# Good hot sauces?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 7, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926 "2015-06-07T22:39:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/21 "2015-06-08T17:02:33Z")
Mild: Cholula
Medium: El Yucateco Rojo
Hot: Blair’s Mega Death
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/22 "2015-06-08T17:23:05Z")
I like the sweet-and-hot sauces used in Rochester, NY at places like Sal’s Birdland or Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs. I haven’t encountered anything like them elsewhere.
It used to be you could order Smitty’s Hot Sauce from Rochester, but they’re out of business. You can still get Boss Sauce and Sal’s Sauce, though, and you can order via the internet.
Boss Sauce:
> **[Home - Boss Sauce](https://bosssauce.com/)**
>
> \[et\_pb\_section fb\_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” disabled\_on=”on|on|off” \_builder\_version=”4.16″ \_module\_preset=”default” background\_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” vertical\_offset=”0px” z\_index=”20″ custom\_margin=”||||false|false” custom\_padding=”||||false|false”...
[http://rocwiki.org/Boss\_Sauce](http://rocwiki.org/Boss_Sauce)
Country Sweet
[http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=371459&storeId=10052&langId=-1](http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=371459&storeId=10052&langId=-1)
> **[Amazon.com : Country Sweet Sauce - Premium Cooking and Finishing Sauce (Hot, 21...](https://www.amazon.com/Country-Sweet-Sauce-Hot/dp/B00ZGT1NME)**
>
> Amazon.com : Country Sweet Sauce - Premium Cooking and Finishing Sauce (Hot, 21 ounces) : Grocery & Gourmet Food
[http://rocwiki.org/Country\_Sweet](http://rocwiki.org/Country_Sweet)
Sal’s Birdland Sauce
[http://www.salsbirdland.com/salssauces.htm](http://www.salsbirdland.com/salssauces.htm)
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/23 "2015-06-08T18:30:41Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#):
>
> I think the best blend of spice and heat is Marie Sharp’s
>
> [http://www.amazon.com/Marie-Sharps-Sauce-Habanero-Pepper/dp/B0030KLW0Y/ref=sr\_1\_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1433727217&sr=1-1&keywords=maries+hot+sauce](http://www.amazon.com/Marie-Sharps-Sauce-Habanero-Pepper/dp/B0030KLW0Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1433727217&sr=1-1&keywords=maries+hot+sauce)
Whenever hot sauce threads come up, I think two things. 1: Maine Sharp’s and 2: Damn it, I’m out of Marie Sharp’s, I gotta get some more.
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### Author:  [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/24 "2015-06-08T18:47:08Z")
> [@garygnu](#):
>
> Whenever hot sauce threads come up, I think two things. 1: Maine Sharp’s and 2: Damn it, I’m out of Marie Sharp’s, I gotta get some more.
Marie Sharp’s FTW! I buy it by the case (cheaper that way from the reseller we deal with). We typically get 6 of the white label and 6 of the gold label/fiery.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/25 "2015-06-08T18:54:16Z")
Tabasco, for me, is the best to eat with fried potatoes. It’s excellent on hash browns. And a mix of Tabasco and ketchup is the perfect thing to eat on french fries IMO.
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/26 "2015-06-08T19:21:55Z")
There are a dozen hot sauces that are excellent, some mentioned here, but my favorite of the truly mass market labels is Cholula. Their garlic version is my all-purpose condiment. But their whole line is pretty good. Spicy enough, but also very flavorful.
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### Author:  [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/27 "2015-06-08T19:27:01Z")
Cholula isn’t the hottest stuff you can buy, but I’ve never tasted anything better.
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### Author:  [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/28 "2015-06-08T19:54:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> In addition to the above, I like: Cholula Original. Mexican style hot sauce with flavor, not melt-your-face spicy. Tapatio is very good, too, if you’re going in this direction. Tapatio is also worth checking out if you’re going in this direction.
>
> For something hotter, the El Yucateco habanero sauces are worth trying. There’s a number of flavors out there, but the basics are the red and the green. The Caribbean is worth it if you want something a little more adulterated with spices, but the basic red and green (and the extra hot Kutbil-ik) really bring home the straight-up habanero flavor, if you’re into it. Melinda’s also makes nice habanero sauces.
>
> If you like a bit of sweetness in your hot sauces, there’s Tiger Sauce, which to me is like a Lousiana-style cayenne or tabasco sauce cut with Worcestershire and a good bit of sugar to round off the flavor. It’s not necessarily my favorite, since I’m not a big fan of sweetness in my hot sauces, but it’s something you need to try to decide for yourself.
>
> Pickapeppa (as mentioned above) is like a spicy version of A1 or HP (brown) sauce. If you like this style of sauce, you might want to try Salsa Lizano, if you can find it, which is one of the standard sauces of Costa Rica. It’s
>
> I also really like the Nando’s per-peri sauces. They all tend to be hot sauces with a citrus/lemon and herb/spice bite to them (oregano, coriander, cumin.) One of my favorites for chicken.
>
> If you like it smoky, Tabasco Chipotle sauce is quite yummy.
Jerk. You covered evry one of my favourites and left me nothing to say…😃
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### Author:  [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/29 "2015-06-08T20:25:50Z")
I’m surprised no one brought up Frank’s Red Hot. It’s hot, but it doesn’t take over from the flavor of the food. And I see on the label Frank’s claims to be the “secret” behind the first Buffalo Wings in 1964.
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### Author:  [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/30 "2015-06-08T20:27:37Z")
Tabasco, Cholula & Sciracha are all classics & part of any well-stocked kitchen.
I’d like to nominate a salsa–[Wrights of Texas.](http://wrightsoftexas.com/) Sold chilled–in a box at Kroger’s. And at other places or ordered online.
Haven’t tried the red version because it’s hard to imagine anything better than the green one.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/31 "2015-06-08T20:28:51Z")
> [@Doug\_Bowe](#):
>
> I’m surprised no one brought up Frank’s Red Hot. It’s hot, but it doesn’t take over from the flavor of the food. And I see on the label Frank’s claims to be the “secret” behind the first Buffalo Wings in 1964.
Yes, Frank’s is the base flavor for Buffalo Wings. Oddly enough, except for wings, I’m not a big fan of Frank’s, but wing sauce is reason enough to keep it around.
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### Author:  [@Feint\_of\_Spades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feint_of_Spades)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/32 "2015-06-08T20:44:44Z")
I typically have Frank’s Red Hot in the fridge, I like it better than Tabasco. I won;t really even eat a chicken/mashed potato/corn combo without it drenched in Franks. I also throw it on chili dogs/ chicago style dogs.
Cholula Original is also fantastic, I love both the red green when I’m out somewhere and run across them.
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### Author:  [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/33 "2015-06-08T20:45:15Z")
> [@Doug\_Bowe](#):
>
> I’m surprised no one brought up Frank’s Red Hot. It’s hot, but it doesn’t take over from the flavor of the food. And I see on the label Frank’s claims to be the “secret” behind the first Buffalo Wings in 1964.
The authentic (i.e., original) Buffalo sauce is 50% Franks and 50% butter. Supposedly. Wikipedia used to agree, but now it equivocates and lists several origin stories for Buffalo wings.
My favorite is Sriracha, and Tabasco is a distant second. I also like Frank’s, but more as a condiment on burgers than used like a traditional hot sauce. I’m not a big fan of Louisiana hot sauces, Texas Pete, Cholula, etc. But on rare occasions I like to use the pickled pepper sauces you get by brining peppers in vinegar. Like [Steak N’ Shake](https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3411/3432630806_762bc52e79.jpg) has on their tables. That stuff is really good in chili.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/34 "2015-06-08T20:52:55Z")
> [@DrCube](#):
>
> The authentic (i.e., original) Buffalo sauce is 50% Franks and 50% butter.
Well, nobody seems to say definitively what the original Anchor Bar sauce was, but Franks and margarine (or butter–this is a point of controversy) seems to be the agreed-upon base.
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### Author:  [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/35 "2015-06-08T21:16:13Z")
All my choices are already well spoken for here. I will just add that on a whim I tried Sriracha mixed-in with some spaghetti sauce and found it to be wonderful! Great on meatball sandwiches, as well as just stirring into pasta dishes. I think the sweetness of the tomato-based sauce matches the sweetness of the Sriracha, and all you feel is the additional heat without affecting the flavor of the pasta sauce. Great Italian-SE Asian combo!
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/36 "2015-06-08T23:27:26Z")
I kept Trappey’s Chef Magic Jalapeño Sauce on hand, more for the great flavor than heat, until my local grocer stopped carrying it.
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### Author:  [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/37 "2015-06-09T00:21:42Z")
Most people reading this thread are aware of sriracha, but Huy Fong, the maker of the most common sriracha sauce also makes a [chili garlic sauce](http://www.spoonwiz.com/swwp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chili-Garlic-Sauce-closeup.jpg) which is my favorite for just about everything.
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### Author:  [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/38 "2015-06-09T00:30:34Z")
I’ll jump on the bandwagon, El Yucateco green habanero is awesome.
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### Author:  [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/39 "2015-06-09T01:19:05Z")
Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
I put that shit on everything
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### Author:  [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-hot-sauces/721926/40 "2015-06-09T01:42:51Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> In addition to the above, I like: Cholula Original. Mexican style hot sauce with flavor, not melt-your-face spicy. Tapatio is very good, too, if you’re going in this direction. Tapatio is also worth checking out if you’re going in this direction.
>
> For something hotter, the El Yucateco habanero sauces are worth trying. There’s a number of flavors out there, but the basics are the red and the green. .
This man speaketh the truth!
> [@WordMan](#):
>
> We keep three in the house:
>
> - Huy Fong Sriracha
> - El Yucoteco Green - wonderfully hot and flavorful
> - Cholula original because my daughter loves it.
>
> Nothing else needed.
I used to only buy the green El Yucateco. I recently bought a bottle of the red, because it’s not as hot. (har) Ok, maybe scoville unit-wise it’s not as hot. In my mouth-wise it’s still habanero sauce, ha-ha!
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