A dip or dipping sauce is a common condiment for many types of food. Dips are used to add flavor or texture to a food, such as pita bread,

dumpling Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, ...

s, crackers, chopped raw

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the edible flower, flowers, ...

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

s, seafood, cubed pieces of meat and

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...

, potato chips,

tortilla chip A tortilla chip is a snack food made from corn tortillas, which are cut into triangles and then fried or baked (alternatively they may be discs pressed out of corn masa then fried or baked). Corn tortillas are made of nixtamalized corn, vege ...

falafel Falafel (; ar, فلافل, ) is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter in Middle Eastern cuisine (especially in Levantine and Egyptian cuisines) made from ground chickpeas, broad beans, or both. Nowadays, falafel is often served ...

, and sometimes even whole sandwiches in the case of jus. Unlike other

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...

s, instead of applying the sauce to the food, the food is typically placed or dipped into the sauce. Dips are commonly used for finger foods, appetizers, and other food types. Thick dips based on

sour cream Sour cream (in North American English, Australian English and New Zealand English) or soured cream (British English) is a dairy product obtained by fermenting regular cream with certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial cultu ...

crème fraîche Crème fraîche (English pronunciation: , , lit. "fresh cream") is a dairy product, a soured cream containing 10–45% butterfat, with a pH of approximately 4.5., p. 181''f'' It is soured with a bacterial culture. European labeling regulati ...

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bac ...

, mayonnaise, soft cheese, or beans are a staple of American hors d'oeuvres and are thicker than spreads, which can be thinned to make dips. Celebrity chef Alton Brown suggests that a dip is defined based on its ability to "maintain contact with its transport mechanism over of white carpet". Dips in various forms are eaten all over the world and people have been using sauces for dipping for thousands of years.

List of dips

Tzatziki meze or appetizer, also used as a sauce

Some types of dip include: * Ajika, a spicy, subtly flavoured dip in Caucasian cuisine, based on hot red pepper, garlic, herbs and spices * Ajvar, made from red bell peppers with

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

, found in Bosnian cuisine and Serbian cuisine * Artichoke dip * Baba ghanoush, a dip made from

eggplant Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Mo ...

, popular in the Eastern Mediterranean and parts of South Asia * Bagna càuda, a regional dish of the Italian

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* Banana ketchup, a Filipino condiment made from bananas; used similar to tomato ketchup *

Barbecue sauce Barbecue sauce (also abbreviated as BBQ sauce) is a sauce used as a marinade, basting, condiment, or topping for meat cooked in the barbecue cooking style, including pork or beef ribs and chicken. It is a ubiquitous condiment in the Southern ...

, often used for grilled and fried meats in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

* Bean dip, dip made from refried beans *

Blue cheese dressing Blue cheese dressing is a popular side sauce, salad dressing and dip in the United States. It is usually made of some combination of blue cheese, mayonnaise, and buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt, milk, vinegar, onion powder, and garlic powder. ...

, commonly used as a dip for raw

s or buffalo wings *

Buffalo sauce A Buffalo wing in American cuisine is an unbreaded chicken wing section ( flat or drumette) that is generally deep-fried and then coated or dipped in a sauce consisting of a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce and melted butter prior to ser ...

, often used as both a coating for buffalo wings as well as a standalone dipping sauce for other foods *

Cheese sauce Cheese sauce is a sauce made with cheese or processed cheese as a primary ingredient. Sometimes dried cheese or cheese powder is used. Several varieties exist and it has many various culinary uses. Mass-produced commercial cheese sauces are also ...

* Chile con queso, used in

Tex Mex Tex-Mex cuisine (from the words ''Texan'' and ''Mexican'') is an American cuisine that derives from the culinary creations of the ''Tejano'' people of Texas. It has spread from border states such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United ...

cuisine with

s *

Chili oil Chili oil is a condiment made from vegetable oil that has been infused with chili peppers. Different types of oil and hot peppers are used, and other components may also be included. It is commonly used in Chinese cuisine, Southeast Asian cuis ...

, used as a dipping sauce for meat and

dim sum Dim sum () is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuis ...

* Chimichurri, a dip from Argentina made of parsley, garlic, and oregano *

Chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec ci ...

, a dip for various fruits, doughnuts, profiteroles and marshmallows *

Chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce ...

