I don't think I've ever seen this discussed here.

What's yours? With me, it depends on if for cooking or eating.

Oh, serious entries only. I've been to NOLA and seen some of those collector ones for the tourists..

Tabasco, the newer chipotle.....
And the Thai one called Sriracha (try it on poached eggs

I use these three the most:
(1) Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce imported by Huy Fong Foods
(2) Cholula Hot Sauce from Mexico
(3) Frank's Red Hot

Poblano's Salsa Ranchera is the best I've ever found. In addition to the heat it has a wonderful chili flavor from both chili and habenero peppers including the seeds. I think it's made in Arizona by Poblano Hot Sauce, Inc.

I used to use the original Tabasco for everything, but then gravitated to Louisiana Hot Sauce more for eating. The Tobasco became more the first choice for cooking.

Then I stumbled unto Crystal brand. I'd seen it before in restaurants while in NOLA but hadn't given it much thought. So, I tried it and was surprised. It's really pretty good.

Shack I am like you. For fish and shrimp, oysters etc I still like the Tabasco or the Louisiana Hot Sauce. Plus it is reliable at resturants.

But for something like chicken try the Sriracha or something like that. Its in the Asian section and has a squeeze bottle with a rooster on it. It is hotter though. Edit - Oops as Chris had said. But look for the rooster!

Lately I tried a very good one named Tapatio. It looks and sounds Mexican but I dont find it to be that. It has a smoother taste and a bit less hot maybe. My burn points may be burned up - but it is good on fried fish or on chicken BLT etc.

Trappey's Red Devil for me, whether cooking or just spicing up something already cooked though never to be used in or on Mexican food.

i make my own

Red Rooster is my favorite. Crystal is good as is Louisina Pure.

Tabasco and Panola Pepper Sauce. Panola is made in a town I grew up in and was an old family recipe turned business. The stuff is REALLY good, and full of flavor, not just heat. I love the original, the jalapeno is not nearly as good IMO.
www.panolapepper.com

The Cholula from Mexico is indeed good stuff. It looks to have a couple kinds of peppers and spices. I give it a thumbs up.

The Tobasco Green is OK, but it's hard to just enjoy it without constantly trying to compare it to the original. The original version I think works better for me.

Nam pla homemade with prik kee noo

Cholula is the favorite for the last couple years. Seems to be just right.
kidd

I thought the question was about our favorite HOT! sauces. For store bought ready made I like nam pla Na Rok, and Tadeng (means red eyes).

If I was trying to come up with the most over-rated and under-rated uses of hot sauce -

I know everyone likes it on eggs, but I personally think it detracts from and overpowers the taste of the eggs.

But I can't imagine cornbread without a few drops of hot sauce. In a restaurant once (I got bored waiting to be served) I saw a bottle of Crystal and put a few drops on a cornbread biscuit. And you know what, it tasted so good, I put more. And now I do it all the time.

For a favorite use - cocktail sauce, for oysters and shrimp. I consider it akin to sacrilege to not include hot sauce among the five major ingredients of a good Louisiana cocktail sauce (not to be confused with Remoulade). A good NOLA raw bar serves you a dozen plump ones chilled on the half and shucked right in front of you with separate ingredients for the sauce so you can mix to your taste. It's best with some icy Abitas. If you've never tried that, you're missing something.

I looked up the nam pla. The green peppered one sounds like a firebomb. I can see how homemade would be the way.

I believe about 90% of all hot sauces are tourist generated regardless where you find them. My favorite is Tabasco, (original). I believe the deep flavor is in the ageing process used. This tells me the difference when I taste a tourist type sauce.

There is a hot sause produced in Malawi, Africa. It is called NALI. This stuff is potent AND tasty. Have any of you tasted it?

We like Franks for the flavor & not just the heat & I live 30 miles from where tabasco is made.

for me, the traditional tabasco if i want something hot or frank's original if i want the flavour without the heat.

A couple of the bottles of the Sriracha I had were extra hot. But the hottest I have ever seen in traveling all over the world was some in Singapore and some kind of white pepper sauce in Venezuela !

I had some of the Tapatio with dinner here a bit ago and thought about the thread. Try it if any is around you.

i like el yucateco brand chili habanero sauce quite a bit lately.......... bottle says product of mexico.........

quote:

Originally posted by tjoks:
There is a hot sause produced in Malawi, Africa. It is called NALI. This stuff is potent AND tasty. Have any of you tasted it?

I think that is the stuff I had while in Zim. You're right, it is real tasty. Made with Peri-peri peppers, right?

I've looked for it since getting back to the States, but haven't found any on this side of the pond. It was very good.

My favorites are Tabasco, Cholula, and El Yucateco, a sauce from Mexico made from habaneros.

Sriracha for chicken, fish, etc. and Tabasco or Louisiana for eggs or other foods where I don't want the garlic taste.

I like El Pato, both the red and green.

Franks!! I have been known to drink it from the bottle...LOL.

I also like 99% Meltdown Habanero Paste...It is a nice blend of flavor and heat.

Dave's Insanity
D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F.

Both fantastic hot sauces.

i gotta put in a plug for cane rat's homemade habanero salsa. he sent up a jar each of mild and hot, and i was surprised at how "approachable" the mild was - it was definielty very, very warm, but that warmth was in syncc with the flavours of the other ingredients. the hot nearly killed me, but even in my agony, i could taste amazing flavours underlying the heat.

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
i make my own

what kind of an answer is that without telling us how you make it?

quote:

Originally posted by tasunkawitko:
i gotta put in a plug for cane rat's homemade habanero salsa. he sent up a jar each of mild and hot, and i was surprised at how "approachable" the mild was - it was definielty very, very warm, but that warmth was in syncc with the flavours of the other ingredients. the hot nearly killed me, but even in my agony, i could taste amazing flavours underlying the heat.

Care to share the recipes?