In French cuisine, the mother sauces are a group of sauces upon which many other sauces, known as "daughter sauces" or petites sauces, are based. The most common list of mother sauces in current use is attributed to chef Auguste Escoffier and based on his seminal cookery book Le guide culinaire. The five mother sauces are:

1. Béchamel sauce: White sauce, based on milk thickened with a white roux.
2. Velouté sauce: Light stock-based sauce thickened with a roux.
3. Espagnole sauce: Brown sauce, made from brown stock, mirepoix, and tomatoes, thickened with a brown roux.
4. Hollandaise sauce: Emulsion of egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice or vinegar.
5. Tomato sauce: Made from tomatoes, mirepoix, and a roux or by reduction.

Each of the five mother sauces is made with a different liquid and thickening agent, and they serve as the foundation for many other sauces.