Turn Up the Heat!

By Digital Trends Staff Published May 15, 2020

Can you stand the heat? Or do you run from the table when you see a bottle of sauce that can make flames appear in your mouth? For those brave enough, there are many hot sauces across the country that offer blazing satisfaction. While this isn’t a scientific poll by any means, we do want to point out some to put on your “must try” list.

Dirty Dick’s Hot Pepper Sauce

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The recent claim to fame for this scorching product is that it took the 2013 First Place Screaming Mimi Award in the fruit-based at the New York City Hot Sauce Expo. Get your taste buds ready—this creation includes habanero peppers, tropical fruits (mangoes, pineapple, bananas), vinegar, brown sugar, freshly ground spices and other ingredients.

Ralph’s Righteous Habanero Sauce

Another first place winner at the NYC Hot Sauce Expo—this time in the Scorpion category is a product produced by the Mild to Wild Pepper & Herb Company in Indiana. Made “island style,” it’s providing to be a hot ticket to accent Caribbean dishes like jerk rib-eye steaks and Caribbean cornbread. It’s made up of hand selected habanero peppers and a blend of other ingredients.

Smoking Js Hot Sauce Company

A family run operation on the outskirts of Asheville, N.C., churns out a variety of hot sauces and other products that have won a huge following. They grow many of the fruits and vegetables they use in their unique flavor combinations. Everything is made in small batches here, which adds to the fresh flavor. Their offerings include hot sauce, BBQ sauce, dry rubs, fresh peppers, dried peppers and pepper purees. There’s a new item out called Smoking J’s Roasted Ghost Hot Sauce created using fiery ghost peppers.

Fire From the Mountain

Produced in Zionville, NC, a company called Fire From the Mountain turns up the heat with its own creations of hot sauces and salsas. Varieties include Chipotle Hot Sauce (flavored with homegrown smoked red jalapenos, roasted garlic and charred onions), Smoked Habanero Hot Sauce (includes homegrown Apple wood smoked habaneros and other ingredients), Chipotle Salsa (medium hot with Apple smoked chipotles), Serrano Hot Sauce (medium hot green hot sauce), and Smoked Habanero BBQ Sauce.

Digital Trends Staff

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