Tabasco... or some other hot sauce?
I was just reading a post and saw a lot of folks like to put tabasco on their food. I myself have never been a fan. I have always thought that tabasco somehow tastes off and somewhat spoiled.
I am a huge fan of Cholula, you know... the one with the round wooden cap. To me it is more well rounded and very flavorful.
How do you spice up your Serious Eats?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
45 Comments:
pavlova.. genius name, and had i thought of it for myself, would've been pissed that someone else was more clever than i.. weeeeeell.. i don't really have a preference for hot sauce, mostly i like the ones that you can't taste cuz the tang throws the food off.. that means frank's is out.. i use seasonings that put spice in my food, like tony chechere's.. always yummy..
yummynomnom at 6:34AM on 03/25/09
I use Sriracha and Frank's Red Hot, a lot. Tabasco's okay, I guess, but it's very, I don't know, thin in flavor. Lately I've been really hooked on this chili/yuzu japanese paste that comes in a tube and I don't know the name because all the writing is in Japanese.
chisai at 6:39AM on 03/25/09
@ chisai mmmm.. is it the one in the clear container (red) with the yellow writing?
yummynomnom at 6:47AM on 03/25/09
@yum, you question caused me to search for it on the web. Youki Yuzu and Pepper, it's the bottom left. It is ridiculously good.
chisai at 6:55AM on 03/25/09
i was way off with my description, i meant the red bottle with the green cap.. which is obviously not that.. lol..
yummynomnom at 6:57AM on 03/25/09
Another vote for Cholula here! Love that stuff.
@yummy ~ You are describing Sriracha. that's some pretty good stuff!
izatryt at 7:57AM on 03/25/09
We go back and forth between Tapatio and Sriracha. Tapatio we use more on the Southwest/ Mexican flavored foods, and Sriracha is kind of our all-purpose hot sauce. We love them both- they add heat, but they also both add unique flavors.
ErikaWaz at 8:19AM on 03/25/09
Frank's. Or Budweiser Wing Sauce, which I use as a hot sauce rather than just a wing sauce sometimes.
cycorider at 8:25AM on 03/25/09
I love hot sauce! I agree, Tabasco is pretty thin and boring. Marie Sharp's habanero sauce is my absolute favorite. It adds spice and flavor, but not an overtly "Latin" flavor like I think some others (Cholula, etc.) do. You should try it!
lefteyeislazy at 8:35AM on 03/25/09
D.L. Jardine's.
bobbob at 8:51AM on 03/25/09
Many Louisiana folks love Tabasco, but another big favorite (made in New Orleans; sold globally) is Crystal Hot Sauce.
It is a bit milder in flavor and medium heat. I love to use it to flavor soups, stews, red beans, etc. during and after cooking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Hot_Sauce
Remander at 8:58AM on 03/25/09
I love Sriracha. We used to be a Tabasco household, until I discovered that stuff. I marinated a flat iron steak with some Sriracha and honey, a dash of soy, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and a dash of rice wine vinegar and it was great.
Anyone ever use the green jalapeno Tabasco? I have to admit, I liked that one for a hot minute.
juliebugsmama at 9:39AM on 03/25/09
I am another fan of Crystal liking it better than original Tabasco. I do use some of the other Tabasco varieties for various things especially the chipotle and jalapeno flavors.
chazmo at 9:45AM on 03/25/09
I find Tabasco way too vinegary. I like and use Cholula a lot and Tapatio is good too.
beersnob at 10:13AM on 03/25/09
I too love sriracha and tabasco, I love any Hot, spice enhancer. I carry it in my purse, just in case someplace I go to doesn't have some. I have been doing this for about 20 years now.
pjracz10 at 10:26AM on 03/25/09
The great thing about hot sauces is that you can have several that you like for different purposes. This is what's in my fridge and what I used them for:
Tabasco: essential for Bloody Marys, a dash on oysters
Siracha: splash on Asian soups and noodles, spicy tuna rolls
Dave's Insanity Sauce or other habanero sauce: add a tiny drop to other hot sauces when not hot enough!
Cholula: on everything Mexican
Marie Sharp's: great on chicken, puts me in a Caribbean state of mind
homemade: for applications in which the others would be too vinegary, I use my homemade hot sauce
Lorenzo at 10:35AM on 03/25/09
Tabasco Chipotle is my fav, but I also like Crystal.
1stmakearoux at 11:01AM on 03/25/09
Like @Lorenzo, I keep a variety of hot sauces on hand for specific dishes.
Dragon Sauce -- asian dishes
Lousiana hot sauce -- Pizza
Siracha - simple baked chicken or fried chicken also great in stir fry
Cholula - mexican and sometimes eggs.
I usually have one or two other hot sauces around that get added to the rotation.
lakeloverhh at 11:04AM on 03/25/09
Crystal is good. Texas Champagne is RAD.
seikel at 11:06AM on 03/25/09
Sambal paste, all the way.
I also like Frank's, but it can't be used on everything. I've tried the green Tabasco and liked it, but I can't seem to find it in any stores.
