Hot sauce
It’s hard to imagine a world without hot sauce. The zesty, fiery condiment has become a staple in cuisines around the globe, adding a boost of flavor (and heat) to everything from chicken wings to tacos. But where did hot sauce come from? How did it become such a beloved staple?
The answer, it turns out, is a long and complicated one. The history of hot sauce is a story of immigration, colonization, and cross-cultural exchange—one that spans centuries and continents.
Hot sauce, in its most basic form, is simply a mixture of chili peppers and vinegar. This combination can be traced back to the Aztecs and Incas, who used it as both a condiment and a weapon. The Aztecs, in particular, were known for their “petin,” a sauce made from chili peppers, water, and salt.
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Recipes
Garlicky Red Chili Hot Sauce
- salt
- bell pepper
- white vinegar
- hot red
- garlic
Mango Hot Sauce
- ginger
- lime juice
- orange juice
- habanero pepper
- salt
- garlic
- apple cider
- mango
Green Schug: A Middle Eastern Hot Sauce
- lemon juice
- cilantro
- olive oil
- parsley
- salt
- coriander
- cumin
- garlic
- jalapeño
Fresno Chile Hot Sauce
- salt
- fresno chile
- red wine vinegar
- garlic
Yemenite Green Hot Sauce (Zhug)
- spice mill
- salt
- parsley
- black peppercorn
- coriander seed
- cumin seed
- cardamom
- garlic
- olive oil
- cilantro
- lemon juice
- serrano chile
Fresh-Chile Hot Sauce
- salt
- garlic
- cheesecloth layer
- red chile
- white vinegar
- lime juice
- sugar
Pumpkin Hot Sauce
- pumpkin
- apple cider vinegar
- lime juice
- allium confit
- lemon juice
- salt
- ají limo chile
- ginger
- garlic
Chile-Tomato Not Too Hot Sauce
- salt
- honey
- white
- oil
- tomato
- onion
- garlic
- ancho chile
Serious Salsa: Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe
- lime juice
- spanish onion quarter
- salt
- olive oil
- white vinegar
- carrot
- red tomato
- garlic
- habanero pepper
Habanero Fermented Hot Sauce With Berries Recipe
- To Finish the Hot Sauce
- white vinegar
- sugar
- Mash
- salt
- habanero chile pepper
- blackberry
- blueberry
Garlic and Achiote Fermented Hot Sauce
- cheesecloth glass layer
- achiote seeds be found
- olive oil
- red chile
- smoked paprika
- garlic
- achiote seed
- salt
- sugar
- white vinegar
Kashmiri Hot Sauce
- spice mill
- kashmiri chili powder
- salt
- tomato
- fennel seed
- sugar
- brown mustard seed
- white vinegar
- red chile
Falafel Hot Sauce
- parsley
- lemon juice
- harissa
- water
- garlic
- tomato paste
Chipotle Fermented Hot Sauce With Garlic, and Cumin Recipe
- To Finish the Hot Sauce
- salt
- sugar
- xanthan gum
- white vinegar
- Brine
- garlic
- chipotle morita pepper
- cumin seed
- water
- salt
Mozambique Hot Sauce
- salt
- sugar
- lemon juice
- garlic
- red chile
Red Chile Hot Sauce
- white vinegar
- garlic
- salt
- red fresno chile
- red habanero chile
Fermented Hot Sauce With Fresno Chiles, Garlic, and Tamari Recipe
- Mash
- salt
- water
- fresno chile pepper
- tamari
- To Finish the Hot Sauce
- white vinegar
- garlic oil
- sugar
- salt
Nasturtium, Watercress, and Chia Seed Hot Sauce
- chia seed
- watercress
- garlic powder
- apple cider vinegar
- salt
- nasturtium
- lemon juice
- honey
- jalapeño
Yemeni Hot Sauce
- salt
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- honey
- cilantro
- garlic
- jalapeño
Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe
- garlic
- carrot
- salt
- white vinegar
- water
- chili pepper
Fresh Jalapeño Hot Sauce
- lime juice
- salt
- white vinegar
- sugar
- garlic
- green onion
- cilantro
- jalapeño chile
Ingredient Breakdown
Insights
Staple Ingredients
- salt 62%
Common Ingredients
- garlic 57%
Usual Ingredients
- white vinegar 33%
Rarey Ingredients
- sugar 24%