XO Sauce

XO sauce is a luxurious, savoury Cantonese condiment built from dried scallops, dried shrimp and chilies simmered in oil with garlic and shallots. Developed in 1980s Hong Kong and named after XO cognac to signal luxury (though it contains no alcohol), it delivers an intense umami hit and is used both as a finishing sauce for noodles, rice, tofu and vegetables, and stirred straight into stir-fries.

Ingredients

XO sauce typically contains dried scallops, dried shrimp, chili peppers, garlic, shallots or onion, vegetable oil, sugar and salt; some versions also include Jinhua ham. The dried seafood is what gives XO sauce its signature depth and price tag.

Nutritional Facts

As an oil-based seafood condiment, XO sauce is moderately high in fat. Per tablespoon, it contains approximately 45 to 60 calories, 4 to 5 grams of fat and around 2 grams of carbohydrates, with 1 to 2 grams of protein. Sodium is typically 250 to 350 milligrams per tablespoon.