What Is the Origin of Satay Peanut Sauce?
Thai cuisine is often associated with a spicy, yet sweet, peanut sauce. What most people don't realize is that this popular sauce, most often served with satay dishes, originated in Indonesia.
Origin of the Peanut Sauce
Spanish explorers introduced peanuts to Indonesia in the 16th century; thus, leading peanuts to become a staple of Indonesian cuisine. Shortly after the peanut's introduction, Indonesians created the flavorful peanut sauce by crushing and roasting them with other Indonesian spices and foods.
Ingredients of the Peanut Sauce
According to Temple of Thai, the original Indonesian peanut sauce contained fish sauce, shrimp paste, tamarind and palm sugar mixed with freshly-ground, roasted peanuts cooked in coconut milk, as well as, various spices.
Origins of Satay
Arabs introduced kebabs to Indonesia in the 19th century, which evolved into the Indonesian satay; a thin strip of grilled, skewered meat. Traditionally, satay meat is chicken or beef; however, a variety of meats and tofu are now used for satay.
Pairing the Meat with the Sauce
After Arabs introduced the skewering method, Indonesians paired their popular peanut sauce with the grilled meats. Thus, began the culinary pairing of satay with Indonesian peanut sauce.
Satay Peanut Sauce - Americanized
American's changed the creation of the peanut sauce because unsalted raw peanuts were difficult to find. As a result, the American peanut sauce uses peanut butter and is unique to America.
Tags: Satay Peanut, Satay Peanut Sauce, Arabs introduced, Indonesian peanut, Indonesian peanut sauce, Origin Satay, Origin Satay Peanut