The surprising fruit that goes into sweet and sour sauce - Food Files

Jun 20, 2023

Do you know what fruit is the secret ingredient in this popular dipping sauce?

As a dipper for chicken nuggets, a side for spring rolls, or in a classic Chinese-Australian pork dish, sweet and sour sauce holds a very special place in many of our hearts.

But have you ever wondered about the secret ingredient that gives this sauce its trademark tang? Look no further than the magic of pineapple juice.

High in acid and sugar, pineapple juice is the ideal platform for sweet and sour sauce as we know it today.

P102 Sweet and sour pork Sam Young

But first, a little history lesson is in order.

It is widely believed that the ancestor of sweet and sour sauce in the Western world is an 18th century pork dish from the Jiangsu region north of Shanghai, created by the personal cooks of the prominent Long family.

The dish ɡū lǎo ròu, or pork in vinegar and sugar, gained popularity in the west as Chinese immigrants headed to the US and Australia, often trading out their skills in mining and construction for cookery as a trade.

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The addition of pineapple juice along the way created the ultimate approachable combination for western palates and thus, a star was born.
While pineapple is the most common fruit found in sweet and sour sauce, it’s not unusual to find other fruits in there too. McDonald’s, for instance, use both apricots and peaches to make their famous nugget dipping sauce.