Red watery eyes, runny nose, dripping sweat, burning throat. No these aren’t allergy symptoms, but rather the delicious pain of hot sauce. From sweet, mild sauces to sauces so hot they will make you cry like a baby, there is a hot sauce out there for practically any dish. While most people see the hot sauce as just a condiment, some hot sauces on the other hand have a cult-like following (i.e. Sriracha). What is so alluring about hot sauces? Is it the physical challenge? A badge of pride to be able to eat the spiciest thing? We’ll leave those — the sauces and the people — alone. For us at VTV, it’s all about exploring the different varieties of local hot sauces. Here’s our list of 5 local fiery sauces… get your antacids ready!
Mados
Mados Pepper Sauce combines the unique fruity sweetness of papaya with Scotch bonnet peppers for a Caribbean home-style taste. It packs plenty of heat – a lingering kick – with enough flavour to keep things interesting. Erin Dowse, owner of Old York Bar and Grill, bought the hot sauce recipe 12 years ago from Elizabeth, an elderly Dominican woman, after buying the bottle of hot sauce from the spice goddess and falling in love with it. Dowse now sells it at her restaurant on Niagara Street.
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No. 7
Developed and originally sold at Carlos Flores’ coffee shop, Café Con Leche, No.7 Hot Sauce is now available on shelves at numerous retail stores in Toronto. Mexican by birth and now a proud Canadian, Flores amped up his mother’s traditional Mexican hot sauce recipe to produce his very own raw, vegan and preservative-free No.7 Hot Sauce.
Supi Cucu
For a hot sauce that will scintillate rather than singe your taste buds, you better get to know Diablo’s Fuego. Bringing the flavours of Panama and Latin America in a bottle, this fantastic hot sauce by Rossy Earle is rich with a complex, garlicky and smoky flavour. Earle’s hot sauce won’t make you cry but look out for a slow lingering burn. Balanced and spicy, the Diablo’s Fuego goes well on everything from eggs to pizza.
Betty B’s
Importing all their raw products from Trinidad and Tobago, Betty B has been making its signature pepper sauce in Toronto since 2006. An authentic Caribbean-style hot sauce made with a special blend of Scotch bonnet peppers and seasoning, Betty B’s versatile pepper sauce can be used as a condiment, marinade or dip. Aside from the Original, you can now get Betty B’s hot sauce in Mild and Rel-Hot versions.
Singe Hot Sauce Co.
Unlike some hot sauces that are just pure heat with no flavour, Singe Hot Sauce has a bold, smoky flavour adorned with peppery notes. Lee Tiwari, founder of the Singe Hot Sauce Company, uses fresh ingredients in his all-natural, smoke-infused recipe. The result is an intense and fiery hot sauce that will spice up anything on your plate. Just remember to go easy on it.
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