That Famous Sauce Mr. McIlhenny Makes

It feels like a long time since we have heard from the hot sauce librarian.  But there has been so much to talk about.

I remember a long time ago, when the Internets were new, a bunch of marketing folks were sitting around a table talking about which brands could realistically draw people to a brand based website.  I mean, why would you go to the Palmolive dish soap website?  For the recipes?

As you can tell by the above example, these conversations are clearly ongoing.

But at the time, we all agreed that it was the brands with a fierce and dedicated following that would generate traffic to their web sites.  Brands you could imagine people getting tattooed on their bodies.  Harley-Davidson was one that came to mind.  Tabasco was another.

Frankly I am amazed that I haven’t caught flack from the Tabasco cult for not mentioning their precious sauce earlier.  Number three?  It’s a freaking insult!

Let me be clear.  I love Tabasco sauce.  I love everything about it.  I just do not go through as much of it as I do Frank’s and Sriracha.  Mostly because when I use Frank’s I take off the lid and pour it onto things.  And when I use Sriracha, I squirt a steady stream of chili paste all over my plate.

Tabasco I use by the drop.

As I have been paying more and more attention to the flavor profiles of the panoply of pepper sauces, one thing has really become clear to me.  Tabasco sauce has a unique brininess that is very pleasing.

Recently, I had a bottle open, and Mrs. Fussy wondered if I had been eating olives.

To that end, I am now using Tabasco in situations where an added shot of briny depth would complement the dish.  And that has led me to pasta sauce, minestrone soup and lentils.  It is also the only pepper sauce I would consider using on eggs.

Yes, Tabasco is a vinegar-based sauce, but given its concentration of heat and the small amount used, the vinegar isn’t overpowering.  And the heat is so intense that I use Tabasco to increase the bite of buffalo sauce when Frank’s alone won’t get me to where I want to go.

The McIlhenny Company makes an interesting claim on the box of Tabasco:
Some think hot sauce is all about heat.  We disagree.  We believe it should do even more for your meal.  Like enhance the taste.  Not mask it.

The box goes on.  But I would fundamentally agree with their analysis of how Tabasco works with food.  Oddly, besides the brininess, I also get an enhanced perception of sweetness that clearly comes from the addition of the sauce.

Maybe one day some of you food scientist types can explain that to me.  But it doesn’t really matter.  Because this stuff is delicious, and I buy it by the 5 oz. bottle.