mincemeat, sauce, paste

醬 is composed of 將 (present, lead) and 酉 (wine vessel). 將 depicts placing meat on a large table with the hand, indicating an abundance of meat, while 酉 is a pictograph of a container for holding wine. If there was too much meat to consume, to avoid waste, ancient people would mash the meat and preserve it by pickling it with wine or vinegar to prevent spoilage, as represented by 醬.