Worcestershire’s Worldwide Reach

Published on Wednesday, May 30, 2007, by Christy Harrison / Edit Post

Britain gave the world cheddar cheese, scones with clotted cream, and (maybe) chicken pot pie. But of all British foods, Worcestershire sauce has had the biggest impact on world cuisine, according to a new poll of 3,523 people by UKTV Food.

How is it that Worcestershire tops far-reaching cheddar, the inspiration for so many top-selling processed cheez products? As the UK’s Metro puts it,

The fact it is a vital ingredient to one of the globe’s favourite hangover cures, the bloody Mary, perhaps explains the condiment’s place at the top of the pile.

I’ve also noticed recently that the sauce shows up in a fair number of “secret” burger recipes, (requires registration) and probably in countless sauces and marinades at even high-end restaurants. Has anyone discovered it in dishes or recipes where it’s unexpected?

In related news, a man from the county of Worcestershire, for which the sauce is named, recently became the second known person in the world to have an allergic reaction to a hamster bite.

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POST A COMMENT |2 Comments

COMMENT

  • Wurs-ter-sher is close.

  • I use Worcestershire in my "secret sauce" and, I regret, that I cannot elaborate because it really is a secret sauce and called by that name by my family. I'll just say that I use W in my chicken finishing sauce, salad dressings, burgers, and in certain marinades.

    My niece once said, "hey, didn't you get your 'secret sauce' from my mom?!" Ok, so I did get it from my sister but she shared it...+READ

    I use Worcestershire in my "secret sauce" and, I regret, that I cannot elaborate because it really is a secret sauce and called by that name by my family. I'll just say that I use W in my chicken finishing sauce, salad dressings, burgers, and in certain marinades.

    My niece once said, "hey, didn't you get your 'secret sauce' from my mom?!" Ok, so I did get it from my sister but she shared it with me and that was at least 25 years ago and the secret is still safe between us. However, I have one significant problem: I cannot pronouce "Worcestershire". If anyone can help me phonetically, please please please do so!-COLLAPSE