One of the fastest-growing industries in the world is hot sauce, and there are a lot of different kinds of hot sauces to choose from. While it may be easier to just simply pick a bottle of a mass-produced brand from your nearest grocery store, you’ll be surprised to discover that the specialty ones are light years better than your generic over-the-counter hot sauce. In recent years, specialty hot sauces have taken some of the market share away from the biggest and most well-known hot sauce companies. Here are some reasons why you should look for these craft sauces instead of the more common on ..read more

Ever wonder how someone from the past ate something and thought “You know what this needs? Some chili!” And since then people have been trying different ways to incorporate some kind of hotness into whatever dish they make - at least those who were able to tolerate the hotness and appreciate its taste. Hot sauces are awesome. But the reality is that not everyone likes them or even has the guts to try. Even though you have told them countless times how it can dramatically change the taste of a food for the better. With that being said, here’s a few things you can do to convince your family or f ..read more

Since hot sauces cannot exist without peppers, hot sauce lovers are so fortunate to have a variety of peppers that vary in taste and heat levels. Finding the ideal pepper to combine with the other components in a spicy sauce may be very challenging because there are so many options available. However, there are 8 peppers we frequently see in the hot sauce industry. Here’s our list of the eight most-commonly used peppers in hot sauces… in no particular order. Habanero We don't find it surprising that the Habanero is ranked first. In fact, a dozen of the hottest sauces contain 12 portions of th ..read more

Different people react differently to heat. The range is wide, and no two people will ever have exactly the same tolerance. From those who find Cumberland sausages hot to seasoned competitive eaters who devour raw chillies like they're small apples, the range is enormous. Index For Heat We all love hot sauce, but how do we quantify our love? We don’t nor can we. What we can do is gauge the heat. Peppers exist in great variety, and so do the sauces we make from them. Some pepper sauces are mild to nonexistent in their heat, while others will make you pray to a higher being! This makes it diff ..read more

Most trends come and go. But not hot sauces. Ever since hot sauces have taken the world by storm, they just continue to gain more popularity. There are many unique reasons as to why hot sauces are loved by many. And here we will discuss five of the most interesting ones.  You Love Making Great Conversations Hot sauce is a great conversation starter. Those who say they dislike hot sauce are often surprised to learn that there are so many kinds, flavors, and levels of heat, and that there are usually a few flavors they do like. I think you should try our Masochist Subscription Box to disco ..read more

People are paying more and more attention to hot sauces. Just like many humble beginnings, the hot sauce trend started with a rise in popularity of what you might call "basic" hot sauces, or those that only used chilies, salt, and vinegar. Now? The sky is the limit in terms of options. You’d be amazed to know of all the artisanal hot sauces in the market that are packed with rare ingredients and loaded with flavors, catering to people’s unique tastes.  As an example, these exotic hot sauces are all natural, made with locally grown ingredients, and based on dishes from all over ..read more

Efland, North Carolina is a small, wooded community of less than 1,000 people, located about 20 minutes from Durham and Chapel Hill. If you happen to be traveling the local roads, you may just smell the inviting, smoky aroma of peppers roasting. That would be because Efland is home to Rising Smoke Sauceworks, a family-owned and operated hot sauce company that has been claiming hot sauce awards across the country over the last few years. How It Started Founded in 2017, Rising Smoke is the love child of Mike Palmatier, who started his hot sauce journey in his home garden. As is typical of many ..read more

We’ve all seen it. That ubiquitous bottle of hot sauce at your local taqueria or diner, just sitting there on the table, unrefrigerated, for who knows how long. Or that half used bottle that’s been hanging out in your friend’s fridge for what, maybe years?  Should you use it? I mean, hot sauce goes bad, right? The quick answer is yes. Hot sauce, like any other food item, can eventually “go bad” or spoil. But there are a lot of factors that can determine how long that will take. Hot sauce manufacturing and bottling is highly regulated by the FDA. In order for hot sauces to ship between sta ..read more

Even though hot sauce show season was a bust this year due to COVID, the 2020 NYC Hot Sauce Expos still held its well-known Screaming Mi Mi Awards, where some of the best hot sauces in the industry are judged. Here are this year's winners! Congratulations to some of the great sauces award this year. Grand World Champion Hellfire Hot Sauce, Fear This Hellfire Fear This is a vinegar-forward hot sauce that features the world's hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper, as it's first ingredient. Once you make it past that first burst of intense heat, however, you find that this sauce has a deep flavo ..read more

The jalapeño is one of the most known chilli peppers, maybe even the most popular pepper in the world! It is perfect for those of us that love to add a little heat to any dish.  Want to add a kick to your nachos? Add jalapeños. Want a delicious appetizer? Make jalapeño poppers. Want to try an exciting new drink? Try a spicy margarita with muddled jalapeños. Okay… that last one may not be the best idea, but if you love spicy food you secretly know you want to try it.  Spicy, But Not Too Hot Although the jalapeño pepper is on the lower end of the Scoville Scale, that does not mean it i ..read more