Hong Kong — 1980s innovation by Peninsula Hotel and other luxury establishments
XO sauce was invented in Hong Kong in the 1980s — a luxury condiment named after XO cognac to signal premium quality. The base is dried seafood: dried scallops (gan bei), dried shrimp (xia mi), dried fish, all rehydrated and fried with Jinhua ham, shallots, garlic, and dried chillies in oil. The result is intensely savoury, slightly sweet, smoky, and complex — a tablespoon transforms any dish.
Umami bomb: all five taste elements in concentrated form from dried seafood, sweet from shallots, savoury from ham, heat from chilli — one of the most complex condiments ever created
{"Dried scallops: the most expensive component; rehydrate overnight, shred into fibres, fry until golden and crispy","Dried shrimp: soak briefly, combine with scallops in oil-fry; add Jinhua ham at end","Oil proportion: the mixture should be submerged in oil — it is an oil-based condiment, not a paste","Low, slow frying in neutral oil until all components are crispy and fragrant"}
{"Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce is the gold standard commercial product — it captures the essence at an accessible price","Homemade XO with high-quality Hokkaido dried scallops (hotate) is transformatively superior to any commercial version","Use XO sauce: stir into fried rice at last moment; drizzle over steamed fish; toss with blanched vegetables; add to noodle sauce"}
{"Rushing the frying — the dried seafood must be cooked slowly for crispness without burning","Too little oil — the components need to be submerged to fry properly and for the oil to absorb all flavours","Using fresh seafood instead of dried — the dried, concentrated form is essential for the flavour intensity"}
Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper — Fuchsia Dunlop; Hong Kong culinary history