by Bottom Line: This hot sauce/salsa hybrid delivers a tangy kick that is quite tasty and addictive.
Rustlin’ Rob’s Gourmet Foods in Fredericksburg, Texas is a Mecca for hot sauce lovers and you can sample almost every item they have for sale (and I explore that establishment in more detail here). I make a trip there once or twice a year, and when I am in town I make sure I stock on two of their own sauces that I can only buy at that location. One is their Jolokia Hot Sauce (more on that one here). And the other is their Very-Very Hot Sauce.
On the bottle, it is described as “An original tangy habanero sauce with spicy chunks of flavor”. They also refer to it as “A Texas condiment with the climate of Old Mexico.”
It has an immediate tomatoey tang and also has a notable vinegar bite but not to the point it overwhelms (vinegar and tomatoes are the first two items on the ingredient list). I don’t really detect the distinct habanero flavor, but the sauce has a peppery taste with some smokiness and a hint of sweet as well. It also has an earthiness to it with some cumin in the background. It has a consistency that is closer to a salsa, but it could be used as a hot sauce as well. That tanginess is what makes it more like a hot sauce and also part of what makes it addicting.
Heatwise, I don’t know that I would call it very very hot, but it definitely delivers a nice kick. I would put it close to Hot level and the heat definitely lingers. If you scoop this up with some chips, your mouth will definitely be on fire before too long. It certainly goes well on tacos and with other Mexican dishes, but it also pairs well with eggs, or on seafood, or as a spicy kick on a burger.
Rustlin’ Rob’s does have some of their sauces available for purchase from their online store, and this is one of the selections available there (sadly, the Jolokia sauce is not available for purchase online). But if you do happen to be anywhere near the shop, I highly recommend checking it out. They have an amazing selection of spicy foods with plenty available for sampling. And if you like a good combination of heat and flavor, their Very-Very Hot Sauce certainly delivers.
Pictured above are Chipotle Habanero Steak Burritos made with the sacue. You can see the recipe here.
Tale of the Tape:
Ingredients: Vinegar, tomatoes, onions, Habanero Chilis, garlic, Serrano Chiles, Spices, Salt, and Sugar
Serving Size: 1 tsp (5 ml)
Calories: 5
Fat: 0g (0g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 1g
Sodium: 100mg
