Bottom Line: Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce is similar to a taco sauce and it really brings the heat along with good flavor.
I recently started working on a compilation of go-to hot sauces (watch for an upcoming post), and as I was reviewing what I had already covered on the site I noticed a glaring omission. Despite the fact that I regularly have a bottle of Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce in the fridge and that it is my go-to topping for tacos, I have yet to put up a post extolling its virtues. So I figure that now is the time to rectify and pass on the word about this not-so-secret sauce.
Following is the description from their website:
This is not your usual hot sauce! We have created a unique Caribbean / Tex-Mex hybrid made with flavorful habanero peppers and roasted tomatoes that’s great as a sauce, marinade or holistic cure-all. “Dump on Everything,” the Secret Aardvark compels you!
I had seen this one on a regular basis at World Market and had heard good things about it, and I finally decided to give it a try a few years ago. Ever since then, it has had a reserved space in my fridge.
The sauce has a nice tomatoey tang along with some sweetness and the earthiness you expect from a red sauce. There are actually visible pieces of tomato and onions, though I would not quite call this a chunky sauce. If you eat it on its own with chips, it tastes like a combination of taco sauce and salsa, and it works quite well that way if you can tolerate the heat. If you add it to tacos or other items, it has a more subtle effect as the taco sauce flavor comes through but does not dominate. Those who have had the sauces from Taco Bell know that they have good taste but they tend to overshadow any dish they are added to. Secret Aardvark Habanero on the other hand enhances the flavor without dominating.
As for the heat, this is definitely a sauce that delivers a kick. It starts out with a nice bite and goes beyond Hot on my scale pretty quickly. I would put it somewhere between Hot and Fiery and this is one that will definitely scare off the average mortal. Chiliheads should enjoy it, but the sauce requires some judicious application if you don’t want the heat to overwhelm. When used properly, this brings plenty of burn along with good flavor.
This sauce goes quite well on tacos, particularly the fast food variety. (Yeah, I realize that’s not the best endorsement of a “gourmet” sauce. But it’s true.) Even though I like the Taco Bell sauces, Secret Aardvark is what I would rather put on the tacos and other items from that place. (Mix it with the cheese sauce that comes with their Nacho Fries to really kick those up!) It works on quite a lot of other things as well like eggs, pizza, burgers, fried chicken, etc., but the flavor profile goes particularly well with Mexican-inspired dishes.
You can find the Secret Aardvark sauces pretty easily (my local HEB carries them), and the price is somewhere around $7 and up–depending on the store–because they count as gourmet hot sauces. That is on the high end for a go-to sauce, but I am willing to pay it because one bottle will generally last me two to three months. They have quite a few other flavors as well (the Jamaican Marinade works really well with chicken and pork) but I have not personally ventured too far beyond the Habanero. You can check out their website for the available products and purchase directly from them (though they are kind of pricey) or other online retailers (shameless affiliate link) if you can’t find the sauces near you.
Nutrition Info:
Ingredients: Tomatoes (Tomatoes and Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Citric Acid, Calcium Chloride), White Wine Vinegar, Carrots, Water, Yellow Onion, Habanero Chili Pepper (Habanero Chili Peppers, Water, Salt, Citric Acid), Mustard (Distilled Vinegar, Water, Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Spices), Organic Cane Sugar, Salt, Modified Food Starch, Garlic, Sunflower Oil, Herbs and Spices.
Serving Size: 1 tsp
Calories: 0
Fat: 0g (0g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 0g
Sodium: 35mg