# Hot Sauces



## HumbleHomeCook (Feb 11, 2022)

Now, I know it might border on cliché, but what are some of your favorite hot sauces?

My love of hot sauces started 30 odd years ago with tiny little bottles of Tabasco in MRE's. I still love traditional Tabasco, along with their chipotle and jalepeno.

There's so many but my personal all 'round favorite is Fletcher's Hot Sauce. Mild heat and great flavor.









Fletcher Sauce Company LLC


Fletcher Sauce Company, makers of gourmet sauces




fletcherssaucecompany.com


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## Hockey3081 (Feb 11, 2022)

Cholula green. Fight me.


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## M1k3 (Feb 12, 2022)

Sriracha
Red Rooster
Valentino's
Porfy's/Porky's (from what I was told, one is made in Jalisco, Mexico and the other in California, but it's supposed to be the same recipe  I don't remember which is which. It's a bit uncommon)


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## ptolemy (Feb 12, 2022)

I never liked hot sauce.. I don't know why... I don't mind spicy food, but more stick to bbq sauce or vinegar based bbq sauce, but not truly hot sauce....


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## coxhaus (Feb 12, 2022)

I use so many I don't know where to start. I probably have a dozen or so in my refrig at any 1 time.

I have never heard of Fletcher's hot sauce. I don't remember ever seeing it in the store. I doubt there is much market in Texas for them. The competition is tough.


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## spaceconvoy (Feb 12, 2022)

Tabasco is just spicy vinegar  There might be other interesting sauces out there, but Louisiana is my favorite because it's so classic, exactly like a simple fermented cayenne pepper sauce should be.


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## Lars (Feb 12, 2022)

I have become completely addicted to this Habanero Hot Sauce.


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## Michi (Feb 12, 2022)

Lars said:


> I have become completely addicted to this Habanero Hot Sauce.


At the rate you are going, you should ask Rick to pay you a commission…


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## coxhaus (Feb 12, 2022)

I like Louisiana hot sauce on fried chicken as I think it works better than Tabasco. I only use Tabasco on my morning fried eggs or pink pepper corns ground up. I don't vary a lot early in the morning. I do buy a large bottle of Tabasco as I really like it and use it a lot. 

I might use both Louisiana hot sauce and Tabasco in red beans and rice. It just depends on how I feel.

I use habanero hot sauce in breakfast tacos during the growing season.

My hot sauce varies during the seasons and how I feel.

I don't really like cilantro in my hot sauce for breakfast. I do like cilantro.

I eat hot sauce almost every day. 

There is no way for me to name it all.

I can tell you I don't eat jar hot sauce like Pace.

I guess I have no favorite as I like a lot of them.

To me there are 2 kinds, green and red. And then there are thousands of sauces in each category. I went to a hot sauce festival with over a hundred different stands all with multiple hot sauces.


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## coxhaus (Feb 12, 2022)

Lars said:


> I have become completely addicted to this Habanero Hot Sauce.


Your hot sauce should be nice and hot. Remind me in the growing season around late May and I will try making it with my habanero peppers. I plant in March. The recipe looks good. I bought one of his books because of you but I have not had time to look at it.

If anything is weird, I have been drinking all night and it is late.

Habanero peppers are probably my favorite flavor for peppers. They are too hot for a lot of dishes. New Mexico green chilis may be my second favorite for flavor. I love New Mexico roasted green chilis mixed with olive oil and Mexicana Oregano. Then spread goat cheese on a water cracker topped with green chili mixture.


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## coxhaus (Feb 12, 2022)

I had a bottle of this for a while until we finished it. IT is hot. Not so much flavor as hot.
Amazon.com : Dave's Gourmet Insanity Hot Sauce, The Original Hottest Sauce in the World, 5 oz Bottle : Dave S Gourmet : Grocery & Gourmet Food


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## Michi (Feb 12, 2022)

coxhaus said:


> I had a bottle of this for a while until we finished it. IT is hot. Not so much flavor as hot.
> Amazon.com : Dave's Gourmet Insanity Hot Sauce, The Original Hottest Sauce in the World, 5 oz Bottle : Dave S Gourmet : Grocery & Gourmet Food


Personally, I'm not a fan of the super-hot ones. The problem is that they are so hot that there really remains no chance to taste any of the flavour, other than heat.

Years ago, I had a bird's eye chilli bush in the garden that went absolutely bonkers. I harvested about 150 ripe chillies and decided to make sambal with them. The sambal ended up so hot that a pea-sized amount made a whole pot of stew insanely hot, to the point where people had a hard time eating it.

So, I don't really see the point. I do like hot food. A lot. But I still want to be able to taste it.


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## benito (Feb 12, 2022)

Tapatio is home.


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## WiriWiri (Feb 12, 2022)

Michi said:


> Personally, I'm not a fan of the super-hot ones. The problem is that they are so hot that there really remains no chance to taste any of the flavour, other than heat.
> 
> Years ago, I had a bird's eye chilli bush in the garden that went absolutely bonkers. I harvested about 150 ripe chillies and decided to make sambal with them. The sambal ended up so hot that a pea-sized amount made a whole pot of stew insanely hot, to the point where people had a hard time eating it.
> 
> So, I don't really see the point. I do like hot food. A lot. But I still want to be able to taste it.


I respectfully disagree with you there Michi - some of the very hottest peppers have phenomenally distinct flavours. The ridiculously hot moruga is surprisingly clean and delicate in flavour, the 7-pot probably the most overtly fruity of the lot - like a Habanero, but much more intense and satisfying. You‘ll tend to get these flavours first admittedly, gloriously taking therm in as the heat levels begin to build and rise and rise (and rise). Bite one raw whole and I doubt you’ll miss the serious flavour (and the pain after)

That‘s probably most true of the capsicum chinense types of chillies (habaneros, bonnets, superhots) rather than the quicker growing annuums like the Birds Eye. General rule of thumb is that the heat tends to be cleaner and shorter lived with annuums, but flavour and heat levels are much more muted,

Best pepper sauces are the ones made at home, I ain’t able with all this ‘5 pepper‘ and a quart of vinegar economy nonsense really, as much as like a dash of Louisiana style sauce once in a while. Prefer the old caribbean style recipes in the main - a half kilo of pepper, some vinegar, salt and a little water to taste (add onion, fruit, seasoning as required). Let the peppers speak for themselves.


