Which of the following is NOT a mother sauce?

• A. Bechamel
• B. Espagnole
• C. Marinara
• D. Hollandaise

Answer: (C)

Mother sauces are foundational bases from which many other sauces are built in classical cuisine. The traditional set includes Béchamel, Espagnole, Velouté, Tomato (Tomate), and Hollandaise. Marinara, while a tomato-based sauce, is an Italian preparation and not one of these foundational bases. It’s a finished or derivative tomato sauce rather than a base used to create a wide family of sauces in the same way as the five mother sauces. The other options are indeed mother sauces: Béchamel is a white sauce made with roux and milk; Espagnole is a brown sauce built from stock, mirepoix, and a dark roux; Hollandaise is a rich egg-yolk–and-butter emulsion.