Kerosena at 11:34AM on 03/25/09
I usually use Tobasco Chipoltle too but only in marinades to be honest. My normal hot sauce though is Piri Piri. But have been known to use and love Siracha as well.
huneybumper at 11:36AM on 03/25/09
Smoked paprika is a good one...but only in small doses, as it is relatively potent. I like to put horseradish in mash potato to give it a kick.
ramsay_who at 11:39AM on 03/25/09
I use Siracha, Franks, and hot sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings. Mmmm-Mango Habanero...
Butrflygirly at 11:43AM on 03/25/09
I'm with Lorenzo and Lakelover - I like different hot sauces for different purposes. Regulars are sambal oelek, sriracha, Melinda's habanero sauce, and Tiger sauce (sweeter - and my pick for things like cumin-coated seared chicken with couscous and pimentos).
littlestcapy at 11:44AM on 03/25/09
El Yucateco, Melinda's, Crystal, Sri Racha and Bedekar Lime Pickle are my faves. Cholula and Tabasco are serviceable but inferior imho. Also, I LOVE some good Chinese style red chili in oil.
simon at 11:53AM on 03/25/09
@chisai - your yuzu chili paste sounds awesome. i need to get some, i'm sure it could make my regular hot sauce roster.
simon at 11:56AM on 03/25/09
@beersnob - your are correct about Tabasco being very "vinegary," it contains double the concentration of acetic acid of your average vinegar.
simon at 11:58AM on 03/25/09
Oh, one more thing. If you haven't had harissa, you haven't lived yet.
simon at 11:58AM on 03/25/09
I love and use various spices, but I don't keep a bottle of hot sauce on the table when I eat. I often incorporate stuff like horseradish, wasabi, mustard or even various hot peppers (either fresh or dried and hand ground) or hot sauce (I use Sriracha and Tabasco) in sauces and marinades - as long as I can control the amount of heat, but I never eat my food with "straight" hot sauce - whenever I tried, hot sauce was all I could taste.
brooke29 at 12:06PM on 03/25/09
@simon, they carry it at Dainobu. It totally could make your roster. I think. I mean, I love it. I even use it sometimes as the filling for riceballs.
chisai at 12:06PM on 03/25/09
I do have a couple for other purposes, like jalapeno and sriracha, but the go to sauce for my creole favoites is Crystal.
NO_Pam at 12:15PM on 03/25/09
My favorite hot sauces, from a pure flavor standpoint, are the chipotle and jalapeno Tabascos. If I'm after just heat I sprinkle cayenne pepper on whatever I'm eating.
RegrettableFoodie at 12:40PM on 03/25/09
Hot Cock! Couldn't resist bringing that one up
Also, tapatio, mostly because it is cheap and goes well with lots of different foods.
Embackus at 1:36PM on 03/25/09
I like most hot sauces. I think I've had the cholula before. Do they make a green jalapeno version too? Whatever it is, that stuff is good too, along with any buffalo sauce and Fran's' red hot sauce. I swear I'm going to get acid reflux one day (knock on wood).
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 2:07PM on 03/25/09
Sriracha, Tabasco FLAVORS (Chipotle, Jalapeno, Garlic), Franks and Frank's Buffalo Wing.
YUMMMM.
sweethunibabi at 2:38PM on 03/25/09
@chisai, now I want to try yuzukosho!
I can't believe I haven't tried it in my life (well, I'm from Tokyo area and it's kind of a southern thing).
It's apparently just yuzu zest+ green chili + salt.
(in Japanese, but you can see the pics)
Sounds like it goes with grilled chicken, wings, and pork shabushabu very well.
hmw0029 at 2:47PM on 03/25/09
Crystal gets the nod here.
dmcavanagh at 3:11PM on 03/25/09
im not a fan of tabasco at all but i put franks red hot on just about everything i can i like the heat and the flavor... and the hubs puts sriracha on everything. thats alittle too much for me, it over powers
hungrygrl7 at 4:19PM on 03/25/09
I love Cholula, Frank's Red Hot and Sriracha. It all depends on what kind of heat I want. But I unequivocally hate Tobasco (I can't really put my finger on why, but I think it's too vinegary-y.)
Junie at 4:43PM on 03/25/09
Sriracha, Frank's (I use it like ketchup) and sambal oelek. OMG. Any of those totally rules. Yucateco is another great one - both the red and the green. They're dirt cheap and yummy. As for a sweet hot sauce, I go for the mango habanero.
therealchiffonade at 4:48PM on 03/25/09
Sriracha!
CanadianFoodieGirl at 9:08PM on 03/25/09
Tabasco sauce is #1. It seems to have gotten better over the years. The quality and taste are superb. I recently visited the island where it is made in Avery Island, LA and was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the place is. Give it a try-you won't be disappointed. I personally love their Habanero sauce!
Tabasco1 at 5:05PM on 03/26/09
i love it all and put way to much sometimes, but i can't help myself. try it on a soft buttered bagel. omg it's a perfect match.
dearrie at 9:20AM on 03/27/09
I like Cholula for Mexican food.
For stir fry I like Asian Gourmet chili and garlic sauce.
And for shrimp creole, nothing but Tabasco will do (it needs that extra vinegar to finish the dish).
doodleysquat at 10:38PM on 08/01/09
sriracha, tabasco, tabasco chipotle, and asian garlic chili paste.
shoneyjoe at 10:41PM on 08/01/09