From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
One of the most popular of all bottled sauces, it's aromatic and pungent with a distinctively sweet-and-sour flavor. The sauce is a very dark brown with 25 percent visible sediment; you must shake the bottle before use. Although Lea & Perrins' recipe is secret, the principal ingredients for the standard recipe are old and mature anchovies, West Indies tamarinds, vinegar, sherry, brandy, soy sauce, pork liver, salt, sugar, cayenne, black pepper, coriander, mace, shallots and caramel. The tamarinds, anchovies and pork liver are simmered in vinegar, the liquor of which is then strained and combined with the other ingredients. The sauce must then mature for at least six months to bring out the full flavor before being bottled. Worcestershire sauce has a long, almost venerable shelf life and is used in many recipes, especially soups, sauces, gravies, tomato-juice drinks and salad dressings.
