Cooking sweet and sour sauce – the perfect addition to meat

Cooking Chinese sweet and sour sauce for true gourmets

A step-by-step recipe for making Chinese sweet and sour sauce or “tang ku yang”. Cooking a simple and tasty recipe at home with step-by-step photos
Sweet and sour sauce is the main and additional ingredient in most Asian and Chinese dishes. Many people believe that the recipe was developed thousands of years ago, but in fact it was first used in the late 17th century.
1644 was the year of the exile from the Ming capital due to a peasant uprising. The inhabitants of the palace moved to the south of China, which is rich in river fish. To get rid of the specific smell and taste of the mud and silt, they used various spices and herbs. The combination of vinegar and sugar was the most popular. Gradually, the recipe was modified, ginger and spices were added. The sauce became so popular that it was served not only with river fish, but also with poultry, pork, beef, etc.
The classic sweet and sour sauce can be easily prepared at home. You just need to follow the basic recommendations.

Technological nuances

List of ingredients:

• sugar 1.5 tbsp;
• 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar (you can use regular table vinegar or balsamic vinegar);
• corn flour 1 tsp;
• tomato paste 1 tbsp;
• 3 tbsp orange juice (can be replaced with lemon juice);
• soy sauce 1 tbsp;
• boiled water 4 tbsp.

First, prepare a saucepan in which to mix the sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, and citrus juice. In a separate container, mix water and flour, grind the lumps and only then add them to the rest of the ingredients. Then put the saucepan on a small fire and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As soon as the first bubbles appear, the sauce is ready. You can turn off the heat and pour into a separate container.
If you like a rich and spicy flavor, you can add a piece of grated ginger (no more than 1 tsp) as soon as the first bubbles start to appear on the sauce during boiling. Cook the sauce for one minute and turn it off. The ginger will add spice and will not be noticeable in the sauce.