The Origin Of Walnut Sauce Originally walnut sauce was called agliata bianca, agliata with walnuts, or savore di noci e aglio. Its origins are rooted in the trade of the Genoese with the East. In fact, in Persia and the Balkans, there is a similar version used to season boiled meats. Walnut sauce was already known to the ancient Persians, and over the centuries its use spread to Oriental and Balkan cuisine. According to the original recipe, the walnuts were pressed in the mortar along with garlic, parsley and bread that had been dipped in milk.