You know it from the beige paper wrapping, which, for some reason, none of us ever fully remove from the bottle. As the bedrock of the Worcestershire sauce institution and self-acknowledged as the one truly authentic Worcestershire sauce, Lea & Perrins does keep secret the exact spices used to round out its list of ingredients, which comprise white vinegar, molasses, sugar, water, salt, onions, anchovies, garlic, cloves, and tamarind extract.
Because it is the only true Worcestershire sauce in the Worcestershire story, Lea & Perrins is tough to beat, so for this purpose, I must include the caveat that it is, in many ways, the control in a grand experiment of vinegar, anchovy, and molasses combinations. Uniquely, Lea & Perrins ferments not only its anchovies but also garlic cloves and whole onions, which gives this sauce a balanced depth of flavor that is noticeably absent in other sauces that use powdered spices or powdered garlic and onion.
The Lea & Perrins sauce sidesteps the thickness of a steak sauce but holds its own as a complement to steaks, fish, or hamburgers. Of course, I’ve also used this as a marinade for meatballs and meatloaf and other recipes where creative inspiration called for a savory harness to give the dish that perfect je ne sais quois. In short, Lea & Perrins is balanced. It’s savory and sweet, thick but not viscous, and uniquely, for lack of a better word, “Worcestershire.”
While there seems to be no exact standard or list of ingredients to which a Worcestershire sauce can claim authenticity, unless you prefer to make your own sauce, the brands and types of “Wuss terr sherr” or “What’s this here” sauces available on the market today are as individual as your pronunciation of its name.