, used with snacks like deep fried samosas and pakoras,

dosa Dosa may refer to: People * Bogoljub Mitić Đoša, Serbian actor * Csaba Dosa (born 1951), Romanian athlete * Dosa ben Harkinas * Dosa ben Saadia (935 - 1018), Talmudic scholar and philosopher * Dosa or Dossa Júnior * Edward Dosa-Wea Neufv ...

and idli * Clam dip, a kind of condiment for dipping crackers and chips * Cocktail sauce, a dip for seafood made from ketchup or chili sauce and horseradish * Comeback sauce, a dip for chicken fingers made from mayonnaise and chili sauce * Crab dip, a thick dip popular in Maryland usually made from cream cheese and lump crab meat * Curry ketchup, also called ''Currygewürzketchup'' in Germany, is a spicier form of ketchup * Duck sauce, a modern variation of plum sauce * Fish sauce ( garum), or

nam pla Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, P ...

, used in southeastern Asian cuisines as a dip for snacks and other foods * Fish paste or

bagoong ''Bagoóng'' (; ) is a Philippine condiment partially or completely made of either fermented fish (''bagoóng'') or krill or shrimp paste (''alamáng'') with salt. The fermentation process also produces fish sauce known as ''patís''. The p ...

, fermented fish paste, used in southeastern Asian cuisines as a dip for rice dishes * Fondue, a melted cheese sauce * French onion dip *

Fritessaus ''Fritessaus'' or ''frietsaus'' ("fries sauce") is a Dutch accompaniment to French fries, served popularly nationwide. It is similar to mayonnaise, but with at most 25% fat, is leaner and usually sweeter than mayonnaise. Mayonnaise in the Netherla ...

, a leaner form of mayonnaise from The Netherlands *

Fry sauce Fry sauce is a condiment often served with French fries or tostones (twice-fried plantain slices) in many places in the world. It is usually a combination of one part tomato ketchup and two parts mayonnaise. Historically, the Argentinian salsa g ...

, a dip eaten with french fries, onion rings, chicken strips, and other deep fried foods * Garlic butter sauce, used for dipping seafood, chicken, beef and pizza; plain clarified butter or drawn butter are more common with lobster, crab or clams *

Gravy Gravy is a sauce often made from the juices of meats that run naturally during cooking and often thickened with wheat flour or corn starch for added texture. The gravy may be further coloured and flavoured with gravy salt (a simple mix of sa ...

, used as a dipping sauce for bread, such as in Maghreb cuisine * Guacamole,

avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family ( Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for ...

es mashed with lime juice, onions, tomatoes, and herbs; commonly eaten with tortilla chips *

Hazelnut butter Hazelnut butter is a food spread made from crushed and blended hazelnuts. More commonly found in Europe, hazelnut butter is also familiar when mixed with chocolate as an ingredient in chocolate spreads. Hazelnut butter is available in both crun ...

or hazelnut spread is commonly used as a dip for crackers and cookies *

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

, a common dip for chicken and biscuits *

Honey mustard Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant (white/yellow mustard, ''Sinapis alba''; brown mustard, ''Brassica juncea''; or black mustard, ''Brassica nigra''). The whole, ground, cracked, or bruised mustard seeds are mixed wit ...

* Horseradish sauce, often with horseradish mixed with sour cream and/or mayonnaise *

Hot sauce Hot sauce is a type of condiment, seasoning, or salsa made from chili peppers and other ingredients. Many commercial varieties of mass-produced hot sauce exist. History Humans have used chili peppers and other hot spices for thousands of ye ...

or chili sauce, a spicy dip made from peppers * Hummus, a Levantine dip of ground chickpeas and sesame tahini with spices and lemon juice * Jus, a meat broth often served with sandwiches such as French dip and Italian beef * Ketchup (also called ''catsup'' or ''tomato sauce''), often used with french fries, onion rings, and a wide variety of other foods *

Kiwi onion dip Kiwi onion dip is a type of dipping sauce eaten in New Zealand. Often referred to as 'kiwi dip', 'onion dip' or 'original kiwi dip', it consists of a packet of powdered onion soup stirred into a can of reduced cream, which is then left to refrige ...