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## Michi (Feb 12, 2022)

I take your point. Bird's eye are rather one-dimensional, and I like habanero a lot more because, as you say, they have lots of flavour besides the heat.

I'm new to all the chilli thing. There is not much of a chilli culture in Australia, and I only started to dip my toes into the water last year by growing some of my own. I recently discovered the huge variety of Mexican dried chillies, and I admit that I'm having lots of fun with those. A whole new world to discover 

As to super-hots, I admit that I might change my mind as time goes by. But I still do think that when I have an entire dinner table of guests sitting there turning red, sputtering, and with tears running down their cheeks, there is something I didn't do quite right


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## benito (Feb 12, 2022)

I lacto fermented 6 pounds of Fresnos this summer, with some spring onions and local garlic rounding out the mash bill.

I am almost out. 

this is my favorite hot sauce.


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## WiriWiri (Feb 12, 2022)

Michi said:


> I take your point. Bird's eye are rather one-dimensional, and I like habanero a lot more because, as you say, they have lots of flavour besides the heat.
> 
> I'm new to all the chilli thing. There is not much of a chilli culture in Australia, and I only started to dip my toes into the water last year by growing some of my own. I recently discovered the huge variety of Mexican dried chillies, and I admit that I'm having lots of fun with those. A whole new world to discover
> 
> As to super-hots, I admit that I might change my mind as time goes by. But I still do think that when I have an entire dinner table of guests sitting there turning red, sputtering, and with tears running down their cheeks, there is something I didn't do quite right



Don’t get me wrong, many of the (hundreds of) types I’ve chillis are actually a little too hot for me to comfortably eat easily too - I’ve managed to reduce a whole pub beer garden to tears with minute slices of one trini scorpion ffs - but I don’t want to discount the seriously distinct flavour levels on offer either. Folks seem to lap up the macho sauces too, so my cunning plans to offer milder sauce blends (heatless trinidad perfume + 7 pots) of carefully balanced peppers generally stir less interest

The holy grail chilli for me, for pepper sauce at least, is the Guyanese wiri wiri pepper (appropriately enough)!. It’s a small berry pepper from the same family as bonnets and habaneros, but at about a quarter of the heat - huge amounts of fruit flavour, but also a little aniseed note and real depth. Pretty much in the same 100k scoville range as the very hottest Birds Eyes fwiw, 

Sadly it’s never one I can grow with huge success in the UK - tiny peppers on huge sprawling bushes that take over my small greenhouse . Pig to harvest and process - definitely not the most productive and cost efficient ones to grow. But if i lived in a warm country like Australia I’d be making every effort to sneak seeds past your ever eager customs bods….


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## Michi (Feb 12, 2022)

Wiri Wiri pepper seeds are readily available here. I just bought a packet


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## WiriWiri (Feb 12, 2022)

Michi said:


> Wiri Wiri pepper seeds are readily available here. I just bought a packet



Excellent work. I wish you luck. Probably worth saying that there are multiple Wiriwiri typed name peppers (pili pili, piri etc), but fair to say the Guyanese one is much prized. We’d travel out with suitcases full of Cadbury’s chocolate and M&S vests back in the day, returning with bags of peppers and big bottles of casareep on the return. It’s a bit of a national./expat obsession


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## Michi (Feb 12, 2022)

Lars said:


> I have become completely addicted to this Habanero Hot Sauce.


Seeing that I had some chillies ready to harvest in the garden, I decided to make this.






This turned out really nice. Definitely quite hot, at the upper end of the spectrum. But lots of flavour and fruitiness.





I deviated from Rick's recipe in two ways:

I added half the amount of water initially because I was dubious about things maybe getting too runny. That turned out to be the right call.
I added another half teaspoon of salt and, because the flavour was quite one-dimensional and dominated by the vinegar, I added a tablespoon of maple syrup. That turned it into something really satisfying.
Thanks for the recipe, I look forward to having that with bacon and eggs in the morning


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## Lars (Feb 12, 2022)

Nice, it goes great with eggs..!


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## big D (Feb 12, 2022)

coxhaus said:


> I had a bottle of this for a while until we finished it. IT is hot. Not so much flavor as hot.
> Amazon.com : Dave's Gourmet Insanity Hot Sauce, The Original Hottest Sauce in the World, 5 oz Bottle : Dave S Gourmet : Grocery & Gourmet Food


Finishing up the third or fourth bottle of this. Agreed, it is mostly heat. Probably be some time before I get another. Like you i have a bunch opened and need to clean some of those up. Have a 3 pack variety of Gingos my daughter got me to try out.
Lately, I have been on a Melindas creamy habanero wing sauce kick. Pretty different flavor from any I have previously tasted, and nothing close to Daves, but a step up in the heat department of the above listed ones, (excluding Bayless and Fletches which I never had)


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## KingShapton (Feb 12, 2022)

Formerly Sriracha (a severe case of addiction)...but then came my wife's homemade chili paste (Vietnamese style) as a substitute. 

And I've been really a happy addict ever since - my addictive substance is made at home, using 100% natural, legal and wholesome ingredients.


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## HumbleHomeCook (Feb 12, 2022)

coxhaus said:


> I use so many I don't know where to start. I probably have a dozen or so in my refrig at any 1 time.
> 
> I have never heard of Fletcher's hot sauce. I don't remember ever seeing it in the store. I doubt there is much market in Texas for them. The competition is tough.



Old Man Fletcher was a local guy. The company has been bought out but it's still only a small regional operation.


