While shopping in my local Guatemalan Supermercado when my eyes landed on something peculiar yet familiar at the same time. Salsa Inglasa. English Sauce! In its familiar McCormick brand bottle. Worcestershire sauce is a globally beloved condiment with a notoriously challenging name to pronounce. However, as I traveled Latin America, from Mexico to Argentina, supermarkets skipped the nuisance of identifying the specific, tongue-twisting town. While the traditional name pays homage to its origins in, it’s worth considering a rebrand for simplicity and global consistency. And that’s why Americans should follow their Western Hempisher counterparts and embrace the term “English Sauce.”
1. Simplification and Pronunciation
We played ourselves. Is it “Warschter,” “Wooster,” or “Wuster,” and does it end in Shy-er, Sheer, Shure? –“Worcestershire” is a minefield of pronunciation woes. Heck, it’s tempting to avoid all the heartache by eliminating it from our recipes and shopping lists altogether. This is the way we live our lives. We have just accepted the challenge of this word and couldn’t imagine a world where an easy-to-pronounce option exists.
Meanwhile, in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world, the people were like…” We’re not saying all that — English Sauce.” Then they moved on with their lives. In America, we accept the constant kitchen consternation of our ingredients. It’s time to rise up and say, “No More!” no more being terrorized by the pronunciation of foreign sauces. No more having to reattempt to nail the pronunciation and still being unsure. Language adapts to make life easier. The Iberian diaspora set a precedent by simplifying Worcestershire Sauce to something more manageable to the western hemispheric tongue. Adopting “English Sauce” would save time, reduce embarrassment, and ensure that everyone—regardless of linguistic ability can participate in food chats.
2. English Sauce Honors Worcestershire Sauce‘s Origins
Chemists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins first created in the early 19th century in Worcester, England. Perhaps, at the time of creation, they weren’t expecting it to be a worldwide phenomenon. Being county-specific certainly would have been efficient if the sauce never left the country. But, with it being the only locally named sauce on a worldwide market, there’s no other English sauce to confuse it with. Most sauces — pico de gallo, sofrito, Ketchup, steak sauces, etc. — aren’t labeled by location. Instead, sauces are generally labeled by main ingredients or what it’s most frequently paired with. By rebranding Worcestershire Sauce as “English Sauce,” we still acknowledge and celebrate its heritage. “English Sauce” emphasizes the condiment’s cultural and geographic origins without the tongue-twisting complications.
3. New Worcestershire Sauce Marketing and Branding
Lastly, from a marketing perspective, standardizing the name can create a stronger, more consistent identity that resonates regardless of country. This new identity could also open opportunities for creative marketing campaigns and packaging designs that highlight the sauce’s English heritage. “English Sauce” has a certain charm and appeal that could attract new customers. The name evokes a sense of tradition and quality which are desirable traits in the food industry. Worcestershire sounds like a confused rooster and something that should be avoided.
In conclusion, shifting Worcestershire sauce to “English Sauce” eliminates the struggle of pronunciation while still honoring its British roots. The easier to pronounce Salsa Inglaisa and Molhol Ingles are already used across Latin America. Americans and Canadians too, deserve the benefit of a sauce that’s easy to say and universally recognizable.
