Lizano sauce ( es, salsa Lizano) is a Costa Ricancondiment developed in 1920 by the Lizano company. It is now a product of Unilever. It is a thin, smooth, light brown sauce (akin to such condiments as HP Sauce or Worcestershire sauce).
It is meant to be used while cooking or at tableside to flavor one's food when serving. It is slightly sweet and acidic, with a hint of spiciness lent by black pepper and
sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
pepper
Pepper or peppers may refer to:
Food and spice
* Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant
** Black pepper
* ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae
** Bell pepper
** Chili ...
, mustard, turmeric, modified corn starch, hydrolized vegetable protein, sodium benzoate.
Many Costa Rican dishes are prepared with Lizano sauce, and it is ubiquitous on restaurant tables in its country of origin. It is commonly used with gallo pinto and tamales, and is also considered particularly complementary with eggs, rice, beans, fish, cheese, curries, and as a marinade for meat.
Lizano sauce is increasingly available commercially throughout North America through online retailers.
History
The sauce was created initially by Próspero Jiménez in his bar in Alajuela. After success with the neighbors and acknowledging the success of imported bottled condiments, he approached Próspero Lizano who owned a factory, and then they established the brand and the green label for marketing. In 1991 Best Foods bought the company, and later were acquired by Unilever. In 2020, the condiment celebrated its 100th anniversary.