the UNDISPUTED king of sauces. XO sauce.

[Darth-Baiter]

if you didnt know..I am a Chinese dude.  born in Texas.  haha.  my parents introduced me to all sorts of foods.  some good, some I can't talk about to this day.  but I tried.

 

I vaguely remember this sauce from my youth.  it is a newer sauce.  invented in HongKong in the 1980's.  it is made with expensive ingredients.  I tried to buy a jar and it was tiny and was (hidden) inside a cardboard box.  you couldn't open it to suss it out.  total trust.  NOPE.  oh, it was $27.  

 

I remember my stepdad (RIP) making it, so I have been home all week researching.  the main ingredients are dried scallops and dried shrimp.  then a bunch of aromatics.  I think I used maybe $20 bucks worth of ingredients so it isn't bad making it yourself.  we all hear about Umami.  soy sauces, anchovies, tomato paste..whatever.  this stuff is RIDICULOUS!!  I tasted it before jaring it and it was like a choir of angels singing in my mouth.  I nailed it on the first try.  I am so happy I took notes while making this.  

 

I'll use it to dress noodles..put a clop over fried rice.  a drizzle over fried eggs (over a big bowl of white rice).  I wish my stepdad was here to try my version.  

 

 

[Fishlegs]

I’m not familiar with that sauce, but it sounds pretty good. Congrats on rediscovering a family recipe. That’s always a good feeling.

[Jar11591]

Sounds delicious. I’ve recently been obsessing over a sauce that sounds similar to yours with the dried shrimp. Nam Prik Pao. The fried rice I get at the local Thai restaurant has this in it. The flavor is indescribable. I had to order some online. My mouth is watering while I type this just thinking about it. 

[GreenPig]

Excellent. Nailing it on the first attempt is a victory in itself. Enjoy. Sounds tasty. 

[islandbass]

All I know is that I heard of this in the old iron chef shows as the Chinese iron chef used his XO (English translation in the dub pronounced it  as ex-oh).

 

Ive always wanted to try it because I know it would be good. So from one Asian American to another help a brotha out and at share that recipe, lol. 
 

One of my best friends who I lost touch with introduced me to sambal bajak and you can put it on practically everything except cereal. although he was of Chinese heritage , I think Sambal might be of Indonesian or Malaysian origins. This stuff is gold.