# What's your ethnic spice/sauce?



## 97guns (May 27, 2013)

im asian, chinese so the go to sauce is soy sauce. maybe if your vientames it could be fish sauce, just wondering what spice your ethnicity is known for.


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## PrincessFiona60 (May 27, 2013)

Heinz 57...


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## purple.alien.giraffe (May 27, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Heinz 57...



Hehehe, +1.


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## CraigC (May 27, 2013)

Spices, herbs and sauces of whatever cuisine I'm cooking defines my "go to".


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## Aunt Bea (May 27, 2013)

Frank's Red Hot sauce
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard
Hunt's Ketchup
Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise 

Mostly diner stuff!


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## no mayonnaise (May 27, 2013)

Red Boat 40°N fish sauce and Shark Brand Sriracha are absolutely my favorite go-to condiments.  My people's ethnic sauce would probably be Heinz ketchup but I rarely use the stuff.


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## MrsLMB (May 27, 2013)

Ketchup


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## merstar (May 27, 2013)

Barbeque Sauce, hot sauce, mustard, ketchup.


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## buckytom (May 27, 2013)

Aunt Bea said:


> Frank's Red Hot sauce (but i've added cholula original and cristal hot sauces to my repertoire)
> 
> Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
> Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard
> ...



these are what i cook with (hmm, these are with which i cook?)

but 97 was asking for ethnicities, no matter how many you have from a purebred to the most mangy mutt.

i'm an irish and norwegian halfbreed, so it would be hp steak sauce for the irish part (good on a lot of stuff, from an irish breakfast, to steak, to chip butties)

and white cream sauce with dill on everything
 for the norwegian side.


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## Dawgluver (May 27, 2013)

If I went with ethnic, I got German, Scottish, and probably some American Indian.

So it's sauerkraut, haggis, and pemmican.

What I actually use is a lot of great stuff from the Asian market,  much Heinz ketchup, and salsa.


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## PrincessFiona60 (May 27, 2013)

Dawgluver said:


> If I went with ethnic, I got German, Scottish, and probably some American Indian.
> 
> So it's sauerkraut, haggis, and pemmican.
> 
> What I actually use is a lot of great stuff from the Asian market,  much Heinz ketchup, and salsa.



I know, I'm such a mutt there is no ethnicity...I  tend towards Asian and the only thing Asian about me is my Japanese Godmother and my interest in all things Japan.


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## buckytom (May 27, 2013)

konichiwa!


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## Rocklobster (May 27, 2013)

I can't pin point any one sauce. French mom, French dad, no sauce growing up to speak of. Once I got out on my own I loved almost any sauce I got my hands on.....


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## PrincessFiona60 (May 27, 2013)

buckytom said:


> konichiwa!




Saikin dou desuka?


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## buckytom (May 27, 2013)

yes.


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## PrincessFiona60 (May 27, 2013)

Mata atode aimashou! (see you later)

I can almost have a conversation without checking my dictionary...


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## buckytom (May 27, 2013)

(名) 辞書 ?


lol.


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## PrincessFiona60 (May 27, 2013)

That I cannot read...


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## buckytom (May 27, 2013)

neither can i...

it's the best i could do.



*you* try to look up the japanese word for dictionary in a dictionary. it's like looking for another word for thesaurus.


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## PrincessFiona60 (May 27, 2013)

I've only studied in romanji...have not studied hirigana or katakana.  My Dad has studied those, Korean and Mandarin Chinese.  My studies have been so I can recognize what I'm looking at in the store.


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## Cooking Goddess (May 28, 2013)

I'm of Polish descent so when I think of those spices I get a nosefull of garlic!  I know that, along with caraway seed and horseradish, were very popular in my home growing up.  Since I cook a wide variety of foods I have a "spice cabinet" in our kitchen that is a standard 15" wide upper cupboard in our kitchen.  Three shelves of smelliciousness!


