International Hot Sauce
INTERNATIONAL HOT SAUCE INTRODUCTION:
Our fascination with hot sauces and its place in our culinary landscape may not feel new, but in this last decade America opened its heart again for a new hot sauce – a little red sauce whose roots trace back to Thailand. Call it what you want, rooster sauce, the Asian red sauce with the green cap or Huy Fung sauce, but we all know it and love it as Sriracha. Sriracha has become so popular, in fact, we see multiple brands incorporating it into their recipes, t-shirts adorning the logo, Sriracha Halloween costumes and even Sriracha candy. It is this fixation for the Asian hot sauce that has us exploring a few questions: why is the sauce so popular, and what is next on this trend horizon? Data tells us that millennials and younger generations are not only open to but are searching for new spicy flavors; something with more than just heat, but also with a little twist and some personality.
This issue of Trending Flavors focuses on a few of the top hot sauces of the world. Watch out ketchup because international hot sauces have really started to climb the ladder, looking to become the next king of condiments.
INTERNATIONAL HOT SAUCE DEFINITION:
Before we dig too much further into this topic, it is important to set the definition of an international hot sauce. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it states the following:
International /in(t)er’naSH(e)n(e)l/ (adjective): Active or known or reaching beyond national boundaries.
Hot sauce /hät – sôs/ (noun): A pungent condiment sauce made from hot peppers.
So basically, we are looking to explore anything that has its roots in another country’s heritage and is made with any type of chili pepper.
INTERNATIONAL HOT SAUCE DATA:
CHART: 9.A: Shows how hot sauce popularity has increased dramatically.
HOT SAUCES PROVE TO BE HOT ON THE MENU
CHART: 9.B: Shows the top three sauce types: spicy, sweet and garlic. The flavor profiles also show the desire factor of consumers.
THE TOP THREE SAUCE FLAVORS MENTIONED ON MENUS CONTINUE TO INCREASE
CHART: 9.C: Shows consumers are looking for spicy flavors above all others, but when they can find combinations that blend with other categories, chefs have a much better chance of resonating with consumers.
Some 46% of respondents who use sauces, marinades, dressings or dry seasoning mixes say they prefer spicy/hot flavors. Nearly four in ten say they prefer sweet flavors and a third prefer salty flavors. Nearly four in ten say they prefer authentic US regional flavors (with nearly a quarter preferring locally made), while almostthe same percentage prefer international/ethnic flavors. These results underscore the need for brands to offera wide variety of flavors – keeping up with trends consumers encounter in other food areas – to meet theirdemand for interesting tastes.
SRIRACHA
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Thailand
HEAT SCALE: 1,500 – 2,500 SHU
FLAVOR PROFILE: Tangy from the vinegar, sweet from sugar, spicy from the red jalapeños used, and garlic, well, from the garlic. One of the more perfectly balanced hot sauces, it’s not so hot that the other flavors are taken over by the hot peppers.
BACKGROUND: Si Racha is a small fishing village in Thailand where this sauce has its roots. The Sriracha that Americans have come to know and love has only been around since 1980; David Tran, a Chinese immigrant who made his living creating hot sauces, developed the version.
SAMBAL OELEK
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Indonesia
HEAT SCALE: 1,500 – 2,500 SHU
FLAVOR PROFILE: A hint of sweetness, very light tang and a savory but fruity flavor comes from the peppers.
BACKGROUND: Sambal is very popular in Southeast Asian countries and used liberally. Due to its low acidity content it is often used as a substitute for fresh chilies since it will not impart too tangy of a flavor.
GOCHUJANG
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: South Korea
HEAT SCALE: 2,500 – 3,000 SHU
FLAVOR PROFILE: A little hot, a little sweet and a good amount fermented, creating a sweet funky heat.
BACKGROUND: Gochujang is a staple in South Korean cooking. If you have tried kimchi, bibimbap or lettuce wraps, there is a very good chance you have already tried it – the South Koreans use it as a flavor base for many dishes.
