The History of Worcestershire Sauce
Worcestershire sauce was brought to the commercial market by John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins, two chemists (pharmacists) who formed the company, Lea & Perrins in the city of Worcester, in Worcestershire, England. Theirs was the first sauce to bear the name “Worcestershire”; they sold their first commercial bottle in 1837. Their original ingredients included tamarind, vinegar, anchovies and most assuredly asafetida, an aromatic little spice virtually unknown to the West at the time.
According to the company, the sauce came from “the recipe of a nobleman in the county,” Lord Marcus Sandys, the ex-Governor of Bengal who tasted the sauce while dining with friends in India. The story goes that when Lea & Perrins first mixed the recipe together it was too strong and unpalatable so they left it stored in a barrel in the basement. A few years later they rediscovered it, tasted it again and loved it - it had naturally fermented and had become quite tasty.
Yet fermented fish sauces are not as abundant in India as they are in other Asian countries like Vietnam or China, so it was unlikely that the original sauce Lord Sandys sampled in Bengal was a fermented anchovy sauce. It's far more likely that the original Indian version was a vegan Worcestershire sauce featuring tamarind and hing (asafoetida).
Although Lea & Perrin’s was the first sauce to be called “Worcestershire”, theirs is not a certified organic Worcestershire sauce, nor is it vegan.
Common Questions
Is Worcestershire Sauce gluten free?
Is Worcestershire Sauce gluten free?
Why make a vegan Worcestershire Sauce?
Why make a vegan Worcestershire Sauce?
Is your Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce keto?
Is your Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce keto?
Are soy sauce and Worcestershire Sauce the same?
Are soy sauce and Worcestershire Sauce the same?
Does your vegan Worcestershire Sauce need to be refrigerated?
Does your vegan Worcestershire Sauce need to be refrigerated?
Is your Organic Worcestershire Sauce spicy?
Is your Organic Worcestershire Sauce spicy?
How do you pronounce Worcestershire?
How do you pronounce Worcestershire?
Hi! I'm Sandeep.
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