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## olmoelisa (May 28, 2013)

As Italian, my herbs are basil and parsley, but since I discovered fresh coriander I cook with coriander and basil as they do in Peru. I'm also growing it.
Sauce: homemade mayonnaise. Ans aioli, made with my homemade mayonnaise.


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## MrsLMB (May 29, 2013)

I suppose mine would have to be Malt Vinegar due to the overwhelming amount of English in me and how much I love fish.  Most used in this house though would be ketchup, mayo, mustard, Worcestershire and malt vinegar.  Oh and chocolate of course


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## Gravy Queen (May 29, 2013)

I am English . We love HP Brown Sauce . Fab on a bacon or sausage buttie .


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## Steve Kroll (May 29, 2013)

I'm not sure I really understand the question, but here goes. I'm an American, and when I think of American sauces, I think of barbeque sauce, Heinz ketchup, and French's mustard. They aren't necessarily my "go to" sauces, however. I make a lot of my own sauces and condiments from scratch.


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## Siegal (May 30, 2013)

Only thing I can Think of is schmaltz, but not sure if that counts


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## CraigC (May 31, 2013)

Siegal said:


> Only thing I can Think of is schmaltz, but not sure if that counts


 
I think you could count it as a spice! But, where would blintzes and latkes be without sour cream?


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## Rocklobster (May 31, 2013)

Hunger is the best sauce.....


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## olmoelisa (May 31, 2013)

Rocklobster said:


> Hunger is the best sauce.....



Not ever: if you are really hungry, you eat so fast you don't feel the flavors.
A moderate appetite is a better seasoning.


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## Rocklobster (May 31, 2013)

olmoelisa said:


> Not ever: if you are really hungry, you eat so fast you don't feel the flavors.
> A moderate appetite is a better seasoning.


Everything in moderation. Including moderation.

It's a cliche battle...


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## Claire (Jun 1, 2013)

My parents are of French-Canadian descent, born and raised in New Hampshire.  I'm not trying to say my grandparents were bad cooks .... oh, yes, I am.  I am not saying all New Hampshire-ites are.  My father bought my mother a cookbook for a wedding present, then the other military wives taught her their cuisines, plus we lived in Germany and France.  As far as I know the only dish my parents grew up with was New England boiled dinner, and the only spices they had coming up were salt and pepper, heavy on the former, light on the latter.  In other words I'm an ethnic nobody in my genes, an ethnic everybody by nature.  I have a huge cabinet of spices, a big herb garden, and a cabinet full of sauces/vinegars, none of which have anything to do with my ethnic background, more to do with the friends I've made over the years, friends Mom made, and travels.


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## Steve Kroll (Jun 1, 2013)

Claire said:


> My parents are of French-Canadian descent, born and raised in New Hampshire.  I'm not trying to say my grandparents were bad cooks .... oh, yes, I am.  I am not saying all New Hampshire-ites are.  My father bought my mother a cookbook for a wedding present, then the other military wives taught her their cuisines, plus we lived in Germany and France.  As far as I know the only dish my parents grew up with was New England boiled dinner, and the only spices they had coming up were salt and pepper, heavy on the former, light on the latter.  In other words I'm an ethnic nobody in my genes, an ethnic everybody by nature.  I have a huge cabinet of spices, a big herb garden, and a cabinet full of sauces/vinegars, none of which have anything to do with my ethnic background, more to do with the friends I've made over the years, friends Mom made, and travels.


Excellent point, Claire.

My own mom was a wonderful mother, but a terrible cook. When I was a kid, the only spices we had in the cabinet besides salt and pepper were ground oregano, Accent, and season salt. And they had all been in there long enough to collect dust on the containers. 

I didn't learn to cook from my mother, but rather from TV programs and books.

To this day, I think if mom had been a great cook I might not have had as much interest in it myself.


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## Zagut (Jun 1, 2013)

I'm a mongrel but would call myself American.

Hot sauces and/or bacon can make any dish better.


