Worcestershire1 Sauce has an interesting history. It was brought back from India by Lord Marcus Sandys, ex-Governor of Bengal, who gave it to two local chemists, John Lea and William Perrins, with an order for a large batch to be made up from his recipe. A few weeks later he returned to pick up the sauce, only to proclaim upon sampling some that it tasted filthy and was nothing like how it should be, and left in disgust.
Nothing more was thought of this until the chemists discovered it at the back of their stores a few months later, and they decided to give it just one more try before tipping it down the drain. To their surprise, the foul-tasting anchovy broth, after being left to ferment, had matured into an interesting spicy condiment, and they immediately purchased the recipe from Lord Marcus. So thanks to this chance retasting,1838 saw the UK's best-known sauce launched, and the name of Worcestershire Sauce (originally called just Worcester Sauce), has spread to be mispronounced by many a foreigner in every corner of this spherical world.
(Oh yes, and to the best of my knowledge it does not have any mystical properties when accidentally used instead of embalming fluid.)
1 In the UK, Worcestershire is pronounced 'woost-ur-shire' and Worcestershire Sauce is referred to as 'Worcester Sauce', pronounced 'woos-tah'. In many other parts of the world, however, it is referred to as 'War-sest-uh-shire' Sauce.
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