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Mumbo sauce

Mumbo sauce in a small takeout container.
Alternative names	Mambo sauce
Place of origin	USA
Region or state	Washington, 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.

History

The trademark Mumbo name was first used by Argia B. Collins Sr., for use in connection with a barbecue sauce he developed for his Chicago restaurant. Since at least as early as 1950, Mr. Collins and his business used this trademark, and his successor-in-interest, Select Brands, LLC, registered the trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on May 25, 1999, Registration No. 2,247,855. The Mumbo trademark has been used for sauces, and appears on labels as part of the phrase Mumbo® Sauce.

Some people have used the term "Mumbo Sauce" in articles, internet blogs and advertisements for their sauce products, in connection with a sauce said to have originated in Washington, DC Chinese restaurants used on chicken wings, French fries, and fried rice. Select Brands has challenged such uses as incorrect and as potential infringements of its Mumbo trademark.

However, according to Capital City Mumbo Sauce, the sauce originated in a restaurant called "Wings-n-Things" in the late 1960s. Since Argia's Mumbo Sauce can be traced back to the 1950s (before it showed up at Wings-N-Things) it's speculated that the DC version is a transplanted version of the original Chicago sauce. Recently, after two years of court battles, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board found that a D.C.-based company could not take the name from its Chicago founder.

In 2018, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser drew national attention when she called Mumbo Sauce "annoying" in a Facebook post. She also questioned whether it was "quintessential" DC. Her comments sparked controversy, while her spokesperson said that her remarks were meant to liven Thanksgiving discussions.

On October 9, 2023, popular fast-food chain McDonald's released their own version of the sauce as a limited time offering in their US locations. Alongside the dipping sauce's release, they hosted a media campaign pairing with multiple content creators to promote the product, as well as developing a short YouTube documentary covering the sauce's history.

Cultural references

• The DC go-go group Mambo Sauce derived their name from the condiment.
• The DC hip-hop artist Christylez Bacon performs a song about Mambo sauce.
• Black Flag Brewing Co., a brewery in Columbia, MD has a beer named Mambo Sauce after the sauce.
• Writer Camille Acker features a story called "Mambo Sauce" in her debut short story collection Training School for Negro Girls
• The event series based out of DC entitled Chicken & Mumbo Sauce

References

1. "This Secret Sauce From D.C. Belongs on Everything". Epicurious. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
2. Stevens, Ashlie D. (January 17, 2021). "The Story of Mambo (or Mumbo) Sauce, the Condiment That Likely Fueled the Civil Rights Movement". Salon.com. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
3. Daley, Bill (June 24, 2017). "What's the Story? Answering a Reader's Questions About Mild Sauce, the Condiment You'll Find Only in Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
4. Mack, Tracy. "Adding sizzle to the grill". Chicago Tribune.
5. "MUMBO Trademark of SELECT BRANDS LLC - Registration Number 2247855 - Serial Number 75524897 :: Justia Trademarks". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved Jan 9, 2020.
6. "Try Mumbo Sauce at your next barbecue". Mumbo BBQ Sauce. Retrieved Jan 9, 2020.
7. "DC Legend: Chicken Wings & Mumbo Sauce". Retrieved Jan 9, 2020.
8. "History | Capital City Mumbo Sauce". Mar 15, 2011. Archived from the original on March 15, 2011. Retrieved Jan 9, 2020.
9. "How To Make DC Mumbo Sauce (Or Is It Really Chicago Mumbo Sauce?)". Huffington Post. March 26, 2012.
10. "Mumbo sauce, a popular condiment in the District of Columbia, was founded in Chicago". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
11. Eli Watkins (21 November 2018). "DC mayor stirs up controversy with saucy mumbo criticism". CNN. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
12. "Get 'Em While They're Hot: Two New Sauces Join the McDonald's® USA Lineup". McDonald's USA. 28 September 2023.
13. "Christylez Bacon - Mambo Sauce". 5 January 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved Jan 9, 2020 – via www.youtube.com.
14. "Black Flag Brewing Co". blackflagbrewingco.com. Retrieved Jan 9, 2020.
15. Acker, Camille (2018). Training School for Negro Girls, p. 129-158. Feminist Press, New York. ISBN 978-1-936932-37-5.
16. "Chicken & Mumbo Sauce". Chicken & Mumbo Sauce. Retrieved Jan 9, 2020.

