Practice Safe Lunch: Use A Condiment! Quiz

Answer: Mustard

Mustard is produced from the seeds of the mustard plant. Varying amounts of water, acids and flavourings are added to create different types, ranging from very hot Norwich mustard, to medium Dijon Mustard and to mild yellow mustard. In central Europe, a sweet mustard is also created through the addition of sugar or honey.

Commercial mustards are often made more yellow in colour through the addition of turmeric.

Answer: Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is an emulsion - the egg acts as an emulsifier to disperse the oil and create a thick texture. It is one of the oldest reported condiments and is most likely to have been born in the Mediterranean, where reports of aioli (a garlic and oil emulsion similar to mayonnaise) have been discovered dating back hundreds of years.

Answer: Mint Sauce

Mint sauce usually has the consistency of thick, liquid cream and is full of finely chopped spearmint leaves. It is likely to have been invested in medieval times, as there are reports of its use throughout central Europe during that time. It is, however, now more commonly found in the UK where it is a vital component of a roast lamb dinner.

Answer: Brown sauce

Usually dark brown in colour, brown sauce is popular in the UK and Ireland, where is it especially popular at breakfast. Ingredients include tomatoes, vinegar, molasses, spices and other varying flavours including anchovies! The taste is usually more tart than tomato ketchup, but its consistency and look is similar to barbecue sauce.

HP Sauce is the most popular brand in the UK, accounting for around 75% of the sales of brown sauce sold there.

Answer: Wasabi

From the same family of plants as mustard and horseradish, wasabi is a hot root that is used to enhance subtle fish flavours in Japanese cuisine. Usually, it is served as a paste, but it is also available as a root. The leaves can also be eaten.

The wasabi plant is native to Japan and difficult to cultivate, making real wasabi expensive and fairly difficult to find outside of Asia. In Europe and the USA, many restaurants use a substitute made from horseradish, mustard, starch and food colouring.

Answer: Worcestershire sauce

Fermented anchovy sauces have been seen in the UK since the eighteenth century. In the nineteenth century, however, British manufacturers Lea & Perrins commercialised the concept by producing "the original and genuine Worcestershire sauce". Any Worcestershire sauce sold using that tagline in the UK today must follow the original Lea & Perrins recipe, though there are many other versions out there.

Worcestershire sauce is popular around the world. It is often used in Cantonese dim sum and Japanese noodle dishes.

Answer: Salad cream

Despite the name, salad cream is not exclusively used as a salad dressing. In the UK it is also popular in burgers and as an alternative to tomato ketchup or mayonnaise.

Given its roots as an inexpensive alternative to mayonnaise, salad cream fell out of favour a few decades after World War II. It has, however, made a comeback and is now much more available in Ireland, the USA and Canada, perhaps owing to the large British expat populations there.

Answer: Soy sauce

Although soy sauce originated in China between the third and fifth centuries, it has been used throughout the rest of East and South Asia for hundreds of years.

Different methods of fermentation and ratios of ingredients produce different types of soy sauce. Hundreds of types are produced across the world and can be used both as a seasoning ingredient in cooking and as a table condiment. As well as the standard fermentation process, some versions use a brewing or a blending process to create different flavours and textures.

Answer: Sweet chilli sauce

Sweet chilli sauce is especially popular in Thai cuisine, usually being paired with fried foods such as wantons and spring rolls as well as classic Thai fishcakes. It has, however, also become very popular in the West; takeaways and restaurants often offer this condiment as a side dip for a variety of foods.

Though it has a chilli flavour, the sweeteners added to the sauce (e.g. sugar or fruit) remove the majority of the heat, making it a more subtle accompaniment than hot sauce or red chilli sauce.

Answer: Tomato ketchup

Ketchup was invented in Southeast Asia hundreds of years ago. It was discovered by English explorers, who then exported it when they settled across the world.

Though tomato ketchup is the most common and popular flavour, other flavours are widely available. Mushroom ketchup is popular in the UK, whilst banana ketchup is popular in the Philippines. It is also often called Catsup in American English.