If you want to watch a spicy debate unfold, ask your friends to name their favoritehot sauce.
But chili-heads know that no two bottled hot sauces are the same.
There are endless varieties with different consistencies, chili peppers, herbs and spices.
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(That’s why hot sauce diehards make a point to collect and taste as many as possible.
In recent years, the global hot sauce market has been flaming hot.
But which hot sauce has captured the hearts of chefs?
Tapatio/Facebook
Read on to find out the best bottles, according to restaurant pros.
Food internet series “Chopped” championSamantha Quintero pickedTapatioas her favorite, hands down.
“I grew up drinking this stuff,” Quintero says.
Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co.
“It brings me nostalgia.
It takes me back to those hot summer nights in L.A. grilling carne asada with my family.”
And of course, there’s the taste.
Salsa Valentina
“It has some heat, but it’s not crazy hot.
So it’s perfect for anyone from young to old and for people who like a little kick.”
Matthew Scully, chef de cuisine atDenimin Nashville, Tenn., loves thePineapple Habanero Hot Sauce.
Secret Aardvark
This sauce is an approachable heat, perfect for avocado toast with eggs or on tacos.
(It was evenfeaturedon season 10 of the popular YouTube series “Hot Ones.")
But choosing a favorite?
Wagstaff Los Angeles
If Ocejo absolutely must pick, it would be theSecret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce.
(His other recommendations?
Tabasco Original, Sriracha, Valentina, El Pato, Sambal, and Buc-ee’s.)
Windsor Hills Pizza/Instagram
Boonthanakit even uses it at his Michelin-starred restaurant,Camphorin Los Angeles.
(It’s used in the house-made spicy aioli dipping sauce.)
Chef Ocejo of Portland loves this one, too.
Hawaiian Chip Company
Talk about a rare find.
“It’s completely different from most mainstream hot sauces on the market,” he says.
If you’re looking for a totally unique flavor from a Hawaiian company, add this to your list.
