Looking for a bit of adventure? Crank up the heat with some hot sauces from around the world. Learn more about how to use some popular condiments and turn everyday dishes into a spicy delight with very little effort. Just open a single product to turn the heat up from a 1 to a 10, depending on your palate.
Harissa: A North African spice paste with a fiery and garlicky flavor that is traditionally served with bread, stews, and couscous dishes. Harissa is typically made with a blend of hot Chile peppers, garlic, olive oil and spices like caraway, cumin and coriander and mint. There are hot and mild varieties.
- The paste can be blended into ketchup or mayo for a zingy condiment or mixed into a salad dressing for a spicy kick.
- Use harissa for rub on chicken or beef or put a dollop of the paste on a breakfast sandwich.
- Whisk harissa into yogurt to make a hot-and-cold sauce for grilled meats or for a dip
- Stir it into scrambled eggs.
- Toss roasted and grilled vegetables in harissa or mix a spoonful into hummus.
- Stir it into softened butter and slather it on boiled corn.
- Spread it on sandwiches, either as in or mixed in mayo.
Sriracha sauce (a.k.a. “rooster sauce”)
Sriracha sauce, named after the small town of Sri Racha in Thailand, is often served as a condiment in Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese restaurants throughout the United States. This multi-purpose hot sauce, made from red chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, salt, and sugar is hot and tangy with just a hint of sweetness, setting it apart from the typical hot sauces.
- Sriracha’s original use was as a dipping sauce. Squeeze some into a small bowl or squirt straight from the bottle onto your favorite foods.
- Mix some Sriracha into sour cream, mayonnaise, or cream cheese-based dips for a little kick.
- Sriracha, often served with pho in Vietnamese restaurants, it can be added to ramen, tomato soup, or gazpacho. Cream-based soups, like chowders, also benefit from Sriracha’s kick.
- Add Sriracha to teriyaki flavored marinades, BBQ sauces, meatballs, meatloaf, or chicken wings.
- Sriracha works well with mixed with anything creamy, like macaroni and cheese, cheese dips, cheese balls, or scrambled, fried, or deviled eggs.
- Sriracha sauce adds a new twist to tomato juice, and it brings a Bloody Mary to a new level.
Habanero Sauce
Habanero sauce is made from a blend of habanero peppers, papaya, mango, and spices. The name Habanero means “from Habana” which is in reference to the Cuban city known in the U.S. as Havana, Cuba. This Jamaican-style sauce adds a “sweet heat” with a Caribbean flair to any dish.
- Add habanero sauce to Greek yogurt or mayo to bring a twist to traditional chicken salad.
- Mix with guacamole and add a dollop to a plate of nachos.
- Spice up hot chocolate by stirring in a bit of habanero sauce. Top it with whipped cream and sip away.
- Splash this tangy hot sauce over a taco, burrito bowl, or taco salad.
- Kick up your condiments by adding it to ketchup or mustard.
- Make Palomita con Salso, AKA popcorn with hot sauce. This spicy snack is a popular street food in Mexico.
There you have it – some popular hot sauces from around the world. Add different hot sauces to most traditional dressings, marinades, dips, condiments, and dishes to fire up tastes and flavors. Mix hot sauces right into the recipe or serve on the side – whatever your tastebuds desire.
