Plum Sauce

Fruity Plum Sauce with Chili from Berlin

The Plum Sauce from Sossen Eckart is a handmade, fruity and spicy barbecue sauce from Berlin, made with two-thirds ripe plums. Sweet and dark, with an elegant acidity, fine chili heat, and a hint of ginger. Vegan, and with a character unlike any other Eckart sauce.

Plum Sauce is No. 6 in the Sossen Eckart range and is the fruitiest of the collection. Thomas Eckart prepares it with 66 percent plums, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and chili, which gives it a slightly Asian influence. It is a sauce reminiscent of a good Chinese plum sauce, only handmade and stirred in Berlin.

Dark, sweet and sour, with a fine heat

In the glass, the sauce glows a deep plum red, almost black, thick and velvety. First comes the dark sweetness of ripe plums, then the elegant acidity of the apple cider vinegar, and finally ginger and chili, which provide warmth to the whole profile. The soy sauce adds a savory depth beneath it that you might not notice immediately, but you would miss if it were gone. One taste is enough to know that real plums were in the pot.

The sauce is sweet and sour, spicy, and a bit exotic, with a heat that warms rather than burns. Fruity enough for dessert, spicy enough for steak—it can do both. This makes it a special standout among the Berlin varieties, one you can use in countless different ways.

With duck, pork, and even vanilla ice cream

Classically, plum sauce pairs with pork, where the sweetness and acidity lighten up the hearty roast. It is a dream with crispy duck, much like in a good Chinese restaurant, and it brings a dark fruity note to steak. For the adventurous, try a spoonful over vanilla ice cream; it sounds crazy but tastes wonderful. The dark fruit also pairs beautifully with game and aged cheese.

Its finest hour is with slow-roasted duck with crispy skin. If you prefer something fruity and sunny, reach for the Mango Sauce; if you want something dark and hearty for your steak, try the bold steak sauce from the same house.

Stirred by hand in Berlin since 2009

Behind the number are Thomas Eckart and his wife Sabine Welz, who have been cooking their own sauces in Berlin since 2009, completely without artificial additives. It all started with the desire to make sauces that taste like real fruit instead of just sugar. The initial recipes have grown into ten varieties, ranging from mild to fiery, and the plum is the most fruit-dense of them all.

The special one in the range, Thomas says of his plum sauce, and with 66 percent fruit, he means it quite literally. Each bottle is stirred by hand, tasted, and bottled; the colorful label is designed by Sabine herself, who is a trained designer.

You can find the entire world of Sossen Eckart sauces with us, along with many other barbecue sauces for summer grilling.

Warm for duck, cool for steak

It pairs well warm with duck—briefly heated and drizzled over the crispy skin right out of the 180-degree oven. For steak, a cool dollop from the spoon is enough. As a dip for spring rolls or stir-fried noodles, it adds an Eastern spice to your plate. Shake well before the first use; once opened, the 250 ml bottle will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.