How would you classify Ranch? Of course it’s a dressing and one of the greatest gifts that humans have ever received, but some would debate it’s much more than that. Take my friends for example. When we're not stuffing our faces, we have some pretty great debates about where certain liquidy foods fall on the spectrum of condiments and sauces. I turned to sources all across the Internet to settle the debate of the difference between condiments and sauces once and for all. Here's what I found:
According to Wikipedia, the definition of a sauce is: “a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods.”
The definition of a condiment is: “a spice, sauce, or preparation that is added to food to impart a particular flavor or to enhance its flavor.”
So a sauce can be a condiment, but not all condiments can be a sauce. One Redditor backs this up by saying, "if it’s with salad, it’s dressing. If it coats the food, it’s a sauce, if it is used in small amounts to augment a food, it’s a condiment."
That being said, here’s the most exhaustive list I can think of that sorts types of condiments and sauces in their respective categories. (And since some sauces can be condiments, they are listed in the “other” category”).
Here's the list:
Condiments:
These add flavor to foods but in my opinion would never entirely coat the food it’s complementing.
Chili Sauce
Giardiniera
Sauerkraut
Syrup
Tartar sauce
Wasabi
Sauces:
Full-coverage is needed when it comes to using these sauces correctly.
Bearnaise sauce
Bechamel sauce
Cheese sauce
Hoisin sauce
Hollandaise
Marinara (and other pasta sauces)
Sesame oil
Both:
These can be used as either a sauce or a condiment
Barbecue
Steak sauce
Other:
These qualify as a sauce, condiment, dip, or combination of the three
It's pretty impossible to name every single sauce, condiment and dip that exists, so this was my best attempt at categorizing as many as I could think of. Regardless, I hope this list can help with any confusion about the difference between condiments and sauces and serve as a list of ideas for how to flavor your next meal, too.