Wow-Wow sauce

Wow-Wow sauce is a traditional British condiment or accompaniment historically prepared from butter, flour, parsley, and vinegar, producing a savory, slightly tangy, herb-inflected sauce of medium consistency. The name, while phonetically whimsical, appears in early nineteenth-century British culinary literature and is thought to derive from an expression of enthusiastic approval regarding its flavor. In the context of stuffed peppers, tomatoes, and squash, it serves as a finishing sauce or filling binder, adding richness and acidity to complement the natural sweetness of the vegetable vessels. Its precise geographic origin remains uncertain, though its composition and culinary style are broadly consistent with traditional English cookery.

Cultural Significance

Wow-Wow sauce achieved modest literary and culinary notoriety through its appearance in Dr. William Kitchiner's influential 1817 cookbook 'The Cook's Oracle,' which helped codify a range of British household recipes during the Regency period. Its inclusion in such a foundational text suggests it enjoyed genuine popularity in early nineteenth-century British domestic kitchens, though it has since faded into relative obscurity. The sauce represents a broader tradition of piquant, butter-based British table sauces that predated the widespread adoption of commercially bottled condiments.