National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) Culinary Practice Exam

Which of the following is not one of the five basic sauces?

1. Brown

2. White

3. Gravy

4. Veloute

The correct answer is: Gravy

The five basic sauces in classic French cuisine, often referred to as the "mother sauces," are essential foundations from which a wide variety of sauces can be developed. These mother sauces include béchamel (white sauce), velouté (a light stock-based sauce), espagnole (brown sauce), hollandaise (a butter and egg emulsion), and tomate (tomato sauce). Gravy, while commonly used in many cuisines and often made using meat drippings, is not classified as one of the mother sauces. Instead, it is considered a derivative sauce that typically starts from one of the mother sauces, particularly brown sauce or by thickening meat juices. Therefore, recognizing gravy as a non-mother sauce highlights its role as a companion rather than a base in classical sauce preparation, making it the correct answer to the question posed.