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## tcmx3 (Feb 12, 2022)

I make my own with cayennes and habaneros but for me this often ends up a bit too spicy (especially if you, uh, dont deseed as thoroughly as you thought). I really like the flavor of habanero peppers though.

personally though I like buffalo sauces better than just plain hotsauce so Ill grab a bottle of Franks original, a stick of quality butter and some of my own hot sauce and that makes a pretty good sauce IMO. Frank's is generic enough to not be offensive as a filler. usually ratio is like:

2 parts franks
1 part my own which has some garlic and paprika in it already
2 parts butter


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## coxhaus (Feb 12, 2022)

Michi said:


> Personally, I'm not a fan of the super-hot ones. The problem is that they are so hot that there really remains no chance to taste any of the flavour, other than heat.
> 
> Years ago, I had a bird's eye chilli bush in the garden that went absolutely bonkers. I harvested about 150 ripe chillies and decided to make sambal with them. The sambal ended up so hot that a pea-sized amount made a whole pot of stew insanely hot, to the point where people had a hard time eating it.
> 
> So, I don't really see the point. I do like hot food. A lot. But I still want to be able to taste it.


I agree. It was a gift and I wasn't going to not eat it. Its main use was to spice up dishes. 

My latest buy maybe 2 weeks ago at Walmart was this hot sauce. I had never seen it before so I bought a bottle. It is made in Mexico with red peppers. It is on the scale of Valentina just different tasting.


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## JASinIL2006 (Feb 12, 2022)

Michi said:


> I take your point. Bird's eye are rather one-dimensional, and I like habanero a lot more because, as you say, they have lots of flavour besides the heat.
> 
> I'm new to all the chilli thing. There is not much of a chilli culture in Australia, and I only started to dip my toes into the water last year by growing some of my own. I recently discovered the huge variety of Mexican dried chillies, and I admit that I'm having lots of fun with those. A whole new world to discover
> 
> As to super-hots, I admit that I might change my mind as time goes by. But I still do think that when I have an entire dinner table of guests sitting there turning red, sputtering, and with tears running down their cheeks, there is something I didn't do quite right



One's ability to taste any notes other than heat is really dependent on how much tolerance to the capsaicin has been developed. The more spicy peppers you eat, the more you tolerate addtional heat while still appreciating the other flavors. You also begin to notice the effect of different types of capsaicin; some have an immediate sting, like Thai peppers, while others slowly build to their full heat minutes after you consume them (e.g., ghost peppers).

I rarely buy hot sauces anymore. I raise my own peppers (I'll plant 10 varieties this coming season) and I make and bottle my own sauces. My favorite sauce is simple: Carolina reapers, onions and garlic, all roasted, then blended with some vinegar and salt. I make some other varieties with various fruit bases (mostly, pineapple, mango or pomegranate) and I've just started making some fermented varieties. I'm pretty much a novice with the fermented varieties, although I've had a couple batches that turned out OK.


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## coxhaus (Feb 12, 2022)

I would say if you are eating hot sauce and you cannot taste your food then you are eating too hot of peppers. Either use less sauce or change to a milder pepper. I stop eating when I can't taste my food. The whole reason for hot sauce is to accent your food not wipe out the flavor.

I grew up eating peppers. There were no super-hot peppers back then.


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## WPerry (Feb 12, 2022)

An unusual one that I reach for a lot is a Scotch Bonnet/Mustard hot sauce from Double Take. They're local to me but available through Heatonist, which has a lot of great sauces (also available on Amazon if you want to pay through the nose).


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## HumbleHomeCook (Feb 12, 2022)

WPerry said:


> An unusual one that I reach for a lot is a Scotch Bonnet/Mustard hot sauce from Double Take. They're local to me but available through Heatonist, which has a lot of great sauces (also available on Amazon if you want to pay through the nose).



I love spicy mustards. A different kind of bite but so good!


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## TM001 (Feb 13, 2022)

I like simple fermented cayenne sauce, Crystal is my go to regular. I have not tried Louisiana but I assume it is very similar.

The Chili sauces from Rancho Gordo are good, still vinegar based but much thicker and less acidic than Crystal. They have a range of heat levels and some of them have sweet spice notes which some may not like.


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## Bobby2shots (Feb 13, 2022)

I mostly use Sriracha and Tabasco, and I picked up a few bottles of Cholula which I;ve yet to try. I've also got quite a few from the West Indies. One of my favourites though, is Buffalo brand Chipotle. That's probably the tastiest of the bunch. The Barbados bottlings (Rick;s, and Lick's) are insanely hot, while most Jamaican hot sauces I;ve tried, are much milder than the name on the label would suggest (Jamaican Hell-Fire). I also like Harissa.


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## coxhaus (Feb 13, 2022)

I like Cholula. The bottles are small for what you get. I like it on chalupas and tacos with lettuce.

I go through a bottle too fast.


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## WiriWiri (Feb 13, 2022)

Seems worth mentioning Bajan mustard pepper sauce as a bit of a shop bought standby for me - this one’s good, or Windmill/ Aunt May’s ain’t shabby either. Bit more distinctive and rounded than many of the usual red bonnet Jamaican sauces on offer,


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## NameAlreadyTaken (Feb 13, 2022)

(Finally something that I can contribute to, rather than just asking questions)

@Michi - I'm really loving these house made hot sauces from a local barbecue restaurant here in Melbourne, Fancy Hanks: The HOT HOT HOT — Fancy Hank's | Barbecue Restaurant | Bourke St. Melbourne
Cayenne & Watermelon
Jalapeno & Peach
Habanero & Carrot
A variety of different heats and flavours for stacks of different uses.

The original barbecue and coffee and molasses sauces are well worth adding in if you're giving them a try (also my favourite barbecue sauces, although that's a whole other thread).

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated in any way, just spent a lot of time trying different hot sauces.


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## Michi (Feb 14, 2022)

NameAlreadyTaken said:


> @Michi - I'm really loving these house made hot sauces from a local barbecue restaurant here in Melbourne, Fancy Hanks: The HOT HOT HOT — Fancy Hank's | Barbecue Restaurant | Bourke St. Melbourne


Thank you for that! At the moment, I have more than I can eat but I'll order a pack once I run low on stock!


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## J_Wisdom (Feb 14, 2022)

When I was a little kid, I lived a few blocks from the Cajun Chef factory, so I have a nostalgic connection. It's also a pretty good hot sauce, especially the green on raw oysters. In third grade, we took a field trip to the Tabasco factory, which was amazing at that age. Actually, Avery Island is pretty cool to see at any age if you're ever in the area. In the Orlando area, I normally go for Crystal and probably my all around favorite.



https://www.cajunchefshop.com/hot-sauce.html


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## DitmasPork (Feb 16, 2022)

Cheers for starting this thread! Enamored with hot sauce; good hot sauces are ‘fridge requisites in my kitchen.

