Condiment

A condiment is a preparation added to food to enhance its flavor.

These additions typically happen after the cooking process is complete. They can complement a specific dish or impart a new flavor. These flavors often include sweetness, pungency, or sharp, piquant notes. Some definitions include spices and herbs like salt and pepper. Other definitions focus only on prepared food compounds. The Culinary Institute of America calls them aromatic mixtures that accompany food. Examples include pickles, chutney, and various sauces.

There are three main ways people use condiments in meals. First, some are added during the cooking process. These include barbecue sauce, soy sauce, or teriyaki sauce. Other examples are compound butter, iru, ogiri, Marmite, and sour cream. Second, some are added prior to serving a dish. You might spread mayonnaise or mustard on a sandwich before eating it. Third, many are used as table condiments or table sauces.

These are served separately so the diner can add them to taste. In Asian restaurants, people often use vinegar, chili oil, or shichimi.

Condiments have a very deep history in human civilization. People in Ancient Rome, India, Greece, and China all used them. The term comes from the Latin word condimentum. This word meant spice, seasoning, or sauce. It also comes from the Latin condire, meaning to preserve or pickle. Originally, the term described foods that were pickled or preserved. Over time, the meaning changed to include a wider variety of seasonings.

Ancient Rome had a very successful condiment industry. They created sauces called garum and liquamen. To make these, they crushed the innards of various fish. They then fermented the mixture in salt. This process created a liquid containing glutamic acid. This acid was excellent for enhancing the flavor of food. The popularity of these sauces was so high that they were featured in cookbooks. The cookbook Apicius contains a section dedicated entirely to condiments.

Global trade changed how the world uses seasonings. As trade routes grew, spices became common commodities. This allowed foreign seasonings to enter many different cuisines. India, Asia, and China introduced basil, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove. They also shared garlic, ginger, mace, nutmeg, onion, tamarind, and turmeric. The Mediterranean and Middle East introduced bay leaf, coriander, cumin, and dill. Other items included fennel, fenugreek, rosemary, sage, sesame, and thyme.

Different regions contributed many unique flavors to the world. African countries introduced grains of paradise and selim pepper. They also shared iru, ogiri, alligator pepper, and Ethiopian cardamom. Other items from Africa include piper guineense, prekese, njansang, and calabash nutmeg. North America and Latin America provided allspice, annatto, and chile peppers. They also contributed chocolate and sassafras. These spices remain vital to the traditional recipes of their home countries.

Condiments can also serve important health functions. They can help provide micronutrients to a diet. Micronutrient deficiencies are common in parts of Asia. To combat this, certain condiments are added to food. Fish sauce, soy sauce, seasonings, and bouillon cubes are often used. Studies in nine Asian countries show iodine and iron deficiencies are common. Using iodized salt can increase iodine intake significantly. It can increase the nutrient reference value by 9% to 80%. Adding bouillon cubes can increase iron intake by 3% to 40% of the nutrient reference value.