by Chuk the Foodie

 

What’s a poor chilehead to do? In this world of bland seasoning and lowest-common denominator food, finding a thrill when you are a hard core heat lover isn’t always easy. Personally I think American palates are ready for more spice of life. When mainstream products and institutions are advertising habanero products, it’s a cultural sign post that folks are ready and willing to enjoy full-flavored zesty foods.

 

Fortunately, here at Central Market there are some products that pack a high-caliber chile punch, if one knows where to look for them. One of the places I find these spicy delights is on the Marinade/BBQ sauce/Condiment Aisle - Aisle 7 here at Westgate.

 

One of my all-time favorite commercial hot sauces is Marie Sharps of Belize. It’s just a great, simple Caribbean-style hot sauce made from carrots, habaneros, onion, garlic and lime juice and not much else. Simple is better. Likewise, heat without flavor is just heat and this is a VERY flavorful sauce.  While we don’t carry Marie Sharps proper here, there are several brands that are co-packed (i.e. manufactured for) by Marie Sharps. Look for a BRIGHT orange sauce and read the label. If it says “Product of Belize” there’s a 99% chance that it is co-packed by Marie Sharps.  One of my all-time favorites is SONTAVA brand (marketed by the local outfit Jardines). It is a simple and delicious sauce. Others to look out for are D.L. Jardine’s “BLAZN’ SADDLE” and Cutter Dan’s “WIDOW MAKER." A new arrival on the scene is the Vicaya Brand that are marketing Sharp’s orange pulp and prickly pear-based sauces in addition to the regular carrot-based ones. The Orange Habanero is a stand out.

 

These sauces are delicious on fried seafood. Try adding some to your BBQ sauce or marinade for chicken. Add some dark rum and sugar for a killer Caribbean glaze next time you grill pork.

 

Moving from Belize to Trinidad, another brand of hot sauce that is near and dear to my heart is MATOUK’S. They make traditional Trini-style sauces that all have varying amounts of mustard in them.  We carry 4 of their sauces: Matouk’s Calypso Sauce (Scotch Bonnet chiles in a mustard base) Matouk’s Hot Pepper Sauce (less mustard, more chiles), Matouk’s Hot Sauce (Papayas, Scotch Bonnets and a little mustard) and my personal favorite, Matouk’s Flambeau Sauce (Maximum chiles for maximum heat!). As a nice bonus, these sauces all come in a generous 10 ounce bottle (as opposed to the usual 5 ounce “woozy” bottle).

 

All the Matouk’s sauces pack a serious punch of heat but are also very flavorful with a hint of sweetness. The “Flambeau” sauce is seriously hot and will satisfy even the most demanding chileheads. If you’re a real maniac try to use it in place of ketchup. Yowsers! These are also great on seafood, chicken and pork. They make a great addition to spicy stir-frys as well.

 

I’ll be writing more about fiery foods in the future. Watch this space for more to come!

 

By Chuk the Foodie