Mumbo sauce

Mumbo sauce
Mumbo sauce in a small takeout container.
Alternative namesMambo sauce
Place of originUSA
Region or stateWashington, D.C.

Mumbo sauce or mambo sauce is a takeout condiment specialty of Washington, D.C. It is similar to barbecue sauce, but somewhat sweeter, and also somewhat spicier or more sour. (There is some variation in flavor and consistency.) It is put onto fried chicken wings, french fries, fried jumbo shrimp, and fried rice. The origin and ingredients of Mumbo sauce are subject to great dispute. It is often compared to Chicago mild sauce, also a takeout sauce of the city’s Black neighborhoods.