The Hot Sauce Topic

[TongoRad]

anyone try any of the blair sauces.. I am expecting an order from mo hotta and got the following.. Anyone like any of these :

1 10019 Blair's "Original" Death Hot Sauce with Skull Key Chain

That's my all time fave. I don't get it as much as I should, mostly because I haven't found a local source. But when I have a bottle in the house it doesn't last too long. I much prefer the original to the 'After Death" (which is the same thing with Pure Cap added), mostly because I like to use a lot at a time.. Great flavor as well as heat...

For the money, though, you just can't beat El Yucateco. Despite the artificial 'gumby green' color it has a real purity about it. I also have the 'All Natural" version (I forget what it's called) and have come to understand why they color the green product- when you blend green and orange peppers you get a very unappealing-looking brown-colored sauce. I'm not sure how much hotter it is than the green one but it does pack a whollop. I think I can still get the green for under $2/bottle.

I haven't had Marie Sharp's but I think it is essentially the same as Melinda's, which is a classic habenero/ carrot combination. There's a nice sweetness about it. Melinda's XXX has a greater proportion of habs to carrots.

[LBNoble]

My favorites are Sriracha, Marie Sharp's, Bufalo chipotle & jalapeno, Cholula, & my current favorite-Aji Amazona, a Colombian sauce. I also like the Chile Man's hot sauces, but my favorites are his ginger & jerk marinades. I love Pickapepper, too, but I wouldn't call it a hot sauce.

[Al_Dente]

I've always had a place in my heartburn for Tabasco, but I also like Cholula and I'll put that Sriracha all over my GF's tofu stir-fries.

I live in Washington DC near Eastern Market where you can pick up some locally made stuff that is quite good. I like their habanero sauce-- very hot, but you can really pick up the fruit. Check it out:

Uncle Brutha's

No, I don't work for them...

[NulloModo]

oh, I almost forgot one of my favorites:

Unfortunately, I killed off the rest the other day, and I am probably remembering the name incorrectly, but I believe it is La Victoria Mexican Style X-hot... I will have to double check the next time I pick up a bottle.

The El Yucateco is good stuff, and easy to find at most mexican groceries, although the XXX Hot is moderately spicey at best.

Marie Sharp's Belizean Heat was supposed to be a whammy according to the bottle, but it doesn't seem to pack much more heat than Tabasco...

[Sam Salmon]

Where I live we're lucky to have access to Hot Sauce from around the world.

#1-Bello from Dominica-as perfect a product as was ever produced-leaves anything else in the dust with it's smoothness and quality of it's bite.

Not overwhelming just very well balanced.

#2-Any Bajan Mustard Sauce-Barbados is alone in producing this sauce-if you haven't tried it you are missing something unique and spicy.(Some Tobagans do a Mustard Sauce but it's a pale imitation)

#3-Matouks either the regular or Calypso a sip of this tastes to me like Trinidad-a complex and throbbing amalgam of human endeavour and spirit-a place I love dearly.

#4-Any Thai Red Sweet Chile Sauce-some might cry 'pedestrian' but it's so soothing and also utilitarian.

#5-Nando's Wild Herb Peri Peri Sauce-a perennial favourite in the Salmon household Nando's is something altogether different from the thin acidic Mexican style sauces so beloved of other posters here.

There are other memorable sauces-Melinda's and one rare and wonderful Yucatecan that surpasses anything ever produced in the entire Mexican republic- also many 'boutique' West Indian products that pop up after someone's vacation, are downed quickly never to be seen again.

Further to ordering favourites off the net I must say that I'm disappointed with the many retailers of Hot Sauces that I see.

It seems that many of them use the same ordering template from the same wholesaler and offer the same products over&over&over-not at all enticing personally.

[CindyG111]

WOW I need to go hot sauce shopping! This thread reminds me how sad my frig currently is.

All I have is Texas Sassy pickle juice - lol and a very lame bottle of Frontera Chipoltle hot sauce - such a disappointment!