External links

• Vargas, Theresa (July 16, 2011). "Mumbo sauce: The 2 words on everybody's lips". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2012.

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Sauces	Agre dulce Agrodolce Aioli Barbecue sauce Bigarade sauce Brown sauce Buffalo sauce Cheese sauce Alfredo sauce Caruso sauce Cheddar sauce Cheez Whiz Fondue Mornay sauce Nacho cheese Chili sauce Chimichurri Cocktail sauce Colo-colo Crema Caruru Dabu-dabu Fish sauce Fritessaus Fry sauce Garum Gastrique Gravy Hot sauce Latik Khrenovina Lechon sauce Marie Rose sauce Mayonnaise Kewpie Kielecki Miracle Whip Mignonette sauce Mild sauce Monkey gland sauce Mumbo sauce Oyster sauce Peanut sauce Pearà Pesto Pistou Remoulade Salsa golf Salsa verde Satsivi Steak sauce Tartar sauce Tatbila Teriyaki sauce Tiparos Tkemali Tomato sauce Vincotto XO sauce Zingara sauce
Dips	Ajika Baba ghanoush Chile con queso Duck sauce Duqqa Garlic chive flower sauce Guacamole Hogao Honey dill Hummus Muhammara Nam chim Nam phrik Nước chấm Skyronnes Sweet chili sauce Toum Tzatziki Zhug
Pickles and preserves	Amba Atchara Cheong Chutney Green mango chutney Curtido Encurtido Fruit preserves Gari Horseradish Ljutenica Pepper jelly Piccalilli Pickled cucumber Pickled fruit Relish Chicago-style relish Sauerkraut Kimchi Sumbala Taba ng talangka Tomato jam Watermelon rind preserves
Spreads and pastes	Ajvar Anchovy paste Bagoong Biber salçası Beurre Maître d'Hôtel Chili paste Chrain Coconut jam Fish paste Gochujang Liver spread Kyopolou Maafe Malidzano Meat extract Bovril Murri Nut butter Palapa Pindjur Roe Caviar Sahawiq Tapai Wasabi Yeast extract Marmite Vegemite Zacuscă
Oils and liquids	Chili oil Halford Leicestershire Table Sauce Mustard oil Olive oil Patis Perilla oil Ponzu Salmoriglio Sesame oil Soy sauce Soup soy sauce Sweet soy sauce Toyomansi Syrup Worcestershire sauce Tonkatsu sauce
Spices and powders	Asín tibuok Chipotle Crushed red pepper Gomashio MSG Nutritional yeast Paprika Popcorn seasoning Salt and pepper Tekka Za'atar
Salads	Carolina style Coleslaw Kachumbari Kachumber Salsa Pico de gallo Salsa criolla
Dressings	Blue cheese dressing French dressing Ginger dressing Green goddess dressing Italian dressing Louis dressing Mayfair salad dressing Ranch dressing Russian dressing Salad cream Tahini Thousand Island Vinaigrette Wafu dressing
Ketchups	Banana ketchup Curry ketchup Fruit ketchup Mushroom ketchup
Mustards	Dijon mustard Honey mustard Karashi Kasundi Mostarda Spicy brown mustard Creole mustard Sweet mustard Tecuci mustard Tewkesbury mustard Turun sinappi Yellow mustard
Vinegars	Apple cider vinegar Balsamic vinegar Balsamic vinegar of Modena Black vinegar Kaong palm vinegar Malt vinegar Nipa palm vinegar
List articles	Accompaniments to french fries Brand name condiments Chutneys Fish pastes Fish sauces Indian condiments Indonesian condiments Japanese condiments Mayonnaises Mustard brands Hot sauces Pakistani condiments Philippine condiments Pickled foods
Accoutrements	Cruet-stand Sachet Salt and pepper shakers Squeeze bottle

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• American Chinese cuisine
• Food and drink in Washington, D.C.
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