A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavour,[1] or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separately from the food and is added to taste by the diner.
The exact definition of a condiment varies. Some definitions encompass spices and herbs, including salt and pepper,[2] using the term interchangeably with seasoning.[3] Others restrict the definition to include only "prepared food compound[s], containing one or more spices", which are added to food after the cooking process, such as mustard, ketchup or mint sauce.[3]
Etymology
The term condiment comes from the Latin condimentum, meaning "spice, seasoning, sauce" and from the Latin condire, meaning "preserve, pickle, season".[4] The term originally described pickled or preserved foods, but its meaning has changed over time.[5]
History
Condiments were known in Ancient Rome, India, Greece and China. There is a myth that before food preservation techniques were widespread, pungent spices and condiments were used to make the food more palatable,[6] but this claim is not supported by any evidence or historical record.[7] The Romans made the condiments garum and liquamen by crushing the innards of various fish and then fermenting them in salt, resulting in a liquid containing glutamic acid, suitable for enhancing the flavour of food. The popularity of these sauces led to a flourishing condiment industry.[4]Apicius, a cookbook based on fourth and fifth century cuisine, contains a section based solely on condiments.[4]
The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (March 2022)
In the United States, the market for condiments was US$5.6 billion in 2010 and was estimated to grow to US$7 billion by 2015.[8] The condiment market is the second largest in specialty foods behind that of cheese.[8]
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Table_condiment, and is written by contributors.
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