# Real quick: what is a Sugo? (Italian)



## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Yep, I gotta know. Some kind of stew? I'd like a bit more specific info.


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## miraz (Jun 15, 2008)

The simplest translation is sauce or gravy, which probably doesn't help you much.

It can be used to describe everything from a sauce - Sugo al Pomodoro, Sugo all 'Arrabbiata - to an essence or extract.


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## anneke (Jan 5, 2001)

My friends kids (Italian) refer to it as the basic tomato sauce in pasta. It's real cute the way they say it... 
I concur with Miraz.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

sugo generally means sauce (as for pasta, therefore tomato sauce) but can also refer to cooking juices that you pour over the meat (i've seen my mother in law pour the chicken fat from the bottom of the pan onto the meat saying "take some sugo"). and it can mean juice (the more common word being 'succo" but usually tomato juice and puree are also called "sugo di pomodoro" thus confusing everyone. 
These are all the practical everyday usages for the word, though there may be some dictionary meaning that is more restricted. I don;t feel like lifting out my heavy italian dictionary right now.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Ah OK, thanks folks. I had a pasta with lamb sugo the other night. Just wanted to know what it was. Apparently, in this incarnation, sugo was a meat/tomato sauce with lamb bits.


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