XO sauce
URL: https://knowledge.ivjn.us/en/concepts/xo-sauce.html

XO sauce is a chilli condiment that emerged in Hong Kong in the 1980s and is commonly made with dried scallops, Jinhua ham, shrimp and chillies.

XO sauce is a Hong Kong chilli condiment that emerged in the 1980s. It is commonly made by frying ingredients such as dried scallops, Jinhua ham, dried shrimp, shrimp roe and chillies; it is served as a starter or dip and used in cooking.[^s2]

## Name

XO abbreviates “Extra Old,” a cognac ageing grade. The sauce borrowed the name to convey a premium status.[^s2]

## Accounts of its origin

Several accounts attribute the sauce's creation to different people and restaurants. One credits Han Peizhu, who made a chilli sauce for guests in the 1970s. Another credits chef Wong Wing-chee, who created a sauce at Lei Garden in 1981; the restaurant owner's wife named it XO sauce. A third says that Spring Moon, the Chinese restaurant at The Peninsula Hong Kong, offered a scallop and chilli oil called XO sauce when it opened.[^s2]

Updated: 2026-11-01

Mentioned in:
- Lee Kum Kee https://knowledge.ivjn.us/en/organizations/lee-kum-kee.html

Sources:
- 追本溯源：XO醬 https://guide.michelin.com/tw/zh_TW/article/dining-out/trace-the-roots-xo-sauce Name, uses and accounts of the sauce's origins