# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/81 "2011-03-19T08:59:21Z")
Another vote for Tapatio. Flavor and mild heat instead of one or the other. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/82 "2011-03-19T13:10:14Z")
> [@phantom\_lamb](#): > > Green Tabasco. Delicious, tangy and pretty mild so you can drench anything with it. Green Tabasco, [Trappey’s Chef-Magic Jalapeño](http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/74/81/59/20/0074815920970_500X500.jpg), or–for something different–[Tropical Pepper Co. Mango Coconut](http://www.aroundhawaii.com/assets/articles/2010/05/2033/images/Mango_Coconut_bottle.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/83 "2011-03-19T15:13:21Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Just pointing out that the Louisiana “One Drop Does It” _is_ taken to mean one shot per mouthful, by some. And even then, that stuff is on the milder side, so even one shot per mouthful seems a pretty stringy application. ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/84 "2011-03-21T03:19:20Z")
> [@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. You can buy it from [their website](http://countrystore.tabasco.com/prodinfo.asp?number=03058). ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/85 "2011-03-21T04:28:41Z")
I don’t dislike Tabasco, especially it’s green sauce, but my go-to is Louisiana Hot Sauce. Cholula is good, too. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/86 "2011-03-22T04:40:07Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Tapatio is hot to most people seeking mild. Valentina is about as close to Tapatio (but on the cheap) as you can get. Tapatio is vinegar free, but Valentina has vinegar. > > Crystal and Franks are mild, but the vinegar kills it for me. > > Ergo, **Valentina** … it cheap, good and the vinegar takes it down a notch in heat from Tapatio. While I don’t prefer vinegar in my hot sauces, the mild ones all seem to have vinegar. Valentina manages it best. Ummm… Tapatio does have vinegar in it, it is listed as acetic acid, in the ingredients. Although not necessarily straight up vinegar, the “sour” component of vinegar is acetic acid, and acetic acid is usually distilled from vinegar. I don’t know how any one can claim that Tapatio is vinegar free with a working tongue, it is quite sour and acidic comparable to Valentina? If anything, acetic acid is a more concentrated form of vinegar. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/87 "2011-03-22T17:48:41Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Right now my favorite is Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce. I kind of enjoy the cayenne sauces that have a bit of body and viscosity, like Frank’s and Louisiana. This seems to be directly related to the amount of pepper mash and how fine the particulates are and whether they are filtered, or to what degree. For example Frank’s seems to have a nice body but a more fine particulate pepper compared to Louisiana brand- Texas Pete is even more refined. But I like my sauces a bit thick, to the point you can see the pepper mash collecting on the insides of the bottle. > [@spark240](#): > > Eating with a sauce bottle in hand? No, nothing wrong with it. Just pointing out that the Louisiana “One Drop Does It” _is_ taken to mean one shot per mouthful, by some. And actually a shot from a Louisiana bottle is always more than one drop; they’re not pinched off like Tabasco bottles. The wider opening on a louisiana bottle would seem necessary because of the consistency of the sauce. On their website “Louisiana” touts, “Our Louisiana Pepper Sauces and Hot Sauces have the highest pepper solids content in the industry. That means great hot sauce!”. I get great satisfaction seeing the pepper mash collecting in thick rivels on the inside of the Louisiana bottle and then having to give it a shake to mix it all back in. And it kind of behaves as a milkshake as you get down towards the bottom of the bottle, with the sauce getting thicker and richer. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/88 "2011-03-22T18:07:17Z")
Another vote for Cholula. Great on anything. If I want hot hot sauce, I use “cock sauce”. It’s the Thai (I think–it’s from some Asian country) kind with the chicken on the bottle. Green cap, squirts out like a mustard bottle. Great on chicken, or if I’m making spicy tuna rolls. For eggs, I use sweet chili sauce. (Once again, it’s Asian.) A combo of sweet and spicy. It’s good on raw veggies too. Makes a great snack. ---
**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 22, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/89 "2011-03-22T18:56:49Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > If I want hot hot sauce, I use “cock sauce”. It’s the Thai (I think–it’s from some Asian country) kind with the chicken on the bottle. Green cap, squirts out like a mustard bottle. Great on chicken, or if I’m making spicy tuna rolls. That’s Sriracha, and yeah it’s good. Tabasco’s Garlic sauce tastes a bit like Sriracha, but Sriracha has a bit more heat. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/90 "2011-03-22T19:31:44Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Another vote for Cholula. Great on anything. > > If I want hot hot sauce, I use “cock sauce”. It’s the Thai (I think–it’s from some Asian country) kind with the chicken on the bottle. Green cap, squirts out like a mustard bottle. Great on chicken, or if I’m making spicy tuna rolls.. The kind you’re talking about – I assume it’s [this](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/dining/20united.html?_r=1&ref=dining) – is made in the good ol’ U. S. of A. You can certainly buy sriracha from Thailand, but the ubiquitous rooster sauce is American (and damned good, too.) ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/91 "2011-03-22T19:40:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The kind you’re talking about – I assume it’s [this](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/dining/20united.html?