Firstly, I favor either commonly available hot sauces from supermarkets and ethnic markets—Caribbean, Asian, South Asian, and Mexican markets nearby a major perk; or just making my own hot sauce.

For the most part, I’ve avoided the newer wave of artisanal, hipster, Indy hot sauces geared towards ‘chili heads.’ While some I’ve had are wonderful—for me, too often disappointing; price points high for what you get; seriously turned off by the combination of awful graphic design and offensive brand names (i.e. ‘Ass Blaster’; ‘Sphincter Shrinker’; ‘D**k Head Hot Sauce’; etc.).

I’ll change up what’s used depending on mood and what’s cooking—often to mixing things up, like Mexican hot sauce with Japanese; Bengali on tacos; Louisiana to perk up Ukrainian; etc. Sometimes I’ll fancy the smoky El Yucateco XXX; and other times I’ll crave chili purity and just make a batch of Hawaiian chili pepper water.


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## JASinIL2006 (Feb 16, 2022)

This stuff is incredibly good, too, although it's not purely a hot sauce: Sriracha mustard! I love this stuff. It will open your sinuses right up!


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## J_Wisdom (Feb 16, 2022)

Not really a hot sauce you can buy, but you can make, is "prik nam pla" in Thai restaurants. I love the little Thai chilies in it, which I think are bird's eye chilies.


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## RDalman (Feb 16, 2022)

I'm mostly sticking to homemade chilisalt, actually restocked yesterday. Mortared dried chilies and mixed in some boiling water to rehydrate. Mix with ~same amount salt, spread on tray and dry lowtemp in oven. Then mortar again and package. Yesterday was the remaining last year harvest of bhut jolokia, lemon and 5 color. And topped off with ~20% total of reapers. Turned out quite tasty.


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## KingShapton (Feb 16, 2022)

JASinIL2006 said:


> This stuff is incredibly good, too, although it's not purely a hot sauce: Sriracha mustard! I love this stuff. It will open your sinuses right up!
> 
> View attachment 165890


That sounds really good, if it were available in Germany I would buy it immediately!


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## jacko9 (Feb 16, 2022)

Flavor wise I love Pico Pica Hot. Amazon.com : Pico Pica Mexican Hot Sauce 7 Oz (Pack of 3) : Grocery & Gourmet Food


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## JASinIL2006 (Feb 16, 2022)

KingShapton said:


> That sounds really good, if it were available in Germany I would buy it immediately!



With a brand name like Inglehoffer, you'd think it would be available over there!


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## thebradleycrew (Feb 16, 2022)

tcmx3 said:


> I make my own with cayennes and habaneros but for me this often ends up a bit too spicy (especially if you, uh, dont deseed as thoroughly as you thought). I really like the flavor of habanero peppers though.
> 
> personally though I like buffalo sauces better than just plain hotsauce so Ill grab a bottle of Franks original, a stick of quality butter and some of my own hot sauce and that makes a pretty good sauce IMO. Frank's is generic enough to not be offensive as a filler. usually ratio is like:
> 
> ...


@tcmx3 - I'm surprised by the butter addition. What does it do for the sauce? Could you replace it with a neutral oil?


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## tcmx3 (Feb 16, 2022)

thebradleycrew said:


> @tcmx3 - I'm surprised by the butter addition. What does it do for the sauce? Could you replace it with a neutral oil?



it makes it taste like butter lol.

buffalo sauce is pretty different than "regular" hot sauce in that it's a thick, smooth sauce that tends to be a bit milder, especially because the fat counteracts the acidity a bit. if you look at the ratios, it's a LOT of butter. a bottle of frank's requires more than an entire block of the european stuff. I emulsify it in my blender and it stays good for longer than it takes me to use it, lol. 

it is possible to substitute in margarine if you prefer longer shelf life or dont do animal based fats.

the next time you make hot wings just try making a small amount with a basic 3 tbsp sauce 2 tbsp butter ratio, dont have to get fancy, and see if you like it.


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## AT5760 (Feb 16, 2022)

For wings - butter + Frank's is always my foundation. Occasionally I'll add ground black pepper, or fresh chiles.


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## thebradleycrew (Feb 16, 2022)

tcmx3 said:


> it makes it taste like butter lol.
> 
> buffalo sauce is pretty different than "regular" hot sauce in that it's a thick, smooth sauce that tends to be a bit milder, especially because the fat counteracts the acidity a bit. if you look at the ratios, it's a LOT of butter. a bottle of frank's requires more than an entire block of the european stuff. I emulsify it in my blender and it stays good for longer than it takes me to use it, lol.
> 
> ...


I need not taste it to know it's going to taste AWESOME. I'm just scared that I won't be able to go back...


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## JASinIL2006 (Feb 16, 2022)

I always use a stick of butter per bottle of Frank's, plus ground mustard, sambal oelek, brown sugar and cider vinegar. And depending on who else is having some, I usually add a few generous splashes of some kind of really hot sauce.


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## DitmasPork (Feb 16, 2022)

If including wet, but non-pourable hot stuff, Yuzu Kosho it one of my fave heat sources—which I'll use like hot sauce, to spike vinaigrette; mix with mayo for fries; spread on toast for sandwiches; etc. It's a mash of chilies, yuzu citrus and salt, awesome with fish, steak, etc.


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## NameAlreadyTaken (Feb 17, 2022)

Okay... so we're doing show and tell now?

This is just what I have on hand at the moment: 





Anyone else a big fan of Taiwanese chili bean paste? It's not mega hot, but the flavor it adds to dishes is fantastic. 

And yes, your honor, I plead guilty to being a sucker for overpriced hipster chili sauce.