My current favorite is Smack my Ass and Call me Sally sauce. Originally bought it for the name and now love love love it.

Cindy G

[Wine_Dad]

There are too many to mention, many of which spend more time on the name and label than on the inside - here are my faves

On anything - Sambal Olek

On everything else - Red Hot

On Rack-o-lamb - Jamaican Jerk

On Pizza - Home made haberno

When you want to go nuts - Dave's Insanity

Saw a guy once slurp a capful (1 tbsp) of Dave's and he was taken to the hospital. 1 tsp per 4 quarts of meat sauce is plenty to burn a hole in ya!

[CharityCase]

One more Sriracha sauce fan. Made a batch of it myself recently, and although I ended up with more of a sambal it has become an indispensable cooking sauce (rice vinegar, garlic and chili...how could you go wrong?)

I am a fan of the Tabasco Chipotle as well as Cholula. There's also a bottle of a locally made hot sauce that is quite spicy and has mango puree on the ingredient list.

Not a big fan of the glitz n' glam labelled sauce as so many I have tried seem to have been thickened with something...After some time they start to get to gelatinous for my liking.

[pam claughton]

Well, besides the usual suspects, tabasco, chalula, shrichachi (yes, am sure spelled that wrong, am obviously out of it, and need to stock up!)

But, I have two new gems, my absolute new favorites. Just discovered them a few weeks ago at a food fair. They're made by Vermont Pepper Works. One, the Rancho Ancho is smoky and sweet with a nice kick. They say it's good on barbeque, but I've been using it on eggs, nachos, and my new favorite discovery, shrimp cocktail. A good amount in basic cocktail sauce adds a nice kick and whole new dimension. Have had shrimp cocktail every day for the past week now...and I think it's more about the sauce than the shrimp. :)

The other one has even more of a kick. It's peach ginger habanero sauce. It's hot but you can still taste the flavors. Really good stuff.

[NulloModo]

Ah, I discovered another I like:

Roasted Chile de Arbol Sauce, sold onder the Frontera Brand, with an odd quote from Richard Bayless on the back...

The sauce is thickened with roasted pumpkin seeds, which adds an interesting touch.

[Abra]

We too use Thai sweet chili sauce and sriracha a lot, as well as sambal oelek. Then, straying from Asia, Pepper Plant, Cajun Power Garlic, Tabasco green and chipotle, and Cholula. But I'm surprised not to have seen any mention of one of my very favorites, Yucatan Sunshine. It's not killer hot, but has that great habanero flavor. In fact, several of the Sunshine series are really good - we also like Tennessee Sunshine and Cajun Sunshine.

I can see that I'll have to look for Texas Pete and Yucateco - I don't remember ever seeing either of them.

[ellencho]

I too am a big fan of Frank's for all-purpose hot-saucing, and Sriracha for asian cooking.

Tabasco has it's time and place, but for me it's usually too overpowering.

[FistFullaRoux]

Being that I have Tabasco running through my veins, Mr. Mcilhenny's concoction is like mother's milk.

But I've found another one to run a close second. Grace made with habaneros. It's the same basic idea, just salt, peppers, and vinegar. Superb stuff.

edited to correct tiepoz

Edited December 6, 2004 by FistFullaRoux (log)

[waves2ya]

How 'bout that... Hot sauces do look more difficult than a miro-brew list - anyhow, my favorite doesn't look listed - yet.

Panola is a wonderful, full bodied yet balanced spice that is not too, too hot - and, as I wish all premium sauces could be - is available in 1.7 oz bottles (sold by box).

Panola

Scored Woman for bite...

Cajun Garlic Power - fried seafood...

Sriracha for asian flavor...

All kinds of others - I luv sauces...

[maher]

i need a good recipe for hot sauce, any ideas? i have a batch of superhot spanish pilpil peppers that i just picked in the garden. i normally make these into Libyan/Moroccan Harissa, but id like to try something different. all suggestions welcome

[ASM NY]

Surprised to see that nobody has mentioned Valentina sauce from Mexico. It's probably the most commonly used hot sauce in Mexico. Has not really made it to the mainstream in the US, and is not as easy to find as some of the other sauces.

