Why hot sauce is the perfect condiment for any meal

Hot sauce is the perfect condiment for any meal because it is versatile, flavorful, and low in calories, which is why I started my dream hot sauce business, Revved Up! You can find hot sauces with different levels of heat to suit your taste, and they add a great depth of flavor to any dish. Whether you are looking for something to liven up a boring dish or you want to add some spice to your life, hot sauce is the perfect addition. Plus, hot sauce lasts a long time so you can always have it on hand for when the mood strikes.

I love hot sauce because it is such a versatile condiment. I use it on everything from eggs to pasta and everything in between. It adds a depth of great flavor to any dish and I especially enjoy the variety of hot sauces that are available. I have a few favorites that I always keep in my fridge, but I am always trying new hot sauces to find the perfect one for each dish. If you haven't tried hot sauce yet, I urge you to give it a try. It might just become your new favorite condiment!

The Scoville Scale

The Scoville scale is the measurement of the pungency (spicy heat) of chili peppers and other hot spices. The scale is named after American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville, whose 1912 method, known as the Scoville organoleptic test, is used to determine the pungency of chili peppers. Pungency is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which range from 0-16,000,000 SHU.

The worlds hottest pepper is the Carolina Reaper, which has an average heat level of 1,569,300 SHU. For comparison, a Jalapeño pepper has an average heat level of 2,500-5,000 SHU. What this means for hot sauce is that there is a lot of room for variation in terms of heat. You can find hot sauces that are very mild, with just a hint of heat, or you can find sauces that will knock your socks off. It all depends on your personal preference.

I prefer hot sauces that are more on the flavorful side than the hot side. I like to be able to taste the different ingredients in the sauce, and I don't want the heat to overpower everything else. That being said, I still like my hot sauce to have a little bit of a kick. I find that the perfect hot sauce has just enough heat to make my nose tingle and my eyes water ever so slightly.

I love all different chili peppers, but some favorites are habanero, cayenne pepper, scotch bonnet, serrano, ghost pepper, and peri-peri peppers. If you are looking for a spicy sauce that is all about the heat, then you will want to look for one that has a high Scoville rating. If you are looking for a hot sauce that has great flavor, then you will want to look for one with a lower Scoville rating, and if you're lucky you'll find a ton of great sauces that have both heat and great flavor for your taste buds to enjoy!

My Favorite Hot Sauces

Now that you know a little bit more about hot sauce, I wanted to share some of my favorite hot sauces with you. These are the hot sauces that I always have in my fridge, and that I use on a regular basis.

1. Revved Up Hot Sauce: This small batch hot sauce brand is my go-to hot sauce for everyday use on my food (I also happen to own it). There are six flavors of hot sauce that all focus on flavor before heat, with our bestseller being our Pineapple Bomb habanero hot sauce, sweet with a kick. It's my favorite fruit sauce for sure! My personal favorite hot sauce in our collection is our peri-peri ghost, almost like a bbq sauce flavor with a slow burn of the ghost pepper! It's an amazing hot sauce, with so much flavor before heat.
2. Cottage Lane Kitchen: They are a woman owned, family business with generational ties to Chapel Hill, NC and a genetic, deep love of spicy pepper relish and all things spicy. Make sure to try their Hissy Fit cayenne hot sauce perfect on everything!
3. Horseshoe Hot Sauce: They are handcrafted hot sauce and barbecue company handcrafted hot sauce made in New York's Hudson Valley Since 2008. The kiwi jalapeño and cayenne are my favorites!
4. Lucky Dog Hot Sauce: Lucky Dog's mission is to produce the most balanced, flavorful and versatile hot sauces possible, with emphasis on local sourcing.Try their Ridiculously Tasty Mustard Chipotle Hot Sauce. 
5. Sonoma Hot sauce:  Created by Innovative Latina Farmers on two continents. Sonoma Hot Sauce is proudly vegan, gluten free and keto/ paleo friendly. Check out their mini size bottles, for all your travel needs! 
   
6. High Desert Sauce Co: They balance bold heat & fresh flavor by keeping it simple, using the best ingredients and natural flavors run the show. Check out their spicy Tikk-HOT Masala sauce!
7. Horsetooth Hot Sauce: a family owned and operated company from Fort Collins, Colorado, that concocts delectable hot sauces, choice BBQ sauces, and titillating Bloody Mary mixes. Check out their naughty #4 for a personal favorite, as recommended by my favorite Hot Sauce Realm owners, Ashley and Errin. 

These are just a few of my favorite hot sauces, but there are so many great hot sauces out there to choose from. If you haven't found your perfect hot sauce yet, keep trying new ones until you find the one that's right for you. And don't be afraid to experiment with different hot sauces in different dishes. You might just find your new favorite way to eat your food!

A hot sauce for any course

One of the great things about hot sauce is that it can be used on pretty much any dish. Whether you're looking for a little bit of heat in your soup or wanting to spice up your breakfast, hot sauce is the perfect condiment.

Here are a few ideas of how you can use hot sauce in different dishes:

• Add hot sauce to your scrambled eggs or omelette for a spicy twist on a classic breakfast dish.
• Soup not hot enough for you? Add a few drops of hot sauce to turn up the heat.
• Make a hot sauce vinaigrette to add some spice to your salad.
• Add hot sauce to your grilled chicken or fish or veggies for an extra kick of flavor.
• Turn up the heat on your favorite pasta dish by adding hot sauce to the sauce.
• Make a hot and cheesy dip by adding hot sauce to your favorite cheese dip recipe.
• Create a hot honey for your chicken dips or on breakfast sandwiches or eggs. I love mixing our Southern Style hot sauce with honey, which is blended with garlic, carrots, and onion, my other favorite hot sauce!

As you can see, there are endless possibilities when it comes to using hot sauce. So don't be afraid to experiment and find new and interesting ways to use hot sauce in your cooking. You might just surprise yourself with how much you like it!

I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about hot sauce and why I love it so much. If you're looking for a delicious and flavorful way to spice up your meals, then hot sauce is definitely the way to go. And if you're looking for a hot sauce that packs a punch, then you know where to find Revved Up.