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## spaceconvoy (Feb 17, 2022)

DitmasPork said:


> If including wet, but non-pourable hot stuff, Yuzu Kosho it one of my fave heat sources—which I'll use like hot sauce, to spike vinaigrette; mix with mayo for fries; spread on toast for sandwiches; etc. It's a mash of chilies, yuzu citrus and salt, awesome with fish, steak, etc.
> 
> View attachment 165939


That looks interesting.. If we're talking about chili pastes and anyone is into Georgian food, this is the best commercially available ajika I've tried:


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## DitmasPork (Feb 17, 2022)

spaceconvoy said:


> That looks interesting.. If we're talking about chili pastes and anyone is into Georgian food, this is the best commercially available ajika I've tried:
> View attachment 166026


Awesome! There’re a bunch of Russian/Uzbek markets near me that always stock Georgian ingredients. Love Georgian flavors.


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## sansho (Feb 17, 2022)

believe it or not, tabasco is my overall favorite hot sauce.

after reading on pepper forums and other foodie circles, i allowed myself to be trolled into believing it's noob sauce. i started buying boxes of sauces from stores like heathotsauce.com and also made my own from gardening (including some ferments). i was pretty into gardening for a few years and grew >20 different cultivars.

so after broadening my palate, i can confidently say that i still think tabasco owns. it has a really appealing, complex flavor, and i personally think it's superior to Louisiana, Crystal, et al. admittedly, they're all similar, but i've tried them side by side and prefer tabasco.

i've never been a fan of cholula or valentina. frank's is ok, but i'd only use it in 'buffalo' recipes.

i think el yucateco's products are ok, but the strong xanthan texture (i prefer little to none) and use of food colorings are a bit off putting. idk why hot sauce needs to be colored. seems very silly. but most importantly, the flavor is ok (but nothing special).

i am a big fan of most of marie sharp's sauces. i've probably bought more of this one than any of their others, but tbh i've liked everything i tried:









Green Cactus Habanero Pepper Sauce


Buy Green Cactus Habanero Pepper Sauce for only $2.50 at Marie Sharp's Company Store!




mariesharpsusa.com





^ it's one of my favorite taco sauces.

melinda's also makes good sauces, but i have preferred marie sharp's more overall.

ok but on to stuff you may not have tried which is probably the whole point of this thread...



Buy Pepper Sauce – Palo Alto Firefighters Pepper Sauce



i really like this palo alto sauce. i think my favorite is the hab (XX) version, but i can't remember why i liked it more than the ghost (XXX). might be worth a revisit. anyways, if you have ever had any fondness for taco bell (lol), this reminds me of that but is better in every way. tastier and more complex. i think it reminds me of it because of a similar spice profile (maybe both have cumin or something). this is one of my favorite burrito or rice dish sauces.

some other ones to try if you're looking to round out an order or something:









Inner Beauty Hot Sauce


A classic mustard based hot sauce made with Scotch Bonnet peppers and delicious Caribbean spices. Heat Level: Hot Ingredients: Mustard (distilled vinegar, water, #1 grade mustard seed, salt, chardonnay wine, citric acid, tartaric acid, spices, turmeric), Distilled Vinegar, Scotch Bonnet Peppers...




heathotsauce.com












Fatalii Purée


CaJohns Fatalii Purée highlights the unique citrusy flavor of the Fatalii pepper. The searing pepper heat hits you right away. Heat Level: Extra Hot Ingredients: Fatalii Chiles, Distilled Vinegar, Citric Acid and Ascorbic Acid. 5 oz




heathotsauce.com












Dirty Dick's Hot Sauce


This bold, sweet and spicy sauce combines an exotic blend of Habanero peppers, tropical fruits and ground spices. Heat Level: Medium Ingredients: Habanero Peppers, Mangoes, Pineapple, Vinegar, Bananas, Tomatoes, Brown Sugar, Raisins, Onion, Garlic, Salt & Spices. 5 oz




heathotsauce.com





especially inner beauty sauce. that's one i'll continue to repeat buy.


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## stringer (Feb 17, 2022)

thebradleycrew said:


> @tcmx3 - I'm surprised by the butter addition. What does it do for the sauce? Could you replace it with a neutral oil?


Butter plus hot sauce is the classic wings sauce. When done right it creates an emulsion that coats the wings. Like a buerre blanc except a vinegary hot sauce instead of white wine and shallots. You can't very well replace the butter with oil and get the same effect because there will be no emulsion.


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## HumbleHomeCook (Feb 17, 2022)

sansho said:


> believe it or not, tabasco is my overall favorite hot sauce.
> 
> after reading on pepper forums and other foodie circles, i allowed myself to be trolled into believing it's noob sauce. i started buying boxes of sauces from stores like heathotsauce.com and also made my own from gardening (including some ferments). i was pretty into gardening for a few years and grew >20 different cultivars.
> 
> ...



You can bet your backside my Tabasco bottles won't be going anywhere. 

But, I do like a broad flavor spectrum too. From hot sauce to mustards to pastes, I like some heat and flavor.


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## MarcelNL (Feb 17, 2022)

We have a bunch of hot sauces/sambals etc, my favorite taste is the jolokia sambal yet it has the downside that you literally need to dip a toothpick in it to dose it in order to have a hope of surviving.
Or the stinky bean sambal (Sambal Peteh), or well..should be clear by now


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## AT5760 (Feb 17, 2022)

I picked up these two at a local market right before Christmas. Neither are very hot, but both have great flavor. This corn/chipotle is pretty much drinkable.


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## DitmasPork (Feb 17, 2022)

sansho said:


> believe it or not, tabasco is my overall favorite hot sauce.
> 
> after reading on pepper forums and other foodie circles, i allowed myself to be trolled into believing it's noob sauce. i started buying boxes of sauces from stores like heathotsauce.com and also made my own from gardening (including some ferments). i was pretty into gardening for a few years and grew >20 different cultivars.
> 
> ...


Tabasco is an awesome sauce, classic, irreplaceable IMO. It’s one of my faves. It has such a distinctive taste—a must have in my ‘fridge along with Hellman’s mayo, A1, and Heinz ketchup.


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## RDalman (Feb 18, 2022)

stringer said:


> Butter plus hot sauce is the classic wings sauce. When done right it creates an emulsion that coats the wings. Like a buerre blanc except a vinegary hot sauce instead of white wine and shallots. You can't very well replace the butter with oil and get the same effect because there will be no emulsion.


