What the best hot sauce ?
By pimagro24
@pimagro24 (1046)
Thailand
5 responses
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
3 Oct 08
Tabasco does have a unique taste because the chilis are fermented in barrels. It is not everyone's cup of tea.
You could try Piri-piri Sauce or Chipotle (which is made from smoked chilis). As far as I know, Chipotle is only known in America but it may be available in selected places in the UK (I haven't found it yet).
The other thing to do is to experiment with fresh chilis in making your own sauce. There are many recipes online but basically you need chilis, sugar, salt, vinegar and maybe some spices and citrus zest/peel, depending on what you are looking for.
I don't think the variety of chili matters too much. Each, of course, has a 'heat' rating (which is measured scientifically on a scale called the Scovill scale). There are other things such as sugars and other taste elements which combine to make a particular chili's character. If the chili has a bitterness as well, for example, this might affect how you use it and whether you combine it with other things.
Chili seeds are often bitter and also contain more of the 'heat'. You may like to experiment with the same recipes leaving the seeds out in one version and including them in another.
I am rather hooked on Chili Vodka. About six Scotch Bonnets to a bottle of the strongest vodka you can find (Export Strength or Blue Label Smirnoff are good, if you can find them). I like to add the zest of a whole lime and half its juice. The whole should be steeped in the fridge for at least a week (my recipe says for 6 weeks but I have found that it becomes slightly bitter and that a week or so is enough).
This gently golden liquid can be drunk (in very small quantities - 1 tsp is recommended to begin with) neat or can be used as an essence in cooking.
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
3 Oct 08
Piri-piri is not the same as Chipotle. What I posted seemed to suggest that. If I could find Chipotle (pron. Chi-po-tlay) in the UK, I would buy a lot of it, LOL
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
3 Oct 08
I see that you are from China. I know nothing about the availability of chili in China except that Schechuan (northern Chinese) cuisine does use hot spices a lot. In the West it is not hard to find sauces and ingredients for many of the more popular ethnic cuisines. Schechuan cuisine (or style) is fairly popular here, as is southern Chinese and Thai food. Hong Kong and Peking style are the nost common. Many Chinese restaurants offer Schechuan style as well. How authentic it is, of course, is open to debate!
Personally, I enjoy Thai food, which has coconut, ginger, galangal, lime leaves and some chili. I also love the Schechuan style of cooking very thinly cut meat at the table in a central pot of boiling stock. I think that this way of serving food is very intimate and conducive to a social gathering. Especially with people who are not very expert with chopsticks, it can lead to a lot of fun!
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
3 Oct 08
Have you ever tried peri-peri sauce pimagro? It has many different levels of spiciness and a really nice flavour too. If you are able to find this somewhere I recommend that you give it a try! It's great with most meats (mainly chicken) and can also be used for dips etc as well. I believe it comes from Portugal but I have seen it in many places before.
@sreejithsreenivas (10200)
• India
3 Oct 08
I like tomato chilly sauce.Like you i also like spicy foods.
@warrior_777 (1392)
• Philippines
3 Oct 08
I think tabasco is a nice Hot Sauce.
You can also try Mama Cita's Hot Sauce.
