Sweet and sour sauce is a popular sauce used in Chinese cuisine. It is commonly made with sugar and rice vinegar, with soy sauce, or tomatoes added for color. Unlike the near-universal soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce is not fermented; the ingredients are simply added together and mixed, usually over heat. Used in cooking, the sauce is often added to stir fried meats, such as pork, beef, shrimp, or chicken. For the computer protocol, see SAUCE In cooking, a sauce is a liquid served on or used in the preparation of food. ... China has one of the richest culinary heritages on Earth. ... A sugar is a form of carbohydrate; the most commonly used sugar is a white crystalline solid, sucrose; used to alter the flavor and properties (mouthfeel, preservation, texture) of beverages and food. ... Rice vinegar is made from fermented rice or rice wine in China and Japan. ... Soy sauce (US) or soya sauce (UK) is a fermented sauce, made from soybeans (soya beans), roasted grain, water and salt, commonly used in Asian cuisine, and in some Western cuisine dishes, especially Worcestershire sauce. ... In its strictest sense fermentation (scientifically called zymosis) is the energy-yielding anaerobic metabolic breakdown of a nutrient molecule, such as glucose, without net oxidation. ... Stir frying is a common Chinese cooking technique used because of its fast cooking speed. ...