Had butter/hotsauce for the first time ever on double fried wings last friday. Indeed that works


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## M1k3 (Feb 18, 2022)

RDalman said:


> Had butter/hotsauce for the first time ever on double fried wings last friday. Indeed that works


Goes great with blue cheese and green onions.


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## Bobby2shots (Feb 18, 2022)

eggs with Tabasco????,,,,,,,, yesssssssssssssss!!! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez!!! A marriage made in heaven
Seems to me I tried Tabasco with oysters as well.


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## DitmasPork (Feb 18, 2022)

Having Haitian Hot Sauce on my Lay’s crisps—pretty good considering it was $1.99 a bottle.


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## Bobby2shots (Feb 18, 2022)

Hot salsa with hummus is great for chip-dipping.


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## btbyrd (Feb 18, 2022)

I don't consider myself to be a hot sauce person, but I sure do seem to have a bunch of it hanging around the house. I like Cholula because you can really glop it on without getting things too hot. Tapatio for a bit more heat and spice. Franks or Texas Pete (hometown brand) for classic cayenne/vinegar sauce. Green Cholula or Tabasco for that verdant jalapeno flavor. And chipotle Tabasco for that smokey hit. And Huy Fong sriracha for all those sriracha purposes. And their chili garlic paste for all those chili garlic purposes. I have tried several types of chili crisp but I seem not to care for that genre of product very much, which makes me sad because it seems like it should be more delicious than it actually is.


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## PNWanderlust (Feb 27, 2022)

I have way too many hot sauces… Here in Portland we have a hot sauce/beer bar called AleFire and I used to live above it.. I think I’m down to about 30 hot sauces now but here are some of my favorites.

Valentina (black label, “extra hot”) This is my favorite standard for all the Cholula/Tabasco/Tapatio line up.

Secret Aardvark (top 3 for sure)
Pickapepper (Jamaican hot sauce. I love it)
D. L. Jardines Texas Champagne
Wet Wizard - Los Roast Verde
Humble House - Ancho and Morita
Rad’s Barrel Aged - Rad’s Reserve
Bobby’s Boat Sauce
El Yucateco Habanero Xtra Hot
Karma Sauce - Smokey Karma
High River Sauces - Cheeba Gold
Inner Beauty (seen previously mentioned) +1

and for obvious reasons, can’t forget Frank’s and Sriracha. Mainly these for adding to other sauces. I also love Crystal hot sauce as well. 

last hot sauces I’ve made are roasted habanero and carrot, w/ onion, ACV, garlic. The other was a habenero golden beet one. Had too many beets from the CSA so made hot sauce.


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## J_Wisdom (Feb 27, 2022)

Green Tabasco on raw oysters is great! Actually, the several Louisiana green hot sauces I've tried on raw oysters are all very good. Of course, good raw oysters without anything on them works just fine. Now I want oysters.


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## Bill13 (Feb 27, 2022)

I love Pickapepper!

My newest find was on the table of the airport restaurant in Turks and Caicos. I loved it so much when I found it in the gift shop I bought a bottle, only to have it confiscated by security. Luckly Amazon has it too, and for less. I would say it's medium hot, lots of scotch bonnet flavor.

Amazon.com : Peppajoy 4 pack (Peppajoy Regular 4 pack) : Grocery & Gourmet Food


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## PNWanderlust (Feb 27, 2022)

Right?! It’s so good. I’ll have to try the PeppaJoy now soon. Looks good. Love guava and scotch bonnet… when I buy a house here (hopefully soon, been looking) I plan on growing my own scotch bonnets to use for hot sauces and jerk marinades.

also agree with green Tabasco. It’s actually the only Tabasco I like and it does go well with oysters indeed.

I would say if anyone hasn’t tried secret aardvark, pickapepper, D.L. Jardines, or humble house ones, those are all soooooo good. All very different too, so having them all isn’t any overlap.


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## thebradleycrew (Feb 27, 2022)

PNWanderlust said:


> Right?! It’s so good. I’ll have to try the PeppaJoy now soon. Looks good. Love guava and scotch bonnet… when I buy a house here (hopefully soon, been looking) I plan on growing my own scotch bonnets to use for hot sauces and jerk marinades.
> 
> also agree with green Tabasco. It’s actually the only Tabasco I like and it does go well with oysters indeed.
> 
> I would say if anyone hasn’t tried secret aardvark, pickapepper, D.L. Jardines, or humble house ones, those are all soooooo good. All very different too, so having them all isn’t any overlap.


Have you tried Wallys? I just ordered some from Hood River. I like it.


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## PNWanderlust (Feb 27, 2022)

Haven’t had Wallys. I’ll check that out too. Thanks for the recommendation


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## Bobby2shots (Feb 27, 2022)

J_Wisdom said:


> Green Tabasco on raw oysters is great! Actually, the several Louisiana green hot sauces I've tried on raw oysters are all very good. Of course, good raw oysters without anything on them works just fine. Now I want oysters.



Wash that down with a nice ice-cold bottle of bone-dry Muscadet. Mmmm-mmmm-gooood.


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## coxhaus (Feb 28, 2022)

I like Pickapepper on chicken fried steak instead of gravy. It also makes a good Bloody Mary.

I liked the original Green Tabasco they released first better than the current one. I will have to try it on oysters.


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## Tralle (Feb 28, 2022)

If you want the overly complicated way, here's a recepie on hot sauce made from vinyl gloves.


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## PNWanderlust (Feb 28, 2022)

Tralle said:


> If you want the overly complicated way, here's a recepie on hot sauce made from vinyl gloves.




weird...


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## PNWanderlust (Feb 28, 2022)

Has anyone here tried Zab's? It's a Datil pepper "St. Augustine" style hot sauce.. This has been on my radar, just haven't bought a bottle yet.
Trying to work through my current supply first


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## superworrier (Feb 28, 2022)

+1 for Aardvark. Have it everyday with eggs.

