Kitchens of Africa Mombasa Tamarind Sauce

Kitchens of Africa calls tangy-sweet Mombasa its most versatile sauce. Inspired by shidni, a Somali chutney, this simmering sauce is made with tangy tamarind fruit, lime and cider vinegar for a bright flavor profile that's acidic but never astringent, with a subtle, slow-building heat. Cardamom, cloves and star anise add aromatic depth to this bold, balanced sauce, while . We love how it maintains its tangy vibrancy and subtle complexity even after hours of simmering. Other than as a simmering sauce, use Mombasa Tamarind Sauce as a glaze for roasted meats as well as steamed or roasted vegetables, or try it as the base for a homemade barbecue sauce. Its glossy consistency also works well as part of a dressing for a bean salad or crunchy slaw.

Jainaba Jeng was born and raised in The Gambia, a small country on the west African coast bordered on three sides by Senegal. When she moved to North Carolina in 1997, she noticed that she could find ready-made sauces for some international cuisines, but none from her native country—or, in fact, from Africa. So she took matters into her own hands, creating a line of small-batch simmer sauces that draw on flavors from West Africa to Jamaica. “When you taste our foods, I hope you will feel the warmth, love and soul of all women of Africa to whom I pay tribute on our packaging,” says Jeng. “They are responsible for most of the cooking in Africa.”

• Net Weight: 12 ounces
• Ingredients: Water, tamarind, lime juice, bell pepper, dates, sunflower oil, cider vinegar, cilantro, spices, onion, garlic, ginger, cane sugar, salt, mushroom powder (mushroom, salt, mushroom extract), paprika, xanthan gum
• Place of Origin: United States