Sauces, Dressings, and Dips

Salsas are considered dips in the United States and sauces in Latin countries. In fact, the word salsa is Spanish for, you guessed it, sauce.

Just about every culture in the world has made significant contributions to contemporary sauces and dips. Many meat gravies hail from Britain and France. Alfredos and ragus, of course, hail from Italy. Chinese cuisine is known for sauces that incorporate fermented soy beans (soy sauce, doubanjiang, hoisin sauce, sweet noodle sauce), and others that incorporate chilis or seafood.

One of the fastest-growing dips in the United States is of Middle Eastern origin. It's called hummus, and it’s made from chickpeas, sometimes tahini (a paste made of sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic.