Wasakaka — the Dominican Garlic-Citrus Sauce
Wasakaka is the sauce that comes with Dominican fried chicken: raw garlic, sour orange, parsley and oil, shaken sharp and served cold against hot chicken.
What is wasakaka?
Wasakaka (also written guasacaca in other countries, though the Dominican version is its own thing) is a thin, uncooked garlic and citrus sauce. It is not creamy, it is not a mayo, and it is not a marinade you cook with. It is spooned or poured over fried chicken at the table.
The point of it is contrast: hot, salty, hard-fried chicken meets something cold, raw and acidic. That is why the sauce is thin — it has to run into the crust rather than sit on top of it.
What it goes on
Pica pollo first. Then tostones, chicken strips, fries, and anything else that came out of oil. It is a dipping sauce and a pouring sauce depending on how committed you are.
Our version
Raw garlic, sour orange, parsley, oil. Nothing cooked, nothing thickened, made in small quantity because the garlic gets louder the longer it sits. It is the signature of the house and it goes in every order that wants it.