Poon's London WO sauce
Awarded 1 star by the The Guild of Fine Foods in 2023
XO Sauce was invented in the 1980s in Hong Kong and is made from dried scallops, dried shrimp, Jinhua ham, chilli, shallots and garlic. Dried seafood and Jinhua ham are considered extremely luxurious and extravagant ingredients in Chinese cooking. The name alludes to the lofty and expensive status associated with XO cognac at the time. Dried scallops are not available in the UK now.
We decided to rework this classic condiment to make it our own, using salted shrimp instead and replacing Jinhua ham with our own Poon’s Wind Dried Bacon which we have been producing since 1970 to an old family recipe.
We called it WO sauce because W is almost X - a bit corny but so am I. It has affectionately become known as “Woooooh Sauce” in the kitchen and with the chefs who have used it. I love it on buttered bagels, fried eggs, fried rice, plain rice, noodles, pizza and sausage rolls...
Ingredients
Rapeseed Oil, Tomato, Onion, Salted Tiny Shrimp (11%) (Shrimp, Brine (Salt, Sugar, Vinegar)), Sugar, Dried Shrimp (4%) (Shrimp, Salt), Wind Dried Bacon (4%) (Pork, Sugar, Pork Fat, Salt, Dark Soya Sauce (Water, Salt, Soybeans, Wheat Flour, Colour [E150a, E150c], Flavour Enhancer [E621], Sugar, Stabiliser [E415]), Rose Liqueur (Sorghum, Rose Flower, Water, Barley, Pea, Sugar), Spices, Preservative (E250), Garlic, Chilli Flakes, Taekyung Red Pepper Powder. Allergens in bold.
Allergens
Produced in a kitchen that handles eggs, fish, gluten, milk, molluscs, soya and sulphites.