_r=1&ref=dining) – is made in the good ol’ U. S. of A. You can certainly buy sriracha from Thailand, but the ubiquitous rooster sauce is American (and damned good, too.) Ignorance fought. 🙂 I would have sworn that it was actually made elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/92 "2011-03-22T20:18:26Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Ignorance fought. 🙂 > > I would have sworn that it was actually made elsewhere. The Thai brands I see at Asian shops are usually [Shark brand](http://ctfood.se/u_img/Sriracha_-_chili_sauce_-_750ml.jpg) and [Sriraja Panich](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_goexI8gPFNU/R43exR_o6BI/AAAAAAAAAGA/Vd1Xi78HOM4/sriraja+panich.JPG). They both taste a good bit sweetier than their American counterpart, as well as being a bit more watery (although still holding together.) The Shark brand actually has the exact percentages on the side: 35% chili 25% water 20% sugar 10% garlic 5% salt 5% vinegar ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/93 "2011-03-23T00:44:10Z")
Is it really true according to that article that Rooster sauce is made with red, ripe, jalapenos? That just doesn’t seem quite right judging by sriracha’s heat and flavor. It reminds me more of a cayenne or thai pepper… Hoy Fong really ought to do something about those damn green squirt tops, half the time I get a wonky top that doesn’t open properly. Anybody else seem to have that problem? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/94 "2011-03-23T01:00:41Z")
Oh, I see that jalapeno ingredient was subtly tongue in cheek and quoted from an enthusiastic customer on their answering machine. They also think garlic powder is in there. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/95 "2011-03-23T01:10:42Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Is it really true according to that article that Rooster sauce is made with red, ripe, jalapenos? That just doesn’t seem quite right judging by sriracha’s heat and flavor. It reminds me more of a cayenne or thai pepper… I can tell you this. Growing peppers has been a hobby of mine the past 7 years or so. Jalapenos being one of them. For awhile I always picked them green, because you, know Jalapenos, are supposed to be green. I eventually realize that if you left them there for much longer they eventually turned red. While I am hard pressed off the top of my head to give a coherent description of the difference between the two, there is one. I definitely prefer the red. I suspect green Jals are the norm mostly because its more time/cost effective for production purposes and thats what people expect. Same goes for green vs yellow Habaneros. I like both of those, but again, there is a difference. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/96 "2011-03-23T01:24:09Z")
Oh yea, I know… I have always preferred my peppers ripe. I have also had homegrown jalapenos that were even hotter green, than some of my red cayennes. Ranking up there way past classical serrano heat. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/97 "2011-03-23T01:47:36Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Glad to see you are ok, **Autolycus**. Are you still in Japan? I sent a little aumrikyo your way. Yeah, I’m still in Japan. And thanks for sending me the ineffable teachings of the universe, I think. There must be a different meaning of ‘aumrikyo’ that I’m not aware of. But yeah, don’t get me started on hot sauce in Japan. Now, I loves me some Japanese kweezeen, but they couldn’t do a proper spicy if their honor depended on it. Oh sure, they can do _hot_, but a truly delicious hot sauce I have yet to find outside the foreign supermarket. In my experience, hot in Japan equals more chili pepper oil. No other peppers exist…grrrr… They get points for wasabi though. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/98 "2011-03-23T02:12:30Z")
Cholula is the nectar of the gods as far as I’m concerned. It’s probably not the mildest of the national brands, but it’s by far the least vinegary. That is why it’s my go-to sauce for just about everything from pizza to chili to tacos. I’m no fan of Tabasco at all, it’s like red vinegar to me and the heat is somewhat flavorless. Cholula is the most complex of the sauces I’ve tried. Crystal and Louisiana taste like Tabasco wannabes to me and all share that one-note vinegary quality that I dislike. I just bought my first bottle of Cholula Chipotle and it’s pretty much perfect. Milder and smokier than the regular and perfect condiment for Mexican food. I like to mix it with Ranch dressing and dip quesadillas in it. I like Franks a lot and it’s mild and tasty but it’s wing sauce to me. It just wouldn’t taste right on a taco. My all time favorite tasting sauce is El Yucateco Habanero sauce but it’s too hot to recommend in this thread. It’s wonderfully tasty and spicy but it’s usually a little too hot to use straight up on stuff. It’s at it’s best in soups and chilis and on ramen or other spicy noodle dishes. If I have Sambal or Sriracha available it’s probably better on ramen but I don’t always have it close by. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/99 "2011-03-23T02:15:27Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Hoy Fong really ought to do something about those damn green squirt tops, half the time I get a wonky top that doesn’t open properly. Anybody else seem to have that problem? Hold it up close to your eye, so you can see inside the top. Look for a blockage, and give it a good squeeze. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978/100 "2011-03-23T02:25:54Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Hold it up close to your eye, so you can see inside the top. Look for a blockage, and give it a good squeeze. Ha, that’s funny. I’m talking about a serious design or assembly defect in the tops. Seriously, about 50% of the time I get one that just doesn’t thread properly and won’t open to full flow. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-mildest-real-yet-useful-hot-sauce-in-the-us/574978.md?page=6)