, a New Zealand snack food served with potato chips, crackers, or chopped vegetables * Marinara sauce, a tomato sauce served with breadsticks, pizza, etc. * Mayonnaise, the basis for many dips, on its own a dip for cold chicken; vegetables; french fries; and seafood * Mexicali dip, sour cream-based with Mexican cuisine-inspired spices * Mint sauce, a sauce made with ground mint leaves and vinegar or yogurt * Muhammara, a

Near East The ''Near East''; he, המזרח הקרוב; arc, ܕܢܚܐ ܩܪܒ; fa, خاور نزدیک, Xāvar-e nazdik; tr, Yakın Doğu is a geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the hist ...

ern hot pepper and walnut dip * Mustard, ground seeds of the mustard plant; variants are used in Asian cuisine * Nacho cheese dip, for dipping tortilla chips * Nam chim, Thai dipping sauces which most often contain chili peppers * Nam phrik, Thai chili pastes which are also used as dips for vegetables and fried fish *

Nước chấm (, Chữ Nôm: 渃㴨) is a common name for a variety of Vietnamese " dipping sauces" that are served quite frequently as condiments. It is commonly a sweet, sour, salty, savoury and/or spicy sauce. (mixed fish sauce) is the most well kn ...

( Vietnamese) and Prik Nam Pla ( Thai), mixes of

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

s and fish sauce * Pebre, a Chilean mix of tomato, onion, chile, and coriander * Pimento cheese * Plum sauce, used for dipping fried noodles, dumplings, and other foods *

Ranch dressing Ranch dressing is an American salad dressing usually made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, herbs (commonly chives, parsley and dill), and spices (commonly pepper, paprika and ground mustard seed) mixed into a sauce based ...

buttermilk Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most m ...

flavored salad dressing popular in the United States * Remoulade, often used with fried foods such as fish, or chips (french fries or fries) * Romesco, used as a dip or as a condiment for other dishes *

Salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

, used often with tortilla chips * Sambal, for fish, chicken, etc. *

Satsivi Satsivi ( ka, საცივი, ''sac'ivi'', ; also known as chicken in walnut sauce) is a Georgian dish made from poultry such as turkey or chicken put into walnut sauce. The term ''satsivi'' is also used as a generic name for a variety of p ...

, a walnut dip in Georgian cuisine * Smetana, a common dip for bliny, pelmeni, vareniki *

Sour cream Sour cream (in North American English, Australian English and New Zealand English) or soured cream (British English) is a dairy product obtained by fermenting regular cream with certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial cultu ...

, on its own or combined with mayonnaise and/or other ingredients, a common dip for potato chips * Soy sauce, often served in small saucers for dipping a variety of East Asian foods; for sushi and

sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Origin The word ''sashimi'' means "pierced body", i.e. " 刺身" = ''sashimi'', where 刺し = ''sashi'' (pierced, stu ...

, prepared wasabi is mixed in * Spinach dip, for tortilla chips and vegetables * Sriracha sauce * Sweet and sour sauce, a generic term for many styles of sauce *

Taramosalata Taramasalata or taramosalata ( el, ταραμοσαλάτα; from 'fish roe' < tr, tarama +

Greek

: 'salad' < it, insa ...

, a

ern dip of carp or codfish roe * Tartar sauce, commonly used with seafood *

Tentsuyu is Japanese tempura dip. The recipe for tentsuyu depends on the seasons and on the ingredients for which tentsuyu is being prepared. A general, all-purpose, tentsuyu might consist of three parts dashi, one part mirin, and one part soy sauc ...

, a Japanese dipping sauce * Tirokafteri, a

feta Feta ( el, φέτα, ) is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, a compact touch, few cuts, and no skin. Crumbly with a slightly grainy texture, it ...

-based Greek

meze Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course ...

* Tkemali, a cherry plum sauce in Georgian cuisine * Toyomansi, a Filipino meat or fish dip made with soy sauce and calamansi juice; chilis may also be added to create "silimansi" * Tzatziki and similar sauces used for dipping include tarator and Raita * Vinegar, used as a dip for grilled meats, and steamed crabs; Balsamic vinegar is also commonly used as a dipping sauce for bread * Vin Santo, into which cantucci (

biscotti Biscotti (; ; en, biscuits), known also as cantucci (), are Italian almond biscuits that originated in the Tuscan city of Prato. They are twice-baked, oblong-shaped, dry, crunchy, and may be dipped in a drink, traditionally Vin Santo. Name ...

) are dipped

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dip (Food) Sauces World cuisine

List of dips

See also

References