Ultimate Guide to Hot Sauces

Adding hot sauces to the dinner table is deeply ingrained in different cultural norms. Traditionally, hot sauces were mixtures of wild chilies and water but have evolved greatly that today, hot sauces can be found in every grocery store with different variations.

Many people enjoy a bit of kick to their food. They constantly search for the greatest hot sauces since they want both the burning and the taste. These individuals are sometimes called “chili heads” or “pepper heads” because they love scalding hot food. Some can’t get enough of the spiciness that they would even want to try an extra-hot sauce for the sake of adventure or just because they like the experience. This article will be your ultimate guide to learning more about hot sauces.

What is Hot Sauce?

A hot sauce is a condiment or salsa made with chili peppers and other ingredients. There are wide commercial varieties of mass-produced hot sauce. The most common components of hot sauce are a combination of chili peppers, vinegar, and salt. Many hot sauces are fermented to provide a sour flavor component. While other hot sauces get their spiciness from ingredients other than chilies (mustard sauce, wasabi, horseradish), chili-based spices are typically used.

History of Hot Sauce

Hot sauce is everywhere these days. Records present that hot sauces can be traced back to where chilies are naturally planted, Central America. To be more precise, Aztec. Chile is considered one of the oldest plants cultivated by humans, with archaeologists finding evidence of its use by the Aztecs as early as 7000 BC.

Other sources emphasized the invention of hot sauces back in the Mayan times. The first hot sauces were peppers mixed with water, but it took a little while for people to start cultivating pepper plants to develop the pepper’s most desirable properties.

After introducing foreign components like vinegar and other spices, colonization, which also led to the evolution of most meals, significantly advanced the development of hot sauce. After that, spicy flavors took little time to spread to every part of the world.

Almost every culture has its version of a spicy condiment that is used to improve food flavor. Although hot sauce has long been a favorite in the United States, its appeal has grown recently. Today, different varieties of hot sauces are readily available on the shelves. Let’s take a look at the different sauces you can choose from:

1. Chile Pepper Extract Hot Sauce

This highly-rated hot sauce is among the most desirable varieties available in the market. This hot sauce is only recommended if you’re used to a lot of burning and spiciness. If you’re all right with it, be sure only to offer it to people if they’re also a chili-head.

If you or someone else consumes it without warning, it may result in throwing up, sweating, and even crying, along with frequent trips to the bathroom. Some varieties of this hot sauce include 800,000 Scoville units. For those used to high levels of spiciness, this sauce is perfect for making any meal as hot as you like. It is all the heat you will ever need.

2. Habanero Hot Sauce

This hot sauce is different from the usual one you are used to enjoying for a spicy kick, perhaps because it’s full of flavor and heat. Insanely delicious, spicy habanero hot sauce usually includes five simple ingredients: onion, garlic, lime, habanero peppers, and salt!

This sauce is less hot than the others on the list, to be fair. Because of this, it would make a fantastic entry-level sauce for someone looking to move up the hot sauce food chain. Try this one and then go on to a hotter one once you’re accustomed to the burning if you want to be bold enough to try the most sizzling hot sauces available. Additionally, it would work well with practically any meal, allowing you to utilize it as a healthy alternative to other condiments like ketchup.

3. Jalapeno Hot Sauce

Jalapeno Hot Sauce

A range of foods and cuisines benefit from the distinctive zest that green jalapeno hot sauce brings. You can savor the taste of bright, crisp jalapenos in every bite since they are mild but flavorful. Common ingredients include puree jalapenos, garlic, lime juice, and salt, added with cilantro.

One famous variety of hot jalapeno sauce is the green jalapeno pepper sauce, one of the top green jalapeno hot sauces available now. It is a popular choice among hot sauce lovers. It’s been successfully used on gyros, pizza, burgers, and tacos. A red jalapeno sauce can complement this, but it’s hotter than this.

While this green sauce is mild, it is safer for sandwiches, salads, meats, and several recipes. Most people can handle the flavor, so you can order this for your parties and family dinners. The jalapeno flavor here is a full-bodied, intense one that should satisfy most eaters.

However, this option might be disappointing if you prefer a different chili sauce. If this version is too spicy for you, there are several other habanero sauces from the same brand. Mango is sometimes added to sweeten the taste and even heat it less.

4. Scorpion Pepper Hot Sauce

Pepper sauce is great as an appetizer or a dipping sauce for vegetables. It is traditionally served with Southwestern and Central American cuisine as a condiment. Just a few tiny drops of this sauce would be sure to burn in your mouth. There are also several other peppers included, featuring the habanero and the ghost pepper; while you would get mostly heat out of this hot sauce option, you should also be able to get a little flavor.

Some variations of this sauce are also gluten-free, vegetarian, and free of any synthetic extracts. While it’s natural, it’s also a bit slow to act. Some have consumed it and felt that they were fine. However, the buildup is gradual and can cause crying, sweat, and other issues. Before trying this sauce, you should be sure about what you’re doing and have a glass of milk on hand, just in case.

5. Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce

Many people love the burn that comes with hot sauce but would also like the taste to be good. This is what you get with ghost pepper hot sauces. It contains deadly ghost pepper but also has a welcome flavor that can complement your dishes. A great combination is a chicken, barbecue, or fries with a few drops of ranch ghost pepper sauce.

 Ghost pepper hot sauce would make any dressing a worthwhile challenge for chili heads. However, the lemon juice and garlic inside ensure the flavor is just as intense. Some varieties offer high-quality ingredients which are gluten-free, fat-free, and natural. You can thus enjoy the heat without worrying about calories or breaking your dietary restrictions.