Gotta try Valentina and Pickapeppa


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## PNWanderlust (Feb 28, 2022)

I would also recommend to people the D.L. Jardine's Texas Champange for those who like tabasco/franks/crystal.. because this hot sauce is like all of those had a baby... and I love it.


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## sansho (Feb 28, 2022)

aardvark and pickapeppa are good. valentina is nothing special imo.

D.L. Jardine's Texas Champange never heard of it, but i want to try now.


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## sansho (Feb 28, 2022)

i have way too many sauces. several boxes full. so i have declared a moratorium on hot sauce buying.

i'm going to eat every one of these damn bottles (even old ones unless they are legit expired or taste actually bad) before buying new sauces. *

_*but i will replenish everyday sauces as needed_


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## coxhaus (Feb 28, 2022)

sansho said:


> View attachment 167857
> 
> 
> i have way too many sauces. several boxes full. so i have declared a moratorium on hot sauce buying.
> ...


Which hot sauce do you like best on your fried chicken? I would probably like Crystal but I have not had all those hot sauces.


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## sansho (Feb 28, 2022)

out of those ones, crystal and lucky dog medium are the winners.

overall idk what my favorite fried chicken sauce is.

even though i like tabasco overall more than crystal, crystal is maybe better on cold/old fried chicken.


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## PNWanderlust (Feb 28, 2022)

Crystal hot sauce and fried chicken….. mmmmm. One of my favs.


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## PNWanderlust (Feb 28, 2022)

sansho said:


> aardvark and pickapeppa are good. valentina is nothing special imo.
> 
> D.L. Jardine's Texas Champange never heard of it, but i want to try now.



Valentina isn’t anything special but that’s why I love it. It’s a great everyday hot sauce. The black label one deff taste better too. It’s my favorite out of all the “cholula/tapatio/Tabasco”everyday table sauce.


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## boomchakabowwow (Mar 2, 2022)

i have a few staples.

Tabasco - i think the vinegar in the juice really brightens some dishes.
Tapatio. - just because
Trader Joes Siracha. - its better than the rooster stuff which i find way to salty. TJ's is full of garlic and has more dimension in flavors.

i then have a bunch of oils, etc that require a spoon to deliver.


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## scrappy (Mar 10, 2022)

The best hot sauce I’ve had was brought back from Tobago by a friend. It was head and shoulders above anything I’ve ever tasted. It was an unusual, pale green colour. Clearly made with Scotch Bonnet, it was punchy but not overpowering. Good enough to eat by itself. I’m wondering if there was some fruit in there somewhere.


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## Rainman890 (Mar 10, 2022)

I just scrolled through this thread and I have no idea why Marie Sharp's isn't here. It's one of the best lines of hot sauce around. There is a ton of different hot sauce at my house (and many good ones are already listed here), but there's a special place in my heart for Marie Sharp.

It's from Belize - I visited the factory almost 20 years ago (when it wasn't exported) and it was totally women-run and owned (not sure how it is now, but it's at least still locally made). The carrot base really makes a nice sweetness as well. They have a whole lot of different styles, but the flavor is always great.

And, you can now get it in Europe without having to fly to the US and sneak it back in luggage (which of course I would never do)...








Marie Sharp's Habanero Hot Sauces from Belize – Marie Sharp's Company Store


Hot sauce loved by millions and national condiment of Belize. Marie Sharp's Habanero Pepper sauces are made from sustainably farmed, whole fruit & vegetables. OFFICIAL U.S. Site




mariesharpsusa.com












Startseite - Marie Sharp - Habanero-Saucen - Proud products of Belize


Habanero-Saucen von Marie Sharp. 100% Schärfe, 100% Geschmack 100% Natürlich! Liebevoll zubereitet, mit leckerem Gemüse und vielen unter der tropischen Sonne von Belize gereiften Habaneros. Chili-Soßen günstig online kaufen! Bei Marie-Sharp.de - Dem Soßen-Shop. Versandkostenfrei ab einem...




marie-sharp.de


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## noj (Mar 10, 2022)

Home made ..

2 c water
1/3 c white vinegar
2 T salt
1 t citric acid
1/2 c ground red pepper

Adjust any to personal taste, or variations.

For fresh peppers just grind in blender. Start with the peppers and just enough water to get a good mixture first. Same with dry whole peppers, but rehydrate in hot water, and remove any stems and seeds as you wish before blender.


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## HumbleHomeCook (Mar 12, 2022)

Popped into my local Mexican grocery and my favorite lady was working so I asked her what was her favorite hot sauce that they carried. Mind you, that's a pretty respectable inventory. She narrowed it down pretty quickly but it took her a couple minutes to pick the one. Eventually she grabbed this one:






She says it has heat but is a flavor-first type sauce and that it is very popular. That's a fine endorsement in my book. Haven't tried it yet but looking forward to it.


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## Rangen (Mar 12, 2022)

I was annoyed that it took me until very recently to discover that there's a "Family Reserve" version of Tabasco. I ordered some about 8 seconds after I discovered that it existed. It is fully worthy: deeper, more intense, Tabasco on steroids. Now I'm not sure when I would ever use the ordinary version.


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## DitmasPork (Mar 13, 2022)

I’m a lazy shopper, so my hot sauce preferences shaped by wherever I’ve lived; sources usually whatever local market I happen to be in—I’ve never gone outta my way, or mail ordered hot sauce.

Interestingly, the supermarket nearest my apartment (C-Town) inconveniently keeps hot sauces in three separate aisles—grouped by mother cuisine. Cholula oddly absent from the Mexican section, but featured in Caribbean and American hot sauce shelves.






American; Sriracha hot sauces; Cholula





Caribbean hot sauces; cholula





Mexican hot sauces


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## sansho (Mar 13, 2022)

Rainman890 said:


> I just scrolled through this thread and I have no idea why Marie Sharp's isn't here. It's one of the best lines of hot sauce around.



it's in here! i swear!

do you have a favorite? i buy a lot of the green cactus hab, but i like them all.


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## Bill13 (Mar 13, 2022)

Rangen said:


> I was annoyed that it took me until very recently to discover that there's a "Family Reserve" version of Tabasco. I ordered some about 8 seconds after I discovered that it existed. It is fully worthy: deeper, more intense, Tabasco on steroids. Now I'm not sure when I would ever use the ordinary version.


