Sauces by Their Base: Oil, Butter, Roux, Yogurt, Nuts and Chili

Aioli rests on an emulsion of garlic and olive oil, as the name, meaning garlic and oil in Catalan and Provencal, says. Its traditional form has only oil, garlic and salt, and modern versions often add egg yolk as an emulsifier.

Remoulade also begins with an egg and oil emulsion, mayonnaise, but then turns to mustard, capers, gherkins and herbs. The French version is served with celeriac, while the Louisiana Creole version is colored pink with paprika and served with fried seafood.

Hollandaise swaps oil for melted butter, whisked into egg yolks with lemon juice over gentle heat. Too much heat makes it break, which is why many cooks use a double boiler; it is the classic sauce for eggs Benedict and steamed asparagus.

Bechamel drops the egg and thickens with a roux of butter and flour, into which milk is whisked and simmered. It is one of the French mother sauces and the base for Mornay sauce, lasagna and gratins.

Gravy uses the same flour thickening, but its liquid comes from the pan juices of roasted or fried meat, with the browned bits scraped up first. It ranges from a simple pan gravy to the sausage-studded white gravy of the American South.

Tzatziki leaves fat and flour behind and builds on strained yogurt mixed with cucumber, garlic, olive oil and dill or mint. It is served as a meze and as a cooling companion to grilled meat and gyro.

Muhammara takes ground walnuts as its body, with roasted red pepper, breadcrumbs, olive oil and pomegranate molasses for a tart and sweet note. It comes from Aleppo in Syria and is a staple of Levantine meze served with flatbread.

Peanut sauce also gets its body from ground nuts, here roasted peanuts with soy sauce, garlic, chili, sugar and lime or tamarind. In Indonesia and Malaysia it is the dipping sauce for satay and the dressing for gado-gado.

Zhug has no thickener at all; fresh hot peppers, coriander and garlic are crushed with salt and olive oil, traditionally with stone tools. It comes from Yemen, where green, red and cheese-incorporating versions exist, and it now sits beside falafel and hummus across the region.

Nuoc cham ends the path with a thin sauce built on fish sauce, lime or vinegar, sugar and water, with garlic and bird's eye chili. Northern, central and southern Vietnam each adjust it, and it accompanies spring rolls, noodle bowls and rice dishes.