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## cave76 (Jun 1, 2013)

CraigC said:


> Spices, herbs and sauces of whatever cuisine I'm cooking defines my "go to".



I'm the same---- a pantry/refrigerator full of different cuisine spices/sauces will attest to that. So many in there I barely have room for ketchup/catsup or yellow mustard for my hot dogs. (Nathans or Caspars, of course, my dear)

To start with one ethnicity----- Asian------ I just discovered Maggi's Seasoning about a year ago. Yum.


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## cave76 (Jun 1, 2013)

cave76 said:


> To start with one ethnicity----- Asian------ I just discovered Maggi's Seasoning about a year ago. Yum.



Oh, dear! I just reviewed my answer and want to apologize profusely for lumping all Asians into one ethnicity! There are many wonderful ethnic groups, all separate and different from each other, that come under the aegis of 'asian' to my simple mind when thinking of cooking.

I hope everyone will understand my gaffe.


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## Claire (Jun 1, 2013)

cave76 said:


> Oh, dear! I just reviewed my answer and want to apologize profusely for lumping all Asians into one ethnicity! There are many wonderful ethnic groups, all separate and different from each other, that come under the aegis of 'asian' to my simple mind when thinking of cooking.
> 
> I hope everyone will understand my gaffe.



Don't worry, I think we all knew what you meant!  Yes, I learned to cook from Filipinas, Japanese, Korean, and I cannot even start to get into the various Chinese cuisines there are.  Oh, Cambodian.  Laotian.  Then add Indian, which flavors a lot of southeast Asian foods.  Then start heading .... well, confusion is understandable!  I love it and miss it!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 1, 2013)

cave76 said:


> Oh, dear! I just reviewed my answer and want to apologize profusely for lumping all Asians into one ethnicity! There are many wonderful ethnic groups, all separate and different from each other, that come under the aegis of 'asian' to my simple mind when thinking of cooking.
> 
> I hope everyone will understand my gaffe.



My Godmother was Japanese, Daddy spent time in Korea and all the years of good, bad and ugly Chinese...Now I work with Filipinos and they are a varied bunch too, from different islands.  We all just like food...


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## cave76 (Jun 10, 2013)

Another favorite hot sauce of mine for Chinese cooking is Hunan hot oil sauce.
I can't find a recipe that resembles in on the Internet but it has peanut oil, fermented black beans, LOTS of dried red chili flakes, LOTS of garlic, sesame oil and probably a few other ingredients I can't remember. 

My daughter makes it in HUGE amounts and gives it in quart jars as a present.
 She's been doing this for years. I have a picture of her with a NIOSH air filter mask on, outside on the patio and her Cuisinart. LOL 

It's FIERY and oh so good!


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## kadesma (Jun 11, 2013)

hound dog i'd guess  But dh is Italian, i'm French,Irish,scottish,english so all ethnics appeal to me I do love majoram and small amounts of oregano along with basil and garlic.
kades


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## Andypants (Nov 30, 2014)

Chrain (horseradish).  Maybe garlic and sour cream too, as others have said.


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## Addie (Nov 30, 2014)

Gee, I haven't got the smallest inkling of what Native Americans or the English use for spices.


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## CWS4322 (Nov 30, 2014)

A little bit of cardamom (the seeds from white pods) makes the world go around, makes the world go around...being of Scandinavian descent, I tend to use cardamom as my "go to" for everything from baked goods to beef stock...and you can never have too many lemons in the house for zest/fresh lemon juice. And fresh dill.


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## Addie (Nov 30, 2014)

CWS4322 said:


> A little bit of cardamom (the seeds from white pods) makes the world go around, makes the world go around...being of Scandinavian descent, I tend to use cardamom as my "go to" for everything from baked goods to beef stock...and you can never have too many lemons in the house for zest/fresh lemon juice. And fresh dill.



I always have a fresh lemon in the fridge. And when I squeeze a lemon and only need a tsp. of it, I freeze the rest. I make sure I get every drop.


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