Hot sauces by mail in USA (Inner Beauty?)

[JFCampbell]

I'm looking for a good source for hot sauce by mail order in the USA. Are there any great web sites where hot sauces can be ordered? In particular, I'm looking for a source for "Inner Beauty Real Hot Sauce", a personal favorite that seems to be impossible to find now. I sure hope they haven't gone out of business.

So, I like a spicy hot sauce, but one with good flavor in addition to heat. I'm guessing I'll have to find a substitute for my favorite "Inner Beauty". Any experts out there who can suggest a good alternative? Any suggestions for excellent on-line suppliers who may be able to help by providing both expertise and a good selection?

[phaelon56]

There's a store right here in my hometown that has a hot sauyce selection as large as you're likely to find anywhere - if they don't carry it there's a strong possibility that it's just not available - here's their web site

The Hot Shoppe

Just did a bit more research and it appears that Inner Beauty, a Costa Rican product, is simply no longer available. Matouk's Calypso is suggested as a replacement but is described as more mustardy and a bit sweeter. I suggest getting the regular Matouk's, which is not sweet or mustardy, and adding just a bit of mustard if you find that it needs some. Should be able to find it in any grocery store that carries Jamaican and West Indian foods. Like Inner beauty, it has both mango and habanero - a combination that yields more flavor than conventional hot sauces but still has all the fire.

[fryguy]

I've had good luck with Fire Girl' in the past. Not sure if they have what you're looking for, but it's worth a shot.

[ahr]

Funny, I never much liked the stuff.

This page from Mo Hotta Mo Betta also suggests some alternatives, including Matouk's.

[alithea]

try adrianascaravan.com.

lots of hot stuff, but other spices and oils too.

[KatieLoeb]

Mo' Hotta, Mo' Betta is the source for all things hot and spicy.

I really like the Jump Up and Kiss Me sauce. It's a bit curried and very fruity/flavorful as well as hot.

My house sauce lately has been the Chouloula. Good stuff and also has some flavor instead of just heat.

I found a pretty good sweet and hot sauce at Trader Joes that I like. I'll have to check the name of it and get back to you.

[Margo]

There's a good recipe for Inner Beauty hot sauce in Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby's cookbook, Big Flavors of the Hot Sun. Schlesinger developed the line--you might try getting in touch with his restaurant, East Coast Grill in Cambridge, MA, where I've seen it sold.

[JFCampbell]

When I joined eGullet I expected to find people who are knowledgeable about all subjects food, but I hadn't expected such complete knowledge and generosity of spirit. Thank you to all who have provided such complete and valuable information!

Now I have to ponder my next step. I have a set of websites where I can find a variety of sauces to order, and I know a collection of good alternative sauces, ones that are readily available. So I can order three or four sauces and try them out. All this is thanks to my new friends here at eGullet.

A second approach is to try making my own. I've found some tips on making hot sauces, and I now have a specific cook book recommendation. I have found the restaurant on the web, and they have ordering information for the book. I definitely plan to go that route, but perhaps I can get faster satisfaction by ordering a few recommended sauces first, using the messages above.

Thanks again, everyone. I hadn't expected such a complete and satisfying answer to my questions. I think I'm going to enjoy eGullet for a long time.

[Toliver]

Here is the "hot links" section of the Chile Pepper Magazine web site. There are links ranging from sauce companies to chile seed sellers to festivals.

From one chilehead to another, I hope this helps.

[dls]

For a very comprehensive selection of hot sauces, try http://www.sweatnspice.com/

[foodobsessed]

I've had good luck with Salsa ExpressThey have just about any hot sauce imaginable.

Good luck!

[markk]

When I joined eGullet I expected to find people who are knowledgeable about all subjects food, but I hadn't expected such complete knowledge and generosity of spirit.  Thank you to all who have provided such complete and valuable information!

I've felt the very same way about questions I've posed in other forums.

Just the other day, I ordered some "Pure Cap" liquid capsaisin from Peppers.com

Incidentally, I posed a question about this in an e-gullet topic and got a disappointing batch of responses, many just ridiculing me. I asked if people had experience with this extract and could share them.

There's a chinese restaurant that I go to regularly as part of a group dynamic, and the food's overly sweet and not really hot enough for me. I sometimes bring them habanero and serrano peppers to add to some of the pepper-based dishes, and wondered if a drop of this sauce might not work for the other foods that don't necessarily need a very peppery taste (although in this restaurant, killing the sweet taste of a lot of their food with pepper just wouldn't be the worst thing either). Still, if anybody here has any experience with liquid capsaisin, I hope they'll share it. I didn't mean to change the thread, but as the author has already declared "thanks", I hoped it would be okay.

