Five Name-Brand Hot Sauce Gift Set Suggestions for the Holidays
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[post_content] => I have already written at length about those generic hot sauce gift sets you find this time of year and suggested that you not give those unless they are a gag gift (more on that here). If you are looking to give a gift to someone who really enjoys spicy food, you are better off seeking out craft hot sauce sets (like Hoff's or The Spicy Gnome) or looking for sets from known brands. At least with those, you know you are giving quality sauces and something that lovers of spicy foods would prefer. Here are a few examples:
Tabasco Products:
Tabasco is a well-known company that has been in business in Louisiana since the 1800s. They make a variety of sauces and there are quite a number of gift sets that you can find on Amazon.com. There are variety sets with multiple sauce flavors and there are also the big bottles as well as the tiny bottles (the latter could make for fun stocking stuffers). Heck, you can just go up to your local store and buy one of each bottle they have and make a fun little gift basket, though searching online will give you a larger selection. Tabasco makes quality sauces and any lover of hot foods would enjoy getting a nice variety of these during the holidays.
Yellowbird Sauces:
Yellowbird is an Austin-based company that makes some pretty darn good sauces that are all-natural and made from chilis they grow themselves. You may be able to find them in your local grocery store (they could be with the hot sauce or the barbeque sauce), but if not, they are widely available online. Amazon offers sets that range from three to five sauces, though be sure to shop the prices because some sellers have the exact same thing cheaper than others. These are highly-rated sauces made right here in the U S of A and should be a perfect gift for someone who likes the heat!
Secret Aardvark Sauces:
This company is another maker of craft hot sauces, and they have gained a lot of attention in recent years because of their quality products. They are located in Portland, Oregon and a portion of the profits from their sauces goes back to supporting their community. They have several flavors to choose from, all of which deliver on the flavor. The Habanero, Red Scorpion, and Reaper sauces definitely amp up the heat level, but they also have some like the Smoky Chipotle that are on the lower end of the heat scale. If you can't find these in your local store, or the selection is minimal, Amazon and other online retailers have several sets available.
Dave's Hot Sauce:
Are you ready to really turn up the heat? Then give the gift of Dave's. This company puts out what I consider to be the benchmark for the extract-based, insane heat sauces. Dave's manages to still keep some flavor in the sauces even though just one drop will set your mouth on fire. And if you aren't looking for something that hot, they even make some milder sauces that are pretty good. But Dave's is best known for the Insanity sauce and the variations of that which make it even hotter. Most likely, you won't find many of these at your local store, but Amazon and other online retailers do have quite a selection.
Melinda's Hot Sauce: These sauces are widely available and you will often find them in discount stores. But these are still good sauces and worth buying. The company is based in Texas, but the sauces are now made in Costa Rica. They have quite a variety from mild (Garlic Sauce) to beyond fiery (Scorpion Pepper Sauce), and these are quite affordable. You can find the sauces in regular bottles as well as squeeze bottle varieties, and it is likely that your local store has several to choose from. But for a fairly extensive selection, check out the offerings at Amazon.
[post_title] => Five Name-Brand Hot Sauce Gift Set Suggestions for the Holidays
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https://spicyfoodreviews.com/2024/11/dont-buy-cheap-generic-hot-sauce-gift-sets-give-quality-sauces-instead
https://spicyfoodreviews.com/2022/11/review-enchanted-flame-fine-hot-sauce-and-dragons-tears-from-the-spicy-gnome
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I have already written at length about those generic hot sauce gift sets you find this time of year and suggested that you not give …
Most World Markets have a shelf dedicated to hot sauces, and you can also find other sauces throughout the store. The Asian shelf will generally have several types of sriracha sauce, and the Italian shelf will have some bottles of Calabrian pepper sauces and/or pastes. They also have a section with sampler-size bottles, and you can put together a nice gift set there. (Though check your local Walmart first, because they may have some of the same sauces cheaper. More on that 
World Market also has some hot sauce sets, but you will want to be careful when selecting from those. They have some name-brand and craft sauces, but they also have the generic sets, so pay attention to what you are buying. Take a look at the set above as an example. It claims this is a "Gourmet Hot Sauce Assortment," but there are no recognizable names attached. If you zoom in on the back side, it says "Product of the U.S.A.," but below that, it says "Packed in China." So, even though the company itself may be in the U.S., the sauces are made in China. If you look at the ingredients, you see these all are made with distilled vinegar, some sort of pepper mash, and a few other ingredients. So, they will be vinegary sauces of varying heat and flavor, but the difference will be minimal. These may actually not be bad sauces (when they drop the price after Christmas, I may pick it up), but there are much better options.