GARLIC CHILI SAUCE
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Vietnam
HEAT SCALE: 1,500 – 2,500 SHU
FLAVOR PROFILE: Spicy, moderate acidity, with a little sweetness and fresh garlic notes.
BACKGROUND: A versatile sauce, it is commonly used in many Asian dishes where chilies and garlic are called for. It can often be found in its homemade state at many Southeast Asian restaurants on the table in little containers with a spoon in it.
HOT BANANA SAUCE
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: The Philippines
HEAT SCALE: 100 – 1,500 SHU
FLAVOR PROFILE: Like regular ketchup, only sweeter.
BACKGROUND: Also known as banana ketchup, it is used in the Philippines as commonly as ketchup in America. Its roots can be traced back to World War II when there was a shortage of tomato ketchup.
SWEET THAI CHILI SAUCE
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Thailand
HEAT SCALE: 100 – 1,000 SHU
FLAVOR PROFILE: A sweet and savory sauce with slight heat from the Asian chilies. There is a very present sweetness from the sugar and light tang
from the vinegar.
BACKGROUND: The sauce is commonly found as
a dip for fried spring rolls or with seafood or poultry. Due to its mild heat and sweet flavor, this Asian pepper sauce is very approachable for the beginner to hot sauces and is a great bridge to Asian and Thai foods.
PERI PERI
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Portugal
HEAT SCALE: 5,000 – 175,000 SHU
FLAVOR PROFILE: There are citrus and slight herb notes, with a vinegar base and hot peri peri peppers.
BACKGROUND: The sauce is very versatile and is used as both a marinade for meats as well as a condiment for a finished dish. It is often used on both meat and seafood dishes.
GULIN SAUCE
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: China
HEAT SCALE: 1,500 – 2,500 SHU
FLAVOR PROFILE: It carries a fermented spicy flavor, almost like a cross between black bean sauce and a spicy chili sauce.
BACKGROUND: Originally made in Guilin, China with Guilin peppers, today this sauce is made using bird’s-eye chilies and a lot of fermented soybeans, delivering a solid Asian flavor profile.
HARISSA
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: North Africa
HEAT SCALE: 2,500 – 4,000 SHU
FLAVOR PROFILE: A wonderfully complex spicy sauce with heavy garlic, noticeable citrus, herbs and brown spice notes.
BACKGROUND: In Africa, harissa is possibly used more than we do any single sauce. It can be found in marinades, as a dip, folded into dishes and as a side condiment, often referred to as the African ketchup.
TOMATO ACHAR
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: India & Nepal
HEAT SCALE: 1,500 – 7,000 SHU
FLAVOR PROFILE: This sauce has tastes of roasted tomatoes with hot chili peppers, ginger and brown spice notes.
BACKGROUND: It’s almost like a thick sauce or chutney. Achars can be made out of many different ingredients as the base, but tomato is the most common.
INTERNATIONAL HOT SAUCES CHART
CONCLUSION
The popular belief for many Americans prior to being exposed to Sriracha is that all hot sauces are alike – a lot of heat, with little more substance beyond vinegar and a red color. But this past decade has seen that stereotype turned on its ear and a door is now open for many new, complex, spicy flavor profiles.
Yes, many international hot sauces were developed similar to traditional American hot sauces, but in many countries the cuisine strives to incorporate a multitude of flavors into their dishes, thus delivering a culinary experience that is not only meant to burn your mouth, but have well-balanced and defined flavor profiles ranging from heavy, sweet to complex, savory spicy combinations.
The origins of hot sauce started centuries ago out of a necessity to preserve the chili pepper harvest by placing them in vinegar. But the recipes have taken a very delicious and exciting path along the way. Once you start exploring the Asenzya hot sauces available to you, you will find that hot is no longer simply just hot, but also adds a new depth to your next project.
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