Calling an XO sauce a chilli sauce, while technically true, is a bit of a misnomer. In the West, we're familiar with chilli sauces being tangy, acidic and sometimes sweet. Mostly, they add a pleasant top note to the dish they're added to, as well as a bit of a kick.
An XO sauce is actually about as far away from the typical chilli sauce flavour profile as it gets. The base of any authentic XO uses dried seafood (ours uses scallops, for instance) as well as cured pork. So, already, we're worlds apart. These ingredients are finely (and we mean finely) sliced, and added to chilli, garlic and spices, before being gently simmered in oil — all of which is then jarred for your eating pleasure.
Overall, this gives you a deeply savoury, umami-rich melting pot of flavours, that is smokey, aromatic and spicy. And while there's still a certain sweetness, this actually comes from the scallops (rather than Western chilli sauce's sugar) for even more sophistication and complexity. Another key point of difference is the texture: Western chilli sauces are usually smooth; XO sauces are chunky and chewy. The mouthfeel alone is enough to go back for more!
All this to say: There's nothing at all wrong with regular chilli sauce. Nothing at all. But our XO just isn't it.
In fact, given the origin of XO sauce, being different is kind of the whole point. Back in the '80s, chefs in luxury Hong Kong hotels were always on the lookout for the next ingredient to fascinate their discerning clientele. The name 'XO' was borrowed from high-end cognacs to create a sense of exclusivity and luxury. To live up to this name, expensive ingredients were put to use in development kitchens — with a view to making something no-one had ever tasted before. They discovered an umami bomb; an explosion of complementary but novel flavours. The XO was so popular and so universal, that it became synonymous with Hong Kong's culinary scene — and continues to be today.
Since then, permutations of XO sauce have made their way across China (and into Chinese restaurants closer to home). And now, after a huge amount of development, our very own XO sauces are available for you to enjoy on your own dining table.
Traditionally, you can use either of our XO sauces in stir fries, rice, or noodles. Equally, it's fantastic as a dipping sauce for dumplings and the like. Untraditionally — harking back to the XO's pioneering spirit — you can use it on just about anything. It's forgiving that way. Try it on pizza or pasta, in sandwiches, or even on steak and fish. With the XO, the world's your oyster. Or should we say scallop?
