agrodolce: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

No. While both involve sweet and sour elements, agrodolce is an Italian culinary term for a specific type of reduction or sauce, often with vinegar, sugar, and sometimes fruit or aromatics. Chinese sweet and sour sauce is a different preparation with distinct ingredients and culinary traditions.

It is a loanword from Italian and remains a specialized culinary term. It is best used in food contexts and is often italicized in writing to indicate its foreign origin.

Common bases include vinegar (often red wine or balsamic), sugar or honey, and sometimes wine. It is often enriched with onions, shallots, dried fruit (like raisins or currants), pine nuts, or citrus zest.

Primarily a noun (e.g., 'a spoonful of agrodolce'). It can function attributively as an adjective before another noun (e.g., 'agrodolce sauce'), but it is not used predicatively (you wouldn't say 'The sauce is agrodolce').

An Italian sauce or condiment that combines sweet and sour flavours.

Agrodolce is usually specialized/culinary in register.

Agrodolce: in British English it is pronounced /ˌæɡrəʊˈdɒltʃeɪ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌɑːɡroʊˈdoʊltʃeɪ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.