in them peppers, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, green peppers and fat tomatoes and other things that make tasty stews.[3]
— Florentine Codex (1540–1585)
Basic Mexican tomato sauce was traditionally prepared using a molcajete to puree the tomatoes. Food that is cooked in tomato sauce is known as entomatada. Tomato sauce is used as a base for spicy sauces and moles.[6]
Italy
Tomato sauce in Italian cuisine is first mentioned in Antonio Latini's cookbook Lo scalco alla moderna (Naples, 1692).[7] Latini was chef to the Spanish viceroy of Naples, and one of his tomato recipes is for sauce "in the Spanish style" (Italian: alla spagnuola). The first known use of tomato sauce with pasta appears in the Italian cookbook L'Apicio moderno, by the Roman chef Francesco Leonardi, published in 1790.[4]
Italian tomato dishes range from simple
Tomato-garlic sauce is prepared using tomatoes as a main ingredient, and is used in various cuisines and dishes. In Italian cuisine, alla pizzaiola is tomato-garlic sauce, which is used on pizza, pasta and meats.[8]
France
Sauce tomate is one of the five
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
Tomato-based sauces served with pasta are commonly referred to as "pasta sauce"[12] or "Napoletana sauce".
United Kingdom
The meaning of the term "tomato sauce" depends on the context; on a restaurant menu the phrase "in a tomato sauce" means a freshly prepared tomato-based sauce as used on pasta, and colloquially it may refer to either the pasta sauce, or tomato ketchup.
United States
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2021) |
In the U.S., tomato sauce is typically sold jarred or canned, with minimal ingredients, and is not normally used as is. Related ingredients are tomato purée and tomato paste, each of which is similar but paste has a thicker consistency. Tomato purée and tomato paste have FDA standards of identity (since 1939) for percentage of tomato solids, and historically did not contain seasonings other than salt; in recent decades variants with basil or other traditional Italian seasonings became common. Tomato sauce is non-standardized.[13]
Louisiana
A spicy tomato sauce known as sauce piquante is common in
Tomato gravy
Tomato gravy is distinct from the term as used by Italian Americans when referring to a type of tomato sauce particularly where tomatoes were a staple food.[citation needed] The cooked tomatoes, some fat (usually cured pork fat) and flour are cooked together until thick, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Onions or bell peppers may be added as well. Typically, tomato gravy is served over pasta.
Sunday gravy
Common in Italian American cuisine is a tomato-based sauce called Sunday gravy or Sunday sauce, which can be prepared with a variety of meats.[14]
India
Some Indian curries have a tomato-based sauce, notably many vegetarian style dishes.[15]
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-19-936643-9.
- . Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Historia del tomate – Historia de la Cocina y la Gastronomía". www.historiacocina.com (in Spanish). 4 September 2012.
- ^ a b L'Arte della cucina in Italia, Emilio Faccioli, Einaudi, Milano, 1987
- ISBN 9788817110389.
- ^ "Traditional Mexican cuisine – ancestral, ongoing community culture, the Michoacán paradigm – intangible heritage". www.unesco.org. Culture Sector – UNESCO. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
- ^ Elizabeth David, Italian Food (1954, 1999), p. 319, and John Dickie, Delizia! The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food, 2008, p. 162.
- ^ Anderson, B. (2001). The Foods of Italy: The Quality of Life. Naturalmente Italiano. Italian Trade Commission. p. 154. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ^ Escoffier, A. (Auguste) (1907). A guide to modern cookery. Cornell University Library. London : W. Heinemann. p. 22.
- ^ "Tucker". Australianbeers.com. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
- ^ Young, Matt (19 December 2017). "What's the difference between tomato sauce and ketchup?". News.com.au. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "Experiment, until the sauce suits you". Canberra Times. 1992-11-01. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- ^ "Contadina – Tips & Advice – Contadina FAQs". Contadina.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-21. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
- ^ "About Sunday Sauce Italian Gravy". 16 October 2021. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ Sengupta, Sushmita. "Here's Why Desi Tamatar or Indian Tomatoes Are Better Suited For Curries". Food.NDTV.com. NDTV. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
External links
- The Cook's Decameron: A Study In Taste, Containing Over Two Hundred Recipes For Italian Dishes from Project Gutenberg. This is from a very old source, and reflects the cooking at the turn of the 20th century.
- Classic, authentic Italian "Sunday Gravy"