6. Gochujang Sauce

Gochujang is a Korean-style sweet and spicy garlic and red fermented chili hot sauce perfect as a dipping sauce for stir-fries, noodle dishes, fried rice, eggs, or your favorite appetizer. Even a tiny amount would go a long way in flavoring your dishes.

Many have used this sauce in their beef, chicken, and vegetarian dishes. It serves well as a flavoring additive and in a marinade. You can experiment by mixing it with other ingredients like honey, soy sauce, and chicken broth. The combination would make it very popular among those who love Korean barbeque.

Some people just can’t get enough of spiciness. They want to try the extra hot sauce for adventure or because they like the experience. The hottest sauce on the market is called Death Sauce.

pizza master adding hot sauce on the pizza

Below are the various options available for death sauces on the market today:

1. Ultra Death Sauce

This death sauce is a spicier hot sauce than most other death sauces. Some famous brands come with a signature key chain and have ingredients that are up to 750 times hotter than a regular jalapeno chili. It should be diluted and used in small quantities. Although it is a tomato base, you can hardly feel the tomato flavor by adding other ingredients.

2. Death Sauce with Liquid Fury

Death Sauce with Liquid Fury is a death sauce with some of the hottest ingredients in the world, so it should be handled with great care. This warns those who think they can take this hot sauce without experience. Because of this, some brands indicate the box with a shape like a coffin. 

It’s a good idea to have milk, bread, etc., on hand when trying this sauce for the first time. Too much can cause stomach cramps and burning sensations. Some customers report that the sauce’s flavor is high in ginger, so it may only be for some.

3. After Death Sauce

This type of death sauce is full of flavor; thus, it can add a different experience to burritos, tacos, sandwiches, and wraps if required. The super-hot flavor offered by this death sauce is used sparingly on meatloaf, death wings, chili, sushi, seafood, cheeseburgers, etc. If you are also looking for a unique gift for your chili head friends, this death sauce serves a great experience of spiciness.

4. Sudden Death Sauce

Among death sauces, Sudden Death Sauce is reported to be famous among pepper heads. It is recommended to use it by diluting it in some food or other seasoning. The ingredients include red habaneros, clover honey, ginseng, lime juice, and cayenne chilies. The combination of fresh ingredients gives this sauce a full flavor that isn’t common for a hot sauce.

People accustomed to hot and spicy experiences with sauces will find this sauce enjoyable. Still, pepper extract may only be for some. It is usually considered an acceptable source to bring out at a party with a full warning.

5. After Death Sauce with Liquid Rage

Dieters will be happy to know that this type of death sauce contains little to no preservatives, calories, carbohydrates, and fat. It goes well with clams and chicken wings. Pepper heads working their way up the hot sauce ladder will appreciate that this is extremely hot but still flavorful. This sauce has been reviewed as an everyday sauce for some and a conversation starter for others. Even a single drop can make a meal too spicy for some.

6. Pure Death Hot Sauce with Jolokia

This death sauce is infused with Jolokia, or ghost pepper, the hottest of its kind. Some use this sauce with jambalaya, crayfish, oysters, chicken wings, and mussels. You can add a few drops to other meals, get the hot kick you’ve been looking for, and add spices. The heat level of this sauce is reported to be balanced, not over-piercing the mouth or cramping the stomach. It’s hotter than the original death sauce but less than the After Death version. The upside is that it has a clean taste with no added extracts.

7. Death Sauce with Chipotle

Reviews have stated that this sauce provides a balance of flavor and heat. Around the highest heat level, any sauce can be considered a condiment, not just a food additive. Some ingredients may include red and orange habaneros, vinegar, fresh cayenne, smashed garlic, chipotle, lime juice, cilantro, fresh herbs, and spices. This death sauce is definitely a must-try.

8. Mega Death Sauce

The spiciness of this sauce is only suitable for sparing and diluted use. It can give any chili head the endorphin boost they crave. The ingredients are also fresh and natural, hence a good option for those who like to keep the kick healthier.

9. Golden Death Sauce

Golden death sauce contains golden Caribbean flavors derived from turmeric and mustard. It also has a slight chipotle flavor. You can get used to the daily diet enough. Although this sauce is not as spicy as other sauces, customers report that this sauce is delicious.

10. Lethal Injection Bhut Jolokia Hot Sauce

This super hot sauce is made with red Savina habanero peppers, fatali peppers, and ghost peppers. Reviewers rated it as a decent sauce with good taste. Because it is quite thick, you need to be careful with the amount you put on the dish.

Some varieties come in a bottle that looks like a glass medicine vial. It also claims to be the hottest sauce with no extracts. This death sauce is a good option for those who want their warm experience to be as natural as possible. 

11. Reaper Sriracha Sauce

hot spicy red sriracha sauce

Sriracha sauce is made from chilies, distilled vinegar, and other spice packed with Carline reaper peppers and garlic accents for extra flavor. It measures 100,000 on the Scoville scale and brings a unique spiciness to sriracha sauce. The taste is the familiar tanginess of sriracha with a hint of heat from the Caroline Reapers. You can mix it with regular sriracha to enjoy the heat without risking too much.

Conclusion

Remember that most have multiple side effects when purchasing any hot sauces mentioned above. Too little can wreak havoc on the inside. Taste a little of each sauce and adjust accordingly before adding it to your dish. Some sources have warnings about dilution and hand washing after handling, so read the label beforehand as a precaution.