Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Mexican Hot Sauce Review: Cholula


Time out from Benito's Hot Sauce Reviews -- which are upcoming. I want to talk about Cholula Hot Sauce from Mexico. Widely available in supermarkets, I have been told by many people over the years that it is their hot sauce of choice. I myself have liked it for its "aged" pepper flavor and less vinegary smell and taste.

Cholula says their "Original" sauce is made from a paste of Arbol and Piquin peppers and it has an orange-red color in the bottle and appears to have a thickness to it.

Ingdts: Water, Arbol and Piquin Peppers, Salt, Vinegar, Xanthan Gum

Interesting that water is the first and principal ingredient, because this is a thick and finely textured sauce indeed -- that must be a finely ground and fairly dry pepper paste they use, if the added water only brings it to a ketchup-like consistency!

OK, to the nose there is a classic Arbol pepper note with Vinegar, not at all lemony like the Louisiana sauces, and the Pepper nose is aged.

The 1/4 teaspoon to the tongue gives a Salty/Vinegar and then Aged Pepper flavor with Heat building mid-tongue, with a nice Vinegar and Salt finish and a fine peppery heat on par with, or a little hotter than, Tabasco, for well over a minute.

There is a nice balance to the flavor and I can see that this sauce could be used where other more vinegary sauces would over-sour or over-brighten, and the aged pepper flavor is nice and deep if not quite as complex as that of Tabasco.

The pepper flavor is different from that of Tabasco, too, earthier, tasting more of pepper solids.

Although I have tried Cholula in the past, I have a new appreciation for it -- more interesting than most of the Louisiana style, Vinegar-based sauces -- thick like Frank's or Trappeys -- it makes a great base for a Wing sauce, it's good on a burger, great with eggs or soup, and a very good all-around sauce.

Highly Recommended.

I got my bottle at the supermarket and it was cheap by the standard of "high-end" Hot Sauces.

Yours in heat and flavor,

~Ted

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