While peanut sauce can technically refer to any sauce featuring peanuts or peanut butter, satay sauce is the form of preparation generally involving soy sauce, sugar, chili sauce, and water. Despite its association with dishes like spring rolls, the trend of referring to this variety of peanut sauce as “satay sauce” comes from its actual origins in Indonesia, where it was originally intended to be served alongside satay, a dish of grilled, skewered meat.