By Amy Barton
Tobasco's big winners. Buffalo comes in at #1.
It's confession time. I love hot sauce - always have. But I have not always loved Tabasco. According to some hot sauce aficionados, this is basically sacrilegious. There are certainly much better (and worse) hot sauces out there, but Tobasco is (apparently) a benchmark for your "basic, good" hot sauce. Who knew?
While I may have recently converted from Tabasco Hater to Tobasco Fan (in limited instances, which I'll get into shortly), the elusive title of "Favorite Hot Sauce" still goes go Cajun Chef.
So, what happened? I'm a sucker for retail, that's what happened. During a 2013 trip to New Orleans (Happy 30th Birthday, Amy!), I got sucked into the Tabasco store. To be fair, a friend recommended that I try Tabasco's "Family Reserve" if I did nothing else. Okay, he didn't recommend. He threatened my life. So, off I went. And what did I find?
A lineup! It was like being in Tabasco jail. Or heaven. Whichever.
While I did end up trying the Family Reserve (it's awesome!), my first foray was directly into Tobasco Soy Sauce. It sounds weird. It looks weird. It's fantastic. If you can find it, try it. Slightly spicy soy sauce? You don't know what you're missing.
Speaking of slightly spicy, that's what you get with the Family Reserve. They're all slightly spicy I guess - they're hot sauces - but that one had more of a kick than I was expecting. Delightfully, it also still has some flavor. That's my beef with so many hot sauces out there - they're just HOT, with little to no actual flavor. Family Reserve, you're okay with me.
While I did end up trying the Family Reserve (it's awesome!), my first foray was directly into Tobasco Soy Sauce. It sounds weird. It looks weird. It's fantastic. If you can find it, try it. Slightly spicy soy sauce? You don't know what you're missing.
Speaking of slightly spicy, that's what you get with the Family Reserve. They're all slightly spicy I guess - they're hot sauces - but that one had more of a kick than I was expecting. Delightfully, it also still has some flavor. That's my beef with so many hot sauces out there - they're just HOT, with little to no actual flavor. Family Reserve, you're okay with me.
Super honorable mention goes out to Cholula. Cholula is the bee's knees. It's not overly spicy, and the ones that are "flavored" definitely have flavor to them. Chili lime, chipotle, chili garlic, regular... you've got all kinds of options. If you're easing into the hot sauce world, Cholula is a great first choice.
What's your favorite hot sauce? I'm open to suggestions and ready to try 'em all. Post the best you've got in the comments below.
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