I had no idea either, just ordered one. Can't find the Wally's anywhere.


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## MrHiggins (Mar 13, 2022)

Roasted habanero, garlic, cilantro, lime, and tomato salsa. Not for the timid, but so tasty in small doses or mixed into other sauces (chimichuri, ranch dressing, etc...)


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## Rainman890 (Mar 14, 2022)

sansho said:


> it's in here! i swear!
> 
> do you have a favorite? i buy a lot of the green cactus hab, but i like them all.


I just really like the basic one, very hot level or "Belizean heat". The flavor is so good it goes on everything...


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## ch_br (Mar 30, 2022)

If you're a fan of Sriracha,

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one.. *FIX*






Its has SO MUCH more flavor and umami than any other pre bottled type ive ever tried.


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## tcmx3 (Mar 30, 2022)

there's a significantly milder habanero variety for folks who like the flavor but not the heat.

personally de-seeded habaneros are just about perfect for me.

btw does romesco count as a hot sauce? Ive got a killer recipe saved if folks wanna see it.


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## ch_br (Mar 30, 2022)

tcmx3 said:


> btw does romesco count as a hot sauce? Ive got a killer recipe saved if folks wanna see it.



I'd love to see that recipe please...


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## tcmx3 (Mar 30, 2022)

ch_br said:


> I'd love to see that recipe please...



you got it. fwiw this one isnt a traditional Spanish style, and you can easily adjust it a bit hotter with more cayenne pepper (I double for my personal tastes). but a nice thing about this is that it's made with easy to get ingredients even if you live in Texas like I do lol

btw I would rate this above many recipes I've gotten out of Spanish books, and also in case anyone is a bit dubious, this isnt a vegan restaurant lol


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## djacobson (Mar 30, 2022)

Rainman890 said:


> I just really like the basic one, very hot level or "Belizean heat". The flavor is so good it goes on everything...



I just picked up the "fiery hot" and it seems to hit the spot for me for heat/flavor balance. The carrot based ones have definitely been my preference. But how much more amped up is the Belizean heat, and is the extract noticeable?


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## Rainman890 (Mar 31, 2022)

djacobson said:


> I just picked up the "fiery hot" and it seems to hit the spot for me for heat/flavor balance. The carrot based ones have definitely been my preference. But how much more amped up is the Belizean heat, and is the extract noticeable?



I think that all of the ones up to Belizean heat are quite mild (for me), and that one really strikes the best balance. It's not insanely hot, and just really well balanced. I've heard the red hornet is really spicy, but I've never tried it.

That's one of the things I like about Marie Sharp's, it's not spicy for the sake of spicy...


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## KingShapton (Mar 31, 2022)

tcmx3 said:


> btw does romesco count as a hot sauce? Ive got a killer recipe saved if folks wanna see it.


Thanks for sharing, that looks promising! Will try it soon..


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## PNWanderlust (Apr 5, 2022)

ch_br said:


> If you're a fan of Sriracha,
> 
> I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one.. *FIX*
> 
> ...



I'm going to try this one out next time I need to re-up on my sriracha.


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## PNWanderlust (Apr 5, 2022)

tcmx3 said:


> you got it. fwiw this one isnt a traditional Spanish style, and you can easily adjust it a bit hotter with more cayenne pepper (I double for my personal tastes). but a nice thing about this is that it's made with easy to get ingredients even if you live in Texas like I do lol
> 
> btw I would rate this above many recipes I've gotten out of Spanish books, and also in case anyone is a bit dubious, this isnt a vegan restaurant lol
> 
> View attachment 172647



This definitely sounds really good. I'm going to make these tacos this weekend.


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## Lars (Apr 6, 2022)

tcmx3 said:


> you got it. fwiw this one isnt a traditional Spanish style, and you can easily adjust it a bit hotter with more cayenne pepper (I double for my personal tastes). but a nice thing about this is that it's made with easy to get ingredients even if you live in Texas like I do lol
> 
> btw I would rate this above many recipes I've gotten out of Spanish books, and also in case anyone is a bit dubious, this isnt a vegan restaurant lol
> 
> View attachment 172647


Just made the Romesco sauce and it is very, very tasty. Will make the cauliflower tacos for dinner later. Thanks for sharing the recipe @tcmx3!


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## HumbleHomeCook (Apr 15, 2022)

My youngest and I were out running around and popped into my favorite spice shop. She left with a small bottle of coarse ground pepper corns and chipotle blend and I, among other things, to include jalapeno powder, left with two jars of this:











Super tasty spice blend! The sweetheart who runs the place had a test bottle and finally coaxed me into trying a taste and yep, better get two of those. I'm giving one to my oldest daughter who will love it.

And yes they do ship. 

Also, @Michi my friend, they specialize in sausage blends and such. I don't know how it would work shipping to you down there or if would be worth it, but if you see anything you like and there's a way I can help get stuff to you, please let me know.

Michlitch - Spokane Spice Company


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## Michi (Apr 15, 2022)

HumbleHomeCook said:


> Also, @Michi my friend, they specialize in sausage blends and such. I don't know how it would work shipping to you down there or if would be worth it, but if you see anything you like and there's a way I can help get stuff to you, please let me know.


Thank you very much for the offer, that looks like an interesting place to browse! 

I'll probably end up in the US later this year, and I'm gradually putting together a shopping list. I'll have all the stuff shipped to my son, who lives over there, and then take possession when I get there. One suitcase of clothes and one suitcase of cooking utensils and ingredients for the return trip


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## HumbleHomeCook (Apr 15, 2022)

@Michi pre-COVID they taught sausage making on premises and I've talked to a couple folks who took their classes and they say the Mitchlitch folks know their sausage.


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## Michi (Apr 15, 2022)

HumbleHomeCook said:


> @Michi pre-COVID they taught sausage making on premises and I've talked to a couple folks who took their classes and they say the Mitchlitch folks know their sausage.


I'm still browsing their site. That's quite the range they have there. It sure looks like they know what they are doing, just from seeing their product selection!


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