Sauces are so much fun to study.  It seems that each one helps to define part of a food culture.   Sauces are the little liquidus peeks we get into other countries.

adobo |əˈdōbō|

noun 

-a spicy dish or sauce

-a paste or marinade made from chili peppers, vinegar, herbs, and spices, used in Mexican and South Asian cooking.

Adobo is a sauce, even though it is sometimes used to refer to a particular dish.  Translating directly as “marinade” in Spanish, this sauce has a loose definition.  Adobo is prepared differently depending on the region and spices.  Southern Asian preparations tend to employ chile as their main ingredient while Mexican versions focus mainly on the heat factor. 

The orange color, which we often associate with the sauce comes from annatto.  Annatto is a reddish seed which, when ground, provides a natural food coloring, though it offers little flavor.  

Adobe is often used as a marinade-like coating for meat.  The sauce is usually acidic in flavor and, depending on where you are, very spicy.  

Invite yourself into a new food culture -- try a foreign sauce.  You just might love it.  

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie