# What's the best, mildest, real yet useful hot sauce in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978 "2011-03-16T23:21:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/1 "2011-03-16T23:21:10Z")
Crystal, I’m guessing. It’s available nationally, right? And Pickapeppa? I’m a big fan of tomatillo sauce, as well. Herdez makes a nice one. The stuff that you can pour on like ketchup, with extra flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/2 "2011-03-16T23:26:19Z")
Frank’s Red Hot? I know Pickapeppa is hotter than Frank’s. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/3 "2011-03-16T23:27:06Z")
Crystal is my go-to sauce for just about anything. Hot enough to be interesting, but not so vinegary and/or capsaisiny as to be overwhelming. Herdez makes a mighty good green enchilada sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/4 "2011-03-16T23:27:50Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Frank’s Red Hot? I know Pickapeppa is hotter than Frank’s. I just picked up some Franks today, and I’d say it’s got a bit more kick than Crystal or Texas Pete. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/5 "2011-03-16T23:35:02Z")
Pickapeppa is way mild. Frank’s and Crystal beat it by a furlong. Bachelor hint: When confronted with the need to provide canapes, pour a bottle of Pickapeppa over a block of cream cheese. Serve with Wheat Thins. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/6 "2011-03-16T23:42:26Z")
I forgot to say “Best” in the op. argh. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/7 "2011-03-17T00:14:24Z")
[Valentina](http://www.salsavalentina.com/) hot sauce is my favorite. The regular is just a little hot. They make a hotter version, too. It’s very inexpensive. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/8 "2011-03-17T00:38:29Z")
Goya Salsa Verde is my go to sauce for scrambled eggs, tacos and quesadillas. Really good green chile flavor without too much heat. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/9 "2011-03-17T00:44:15Z")
Cholula is my go-to sauce for things I want to add flavor to, but not much heat. But I’m a hot-sauce freak. I keep on hand every flavor that Tabasco makes, Crystal, Sriracha, Texas Pete’s, Franks, Cholula, the Bomb, and Dave’s Insanity. And each have their own purpose. Dave’s Insanity is used for stews and chilis. Sriracha is for ramen or Thai foods. Franks, wings. Cholula (or Tabasco green) is usually for eggs, Crystal is for pizza. The Tabasco(s) are used across the board, but usually when I want a bit more heat. My mind boggles when I walk into those specialty hot sauce shops that carry hundreds of sauces. Yeah, I’m a freak. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/10 "2011-03-17T00:50:25Z")
Mildest? It seems increasingly that restaurants around here are ditching the Tabasco in favor of the (nasty IMO) Texas Pete’s. But that’s not the best, not by a long shot. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/11 "2011-03-17T01:05:58Z")
I like Crystal myself. Slightly hotter and more vinegary than Frank’s but neither of them are going to light up anyone but those most hypersensitive to heat. Texas Pete is not hot at all, and has an odd flavor. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/12 "2011-03-17T01:19:57Z")
Tobasco Co. makes a green Jalapeno sauce that is very mild but very flavorful. They also make a red garlic hot sauce. Offhand, you would think its just Tobasco with garlic in it. But it isnt. They use different peppers and you can taste the difference. And its pretty mild. But in my experience that stuff is hard to find. Which sucks because its my favorite. I guess I should just buy a drum and be done with it. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/13 "2011-03-17T01:32:28Z")
Cholula is my favorite hottie. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/14 "2011-03-17T01:54:58Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Pickapeppa is way mild. I wasn’t even sure Pickapeppa counted as hot sauce. But when wrapping recently caught seafood with foil before tossing on the campfire, there’s no better choice of slather. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/15 "2011-03-17T02:29:41Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Tobasco Co. makes a green Jalapeno sauce that is very mild but very flavorful. They also make a red garlic hot sauce. Offhand, you would think its just Tobasco with garlic in it. But it isnt. They use different peppers and you can taste the difference. And its pretty mild. But in my experience that stuff is hard to find. Which sucks because its my favorite. I guess I should just buy a drum and be done with it. Tabasco also makes a habanero sauce that’s got some good heat, but it’s not blow-the-top-of-your-head-off hot. And it doesn’t seem to have that…petroleum taste to it that some hab sauces tend to have. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/16 "2011-03-17T02:30:04Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Mildest? It seems increasingly that restaurants around here are ditching the Tabasco in favor of the (nasty IMO) Texas Pete’s. But that’s not the best, not by a long shot. Yes. I don’t like Texas Pete’s. Reminds of Afghanistan where I slathered all of my food in it every day, at every meal. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/17 "2011-03-17T02:32:49Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > [Valentina](http://www.salsavalentina.com/) hot sauce is my favorite. The regular is just a little hot. They make a hotter version, too. It’s very inexpensive. I was going to post Valentina yellow label. It rocks on eggs. The black label has a little more kick to it, but still isn’t atomic. You’re right about inexpensive; I usually pay about a buck a bottle. I like Frank’s with oysters. Shuck an oyster, put it on a Ritz with a little Frank’s, pop it in your mouth and wash it down with a cold, draft beer. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/18 "2011-03-17T02:38:27Z")
Another vote for the Garlic and Green versions of Tabasco. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/19 "2011-03-17T03:10:08Z")
> [@missred](#): > > I like Frank’s with oysters. Shuck an oyster, put it on a Ritz with a little Frank’s, pop it in your mouth and wash it down with a cold, draft beer. This should also be over in the What’s For Dinner thread. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/20 "2011-03-17T03:18:23Z")
My family puts Cholula on _everything_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978.md?page=2)