Since I follow a diet where I’ve gotta avoid certain food additives, for a long time I stuck with original recipe Tabasco because it only contains peppers, vinegar, and salt. It’s sorta boring though, so I started picking up bottles and reading labels. I was amazed by how many hot sauces contain additives like guar gum and sugar. I think the additives are supposed to improve the texture of the sauce, and maybe keep it from separating.
After a long and fruitless search I found Melinda’s habanero-based sauces. I had a bad experience with a habanero at a party once so I was cautious at first, but they aren’t terribly hot. They contain carrots, which may moderate the heat a bit, and likely improve the texture too. So far I’ve tried their XXXtra, XXXXtra Reserve, and Chipotle sauces. The flavor is excellent, with less vinegar flavor than other sauces I’ve tried. The chipotle is nice when you need some smokey flavor. Melinda’s does make a couple with bad stuff, including their Amarillo Hot Mustard, Mango, and Jalapeno sauces. As always, it pays to read labels.
