Xo Sauce

Invented in Hong Kong, XO sauce is a dried seafood relish with a name intended to signify prestige and luxury. Although the sauce itself doesn’t contain any alcohol, its name is derived from one of Hong Kong’s most popular liquors: cognac. The spirit is seen as a status symbol, with XO (short for “extra old”) as the gold standard. Both of my home cook inspirations, Mama Wong and restaurateur Veronica Leung, love cooking with XO sauce because it adds a little extra umami to