A.1.: the American sauce approved by a king

A.1. Sauce is THE American condiment — the one you'll find on every diner table, right next to the ketchup. Behind its deep brown color hides a blend of tomatoes, vinegar, orange and spices that delivers a flavor at once tangy, lightly sweet and deeply savory. Created for King George IV of England in the 1820s and said to have earned his royal stamp of approval — "A1," meaning first-rate — it made its way to America in 1906 and never left. Originally marketed as a steak sauce, it dropped the word "Steak" in 2014 to reveal what it always was: a sauce for just about everything.

Where does A.1. come from?

The story starts in the English royal kitchens. In the early 1820s, Henderson William Brand, personal chef to King George IV, crafted a new sauce from tomatoes, vinegar, orange, raisins and spices. The king tasted it and pronounced it "A1" — first-rate. The name stuck.

After the king's death, Brand put the sauce into commercial production in 1831, originally sold for "fish, meat and fowl." It reached the US in 1906, was rebranded "A.1. Steak Sauce" in the 1960s to target meat lovers, then reverted to simply A.1. in 2014 to reflect its true versatility. Today produced by Kraft Heinz in North America.

What does A.1. taste like?

Tangy, lightly sweet, with real depth of flavor. The vinegar brings acidity, the tomatoes give body, the orange adds a hint of brightness, and the spices deliver character. Complex but approachable — which is exactly what makes it a universal condiment.

How to use A.1.?

On a grilled steak, it's an obvious choice. But A.1. is equally great on a burger, as a marinade for chicken or pork, as a dipping sauce, or to add depth to a slow-cooked dish. Americans use it everywhere — and they're onto something.