1. Creamy/Egg-Based Emulsions
These sauces typically use mayonnaise, eggs, or an emulsion of oil + another ingredient (e.g., garlic) as the base.
Examples:
Aioli (Mediterranean) – Garlic + oil (traditional version), or mayo + garlic (modern shortcut).
Sriracha Mayo (Global Fusion) – Mayonnaise + sriracha.
Yum Yum Sauce (Japanese Steakhouse / U.S.) – Mayo + tomato paste/ketchup + spices.
Ranch “Crack Sauce” (U.S.) – Ranch dressing + hot sauce (often Frank’s RedHot).
Cajun Remoulade (Louisiana, U.S.) – Mayo + mustard + hot sauce + Cajun spices.
Tartar Sauce (Western) – Mayo + pickles/capers + lemon.
Wasabi Mayo (Japan/Global) – Mayo + wasabi paste.
Peppercorn Sauce (French-Style) – Often cream-based with crushed peppercorns, sometimes finished with brandy.
Key Flavor Profile: Creamy, tangy, often a bit spicy or garlicky.
Common Uses: Dips for fried foods, spreads on sandwiches/burgers, drizzle for grilled veggies or seafood.
2. Chili/Oil/Paste-Based Sauces
Here, chilies—fresh or dried—are the main attraction. They’re often cooked or infused in oil, sometimes with garlic and other aromatics.
Examples:
Chili Crisp / Chili Oil (China) – Chilies + oil, garlic, sometimes crunchy bits (fried shallots, peanuts).
Salsa Macha (Mexico) – Dried chilies + nuts/seeds + oil, often smoky & spicy.
Sambal Oelek (Indonesia) – Fresh chilies, vinegar, salt.
Harissa (North Africa) – Dried chilies, garlic, spices, olive oil.
Buldak Sauce (Korea) – Gochujang + extra chili flakes (gochugaru), soy sauce, sugar.
Maple Sriracha (Fusion) – Sriracha + maple syrup (sweet-heat).
Peri-Peri / Piri-Piri (Portugal / Africa) – Bird’s eye chilies, garlic, citrus, oil.
Jerk Sauce (Jamaica) – Scotch bonnet peppers + spices/herbs (thyme, allspice).
Mambo Sauce (D.C., U.S.) – Often ketchup-based with vinegar & chili heat (fits here or in tomato-based).
Key Flavor Profile: Spicy, can be smoky or tangy, sometimes sweet.
Common Uses: Dips for dumplings or tacos, drizzling on noodles or rice, marinades for meat/seafood.
3. Fermented Soy/Bean Paste-Based
These sauces rely on fermented pastes (soybeans, broad beans, or chili-soy combos) for big umami flavor.
Examples:
Gochujang Sauce (Korea) – Fermented chili-soy paste, sweet and spicy.
Hoisin Sauce (China) – Fermented soybeans, sugar, vinegar.
XO Sauce (Hong Kong) – Includes dried seafood + fermented elements + chilies. (Technically also seafood-based, but the fermented aspect is key to its flavor.)
Key Flavor Profile: Deep umami, sometimes sweet and savory, with a mild to moderate heat.
Common Uses: Stir-fries, marinades, dipping sauces for meats or dumplings.
4. Garlic-Focused Sauces
Garlic is the star—blended or cooked with oil/fat into a potent sauce.
Examples:
Toum (Lebanon) – Emulsified raw garlic + oil + lemon (very strong, creamy garlic kick).
Bagna Cauda (Italy) – Anchovies + garlic + olive oil (warm dip).
(Aioli can also fit here, if it’s the old-school garlic + oil emulsion.)
Key Flavor Profile: Garlicky, pungent, sometimes buttery or creamy.
Common Uses: Dips for vegetables or bread, condiment for grilled/roasted meats.
5. Fish/Shrimp/Seafood-Based
These rely on fish sauce, dried seafood, or anchovies for that distinct salty-umami punch.
Examples:
Prik Nam Pla (Thailand) – Fish sauce, chilies, lime juice, garlic.
Nam Prik Pao (Thailand) – Chili jam with shrimp paste & fish sauce.