If you look at the picture above, this has several other sets, including some known brands. That Hoff set is a pretty good deal at $29.99 and would make a good gift (you can read my review of their sauces 
So, World Market gives you plenty of options for hot sauce this time of year, and they have quite a few other spicy items throughout the store that can make a nice gift basket. Any friend or family member who likes foods that bring some heat will certainly appreciate the extra time and care you put into that gift.
[post_title] => World Market Has Plenty of Spicy Hot Sauce Gift Options
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1. Habanero Hot Sauce: This spicy bottle of goodness is one that typically surprises people. If you aren't aware that TJ's is a good place to find foods that bring the heat, you might pass it on by. But once you have sampled the sauce, it is going to become a staple in your pantry. It delivers that distinct habanero flavor along with a nice sweetness and an immediate kick. There is also some tang from the sauce, though not too much, and it has a slight garlicky finish that rounds out the taste experience quite nicely. And along with all that, this sauce really brings quite a kick. I always have a bottle of it around, and I recommend that you get one as a gift and one to keep. (Read my full review of the sauce 
2. Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce: This is another sauce that I discovered at TJ's which has since become a regular in my pantry. It has good red pepper taste from the Calabrian chilis along with just a bit of sweetness. It also has hints of olives, likely coming from the extra virgin olive oil and maybe also from the fermentation of the peppers. There is also a bit of a tang that probably comes from the citric acid. The sauce has some heat, but it is not what I would call super hot, closer to the Medium heat level. But I can't eat Italian food without it anymore, and I always add a little bit of it to my spaghetti sauce. (You can read my full review 
3. Green Dragon Sauce: This sauce is made with jalapenos and tomatillos but it has a slight Asian tinge to it as well. There must be something hidden in the spices because I don't see any ingredients that suggest that cuisine, but it is definitely there. It has the tartness you expect from tomatillos, and it has the tang from the vinegar along with some sweetness to balance that out. The jalapenos give it a kick, though it is not too hot as it is only slightly above Mild level. But taste-wise this is quite good and it pairs up very well with Asian food while also working well with other cuisines. (You can read my full review of both this and TJ's Sriracha sauce 
4. Jalapeno Sauce: This is one that I recently discovered and it will be turning into another TJ's regular for me. It is a creamy jalapeno sauce, but it has no dairy (it actually counts as vegan and the creaminess comes from the oil used). It has that good, rich jalapeno taste with a hint of roast chilis as well. And it has a kick that brings it to the Medium heal level and maybe beyond. They suggest that you use it as an enchilada sauce (those are going to be some spicy enchiladas!), but it is also really good on breakfast tacos/burritos and it would make a good (and spicy) substitute for mayonnaise. Note that they also have a red jalapeno sauce, but that is more like a Louisiana sauce and I consider the green version much better.
5. Chili Pepper Sauce: Not to be confused with the Red Jalapeno Sauce I mentioned above (which looks similar in the bottle), this one is also made from the scarlet pods but it has a heavy dose of chili powder. In fact, it tastes similar to a red enchilada sauce, though more intense. It also brings a notable tang from the vinegar. This would go particularly well with Mexican food or it could give a boost to a pot of chili con carne. Heat-wise it is a little below Medium-level, but it does have a kick to go along with its good taste.
And you need not stop with just the hot sauces. Trader Joe's has quite a number of spicy snacks (like the Crispy Thai Chilies & Sesame Seeds, more on those 
The basic subscription plan has 
This is definitely a nice gift for someone who likes spicy foods and from what I have seen the service is pretty highly rated. So if you need something quick, browse through the 
Vampire’s Bane: This is a salsa for lovers of garlic, or should I say fanatics of the bud? It would be inaccurate to say this has a strong garlic flavor and much more on point to say that it punches you in the mouth with the garlic. But it also brings a nice, tomatoey richness with some tang to keep the garlic from completely dominating. Along with that, it has a fair amount of sweetness, but that acts as a counterbalance to the other bold flavors. In addition, there's a little bit of a zing from the cider vinegar, with the onion and seasonings giving it a nice finish. The large amount of garlic used actually gives the salsa a horseradish-like taste, and this would work well as a cocktail sauce or to give a nice boost to a tartar sauce.
Heat-wise, this starts at Medium on 