Poon's WO Chinese Sauce
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 from 3 reviews.Shop all Poon's London
Product Information
Awarded Great Taste Award 2 Stars by The Guild of Fine Foods in 2026.
"This is incredible...punchy, it's honestly amazing"
(John Torode, ITV)
"A quite astonishing XO style sauce...unapologetic in its flavour yet everything sits in harmony”
(Great Taste Awards 2026)
XO Sauce was invented in the 1980s in Hong Kong and is made from dried scallops, dried shrimp, Jinhua ham, chilli, shallots and garlic. Dried seafood and Jinhua ham are considered extremely luxurious and extravagant ingredients in Chinese cooking. The name alludes to the lofty and expensive status associated with XO cognac at the time. Dried scallops are not available in the UK now.
We decided to rework this classic condiment to make it our own, using salted shrimp instead and replacing Jinhua ham with our own Poon’s Wind Dried Bacon which we have been producing since 1970 to an old family recipe. We called it WO sauce because W is almost X - a bit corny but so am I. It has affectionately become known as “Woooooh Sauce” in the kitchen and with the chefs who have used it. I love it on buttered bagels, fried eggs, fried rice, plain rice, noodles, pizza and sausage rolls...we even have a WO Sauce carbonara recipe made using our Chinese wind-dried bacon.
Spooned over fried eggs on a bowl of steamed jasmine rice with a sprinkling of chopped spring onions and a dash of soy sauce, it has the ability to transform these simple ingredients into an instantly recognisable Chinese staple.
Dollop on: Noodles, rice, dumplings, dim sum, fried eggs, pizza, cream cheese bagels, cheese toasties, sausage rolls.
Stir into: pasta, sauces, stir-fries, stews, ragus, fried rice.
Explore, Experiment, Embrace…
“There is so much more to Chinese food than sweet and sour pork and dim sum! As well as the wealth of regional dishes, there is an array of cooking techniques. Chinese food can also be surprisingly simple and you don’t necessarily need special kit to cook it at home. It is much more accessible than most people think.
These sauces were created to bring Chinese pantry essentials to your kitchen. We invite you to explore, experiment with and embrace these flavours, incorporating them into your daily culinary vocabulary. Chinese food is so much more than nourishment for the body and sensations for the mouth, it is culturally an expression of love.”
(Amy Poon)
About Poon’s London
Award-winning, signature sauces from a Chinese heritage food brand. Bill Poon established the first Poon’s Restaurant in 1973 in Lisle Street, London and became the first Chinese chef to be awarded a Michelin star. Building on this gastronomic legacy, Poon’s London launched its sauce range in 2022 to widespread critical acclaim.
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Country of origin
Nutritional data
| Energy Kj | 1619 |
| Energy Kcal | 391 |
| Fat g | 31 |
| (of which saturates) g | 2.6 |
| Carbohydrates g | 16 |
| (of which sugars) g | 15 |
| Fibre g | |
| Protein g | 7 |
| Salt g | 5.17 |