You can find it at mexgrocer.com

[NulloModo]

Ah, Valentina! That is what I was trying to mention before, not La Victoria... I love the XX-Hot variety, the one that comes with the black labeled bottle, perfect amount of spice for general mexican food, flavor, without being overpowering.

[fifi]

I can't believe that I have missed this thread.

I have the full collection of Tabasco. My favorites are the green jalapeno stuff (GREAT with eggs), chipotle, and garlic. The habernero isn't bad either. But the Goya brand Salsito habernero is a new favorite. It has that round, warm heat in the back of the throat (not painful) and great flavor. On the sweet side, Kroger has begun carrying the Fischer Weiser sauces from Fredericksburg, TX. The Mango Ginger Habernero Sauce is wonderful. It is a sweet sauce and is just made to be served over a good vanilla ice cream.

Pickapepper and sriracha are staples. I put some on crackers and just enjoy. I may reprise the old saw of a block of cream cheese doused in Pickapepper to be spread on crackers. A classic from the 70s but a good one.

[TongoRad]

I just tried the Bufalo Chipotle sauce. Rich and thick and full of smoky goodness, and not too hot- so you don't have to go easy on it. I'm going to have to get another bottle soon because this one ain't gonna last too long. Add another one to my favorites list.

[PaoPao]

Marie Sharps has a great blend of just the right heat and saltyness which I really like. Originally given to me from someone who said it was too hot, it's become a favorite.

[Mayhaw Man]

I can't believe that I have missed this thread.

. I may reprise the old saw of a block of cream cheese doused in Pickapepper to be spread on crackers. A classic from the 70s but a good one.

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A classic from the 70's? Whaaaa? Cream cheese and Pickapeppa never went out of style among most of my bachelor friends. Instant food when someone is brave enough to wade into your wreck of a bachelor pad. I know several people who, chances are, have nothing in their ice box BUT cream cheese, Pickapeppa, and beer of varying sorts-depending on finances and organizational skills.

[malarkey]

Wow, this whole thread and no one has mentioned my fave:

Mustafa's Harissa - hotter than hell but fabulous, FABULOUS flavor. I hoard jars of the stuff, because there's only a few places I can find it in town.

Old El Paso Chile Company's Hell Fire and Damnation Sauce - Also great flavor profile, don't need much.

For salsa, nothing beats Herdez Salsa Casera. Well, homemade could...

[michaeldauphinais]

My current arsenal contains:

Valentina Salsa Picante (found in Mexico - perhaps available in U.S., not sure; very similar to Cholula)

Louisiana Hot Sauce (the so-called "Original" - similar to Frank's)

Pain is Good, Garlic Style Batch #37 - one of my all time faves

Iguana Deuces - OK, but don't go out of your way to find it, IMHO

Snake Bite Hot Sauce - from High Desert Farms - nice and smoky

Marie Sharp's Habanero Sauce - made in Belize. Haven't tried it yet.

Tabasco - out of the Original and the Chipotle, but I do have Garlic, Habanero and Jalapeno. I love the garlic one for pizza especially.

Mo Hotta Mo Betta - Red Savina Habanero Hot Sauce. It'll bite back.

Trader Joe's Jalapeno Pepper Hot Sauce - OK, not remarkable

Tapatio - another favorite

Chili Garlic Sauce - the generic Vietnamese sauce you find in the "Ethnic" aisle at the supermarket. Another standby for me.

time to scramble some eggs, methinks.....

[michaeldauphinais]

For salsa, nothing beats Herdez Salsa Casera. Well, homemade could...

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Herdez...I have to second that. Good, good stuff.

yum

[markovitch]

brother bru-bru's african hot sauce.

not only is it amazingly complex for a hot sauce, the dude on the label looks EXACTLY like my housemate's father.