Shrimp with Zena’s Sass Sassy Almond-Sesame Sauce.

These sauces definitely have sass.

So does their creator.

Zena’s Sass are nut-based artisan sauces made in Santa Cruz that are vegan, gluten-free and low-glycemic.

They’re made by Zena Krakowsky, who ran her own restaurant, C.B. White’s, and bakery, Zena’s Bakery-Cafe & Catering, both in Truckee.

Even after selling those businesses, fans of her almond-sesame and peanut-sesame sauces continued to clamor for them, even bringing their own empty salad dressing bottles to her door, hoping to get them filled.

The popularity of the sauces led to Krakowsky creating a business. Nowadays, you can find her Sassy Peanut-Sesame Sauce and Sassy Almond-Sesame Sauce, both available in Original or Hot varieties, at a bevy of stores, including Bi-Rite Market, Draeger’s, Mollie Stone’s, and New Leaf Market. It’s also sold on her Web site. A 13-ounce bottle is $7.99.

Choose from four varieties.

The sauces are made with tamari, nut butter, soy oil, blue agave, sesame oil, and vinegar. Two tablespoons have 71 calories, 6 or 7 grams total fat (the almond variety has the higher number), 1 gram protein, 1 gram dietary fiber, 1 gram sugar, and 244 to 255 milligrams sodium (the peanut version has the higher number).

I had a chance to try samples recently.

The sauces are super creamy and rich tasting. The almond-sesame one has a tad more sweetness than the peanut-sesame one. Both the Original Almond-Sesame and the Original Peanut-Sesame have a nice balance of nuttiness, sweetness, saltiness and savoriness, as well as a subtle spiciness that just tickles the palate. The Hot versions kick that up, with heat that definitely coats the back of the throat. I actually like to mix a little of the Original with a little of the Hot.

The sauces are quite versatile. I used the Original Almond-Sesame on grilled shrimp, and the Hot Peanut-Sesame on spaghetti noodles tossed with roasted red peppers, onions, tofu and sesame seeds.

Grill some skewered shrimp and accompany with the sauce for instant satay. Toss with cabbage, poached chicken, green onions for easy Chinese chicken salad. Or use as your new favorite crudites dip.

No wonder her diners couldn’t get enough of it.