Nam Jim Jaew (Thailand) – Fish sauce + lime + chili + toasted rice powder.
Shito (Ghana) – Dried fish/shrimp, chilies, onions, oil.
Bagna Cauda (Italy) – (Anchovies + garlic)—could be placed here as well.
Key Flavor Profile: Salty, pungent, savory; often balanced with acid (lime, vinegar) or sweetness.
Common Uses: Condiment over rice, dips for grilled meat/fish, stirred into soups/stews.
6. Tomato/Chili Pepper–Based (Fresh or Cooked)
These are salsas or tomato/ketchup-centric sauces, often bright, tangy, and occasionally spicy.
Examples:
Salsa Roja (Mexico) – Tomatoes, chilies, onion, cilantro.
Salsa Verde (Mexico) – Tomatillos (green), chilies, onion, cilantro.
Sweet Chili Sauce (Thailand) – Chilies, vinegar, sugar, thickened with cornstarch.
Mambo Sauce (D.C.) – Ketchup/tomato base, sugar, vinegar, chili.
Romesco (Spain) – Roasted red peppers, nuts, garlic, olive oil (some classify as pepper/nut-based).
Key Flavor Profile: Bright, tangy, can be sweet or spicy or both.
Common Uses: Tacos, chips, grilled meats, marinade/glaze.
7. Herb-Focused Sauces
Fresh herbs drive the flavor, often blended with oil, vinegar, or citrus.
Examples:
Chimichurri (Argentina) – Parsley, garlic, vinegar, oregano, olive oil.
Pesto (Italy) – Basil, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, olive oil.
(Green chutneys from India—mint/coriander—would also fit here.)
Key Flavor Profile: Fresh, herbal, garlicky, tangy (if vinegar or citrus is included).
Common Uses: Spoon over grilled meats/veggies, mix into pasta, dip bread.
8. Nut/Seed-Based Sauces
Peanuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, or similar are the backbone here, providing a creamy, rich base (often without dairy).
Examples:
Peanut Satay Sauce (Southeast Asia) – Peanuts, coconut milk, soy, chili.
Muhammara (Levant) – Roasted peppers, walnuts, pomegranate molasses.
Salsa Macha – (Chilies + nuts), can fit here or in chili/oil-based.
Key Flavor Profile: Creamy, nutty, often sweet-spicy.
Common Uses: Dip for skewers (satay), spread on bread (muhammara), drizzle over salads.
9. Yogurt/Cultured Dairy–Based
Tangy yogurt or cultured cream forms the base, typically combined with herbs/spices.
Examples:
Tzatziki (Greece) – Yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, herbs.
Raita (India) (not in the original 40 but worth noting) – Yogurt + cucumber/spices.
Key Flavor Profile: Cool, tangy, creamy.
Common Uses: Accompany grilled meats, dip for pita or naan, sauce for wraps.
10. Everything Else / Complex Blends
Some sauces blend multiple categories (e.g., chilies + fermented elements + nuts + fish sauce). Others defy easy classification because they’re complex combos of spices, sweeteners, and multiple bases.
Examples:
Mole (Mexico) – Chilies, nuts/seeds, spices, sometimes chocolate—a category of its own.
Garlic Butter Sauces (Global) – Butter + garlic, maybe herbs/spices.
Bagna Cauda (again) – Could fit in garlic-based or seafood-based.
XO Sauce – Fermented seafood + chilies + sometimes cured ham—super umami bomb.
Final Notes
Overlap is common: Many sauces have a chili + fermented + sweet or garlic + mayo combo, so categories aren’t strict. For instance, Romesco is pepper-based and nut-based, while Bagna Cauda is both garlic- and anchovy-focused.
This “tree” is a helpful shorthand rather than a rigid classification. If you’re ever unsure where a sauce belongs, ask: “What’s contributing the dominant flavor or base?”
By thinking in terms of primary ingredient families, you can:
Understand how to substitute or create new “fusion” sauces.
Adapt a sauce to your taste (e.g., swapping fish sauce for soy sauce in a pinch, or using peanut butter instead of sesame paste).
There are countless more sauces out there—this is just a framework to get you started exploring the world of infinitely craveable, so-called ‘crack’ sauces!