Edited May 2, 2004 by markk (log)

[JFCampbell]

There's a good recipe for Inner Beauty hot sauce in Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby's cookbook, Big Flavors of the Hot Sun. Schlesinger developed the line--you might try getting in touch with his restaurant, East Coast Grill in Cambridge, MA, where I've seen it sold.

Good news! Today I received in the mail a copy of "Big Flavors of the Hot Sun" from the East Coast Grill. As advised, there is a recipe on p. 355 called "Home-Style Inner Beauty Hot Sauce" with a couple hand written notes. I'll need to find some scotch bonnet peppers and a mango. I've ordered some Whey Low to use as sweetener, and if that works out I'll substitute it for the brown sugar called for in the recipe.

This forum has been a fount of information ... thanks to everyone. I'll let you know how the hot sauce works out. It may take a couple tries to get it right.

[sweatnspice]

If the recipe doesn't work out, contact me and I'll get a deal for you on Inner Beauty. It's not on our site yet, but we have a bunch in the store. Both Original and Real Hot. I think I know what recipe your talking about, I've tried many of them and now come quite as close as the real deal.

- Nick Lindauer

Owner of Sweat 'N Spice Hot Sauce

If you have any hot sauce questions, please feel free to ask! We're always looking to convert chileheads!

[andiesenji]

You can also check out http://www.exit109.com/~mstevens/chileheads.html

Where you can find a list of links to all things chile.

Mary Going, AKA Firegirl has the Inner Beauty sauce listed.

At the very bottom of the page click on Hot-Links for lists of restaurants and resources for hot and spicy foods.

[JFCampbell]

There's a good recipe for Inner Beauty hot sauce in Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby's cookbook, Big Flavors of the Hot Sun. Schlesinger developed the line--you might try getting in touch with his restaurant, East Coast Grill in Cambridge, MA, where I've seen it sold.

I now have this book and the recipe and am anxious to give it a try. However, I was unable to find one ingredient locally ... scotch bonnet peppers. So far I've been unsuccessful in finding a supplier. I found several sites on the Internet where the seeds are offered, but growing them from seed would present a longer delay than I had anticipate.

Does anyone know a source for the scotch bonnet peppers? I'd like to get some on order ASAP. Thanks.

[sweatnspice]

Try Chile Plants

Looks like they have the scotch bonnet in stock

[sladeums]

I now have this book and the recipe and am anxious to give it a try.  However, I was unable to find one ingredient locally ... scotch bonnet peppers.  So far I've been unsuccessful in finding a supplier.  I found several sites on the Internet where the seeds are offered, but growing them from seed would present a longer delay than I had anticipate.

Does anyone know a source for the scotch bonnet peppers?  I'd like to get some on order ASAP.  Thanks.

You can substitue habaneros.

They are in the same family and the heat level is about the same.

Scotch bonnets are slightly smaller, though. If you are really concerned about an equal substitution choose habs that are on the smaller side.

[Margo]

Here's another good one: Mild to Wild Pepper & Herb Co.

The owner, Jim Campbell, is widely regarded as a saint on the Chileheads listserv. His sauces and powders are excellent--I've loved Ralph's Righteous Hab Sauce, the red savina-garlic sauce, and the Smokin' Chipotle sauce.

www.wildpepper.com

[tastykimmie]

Try H.O.T (Habeneros of Texas). REALLY good sauce!!

[Chris Amirault]

Four quick things:

Several people (including Firegirl on her website) have stated that Inner Beauty is no longer being made. Why is this? Does anyone have the scoop? It is beyond my comprehension that the demise of IB did not merit above-the-fold coverage in the NY Times and a memorial service here on eGullet....

Firegirl suggests that "Rasta Fire, Hot Hot Hot" is almost the same as IB. Any opinions on this?

Along the same lines, has anyone tried the recipe for IB?

Happy ending now: while travelling in southern Arizona last week, I popped into a tourist-trap place to get a cold drink -- and, lo and behold, right there on the shelf, were TWO bottles of Inner Beauty. The store owner insisted that it was still being made, but a quick call to her supplier dispelled that. She also lost a fine opportunity to gouge me, as I would have paid fifty bucks a bottle without hesitation.