![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzRFzidoau7fq06ltmlWMVok4YtPDJdUuxS56NQ8L_V6ZRrpDe6NzNhLP9Wr9LF0O6WoK_ljJWjsO49xgonTSoJqR8GY0LaJQ9IhSc330kHyAAcpYl6YXA-XbSjekN2GyogF19vj16VY/s400/DSC04806.JPG)
I love Tabasco. Sure, I love other hot sauces, too. In my cupboard I have Tapatio, Valentina, Frank's, and Texas Champagne. But the Tabasco lineup of flavors all have their purposes: the chipotle is great on pizza, the green jalapeno is perfect for eggs, the garlic spices up anything, and even the habanero is a nice addition to the cloying sauces that accompany most frozen Asian appetizers.
So when I heard that Tabasco was coming out with a new flavor called Sweet & Spicy, I was very much looking forward to trying it. But here's the part I didn't count on: you can't get it in Southern California. I not only went to at least twenty stores to find it, I used a "product finder" on Tabasco's website, and the nearest available location was in Arizona.
But, since I was in New York in July, I was able to buy a bottle. And it was fantastic. It is much sweeter than any other Tabasco sauce, but that's the whole point: it's a blend of "Asian spices" with a touch of heat to it. I have read of people being disappointed with the sweetness of the sauce, but I was not. It is best to think of this as a hot sweet sauce, rather than a sweet hot sauce. If that makes any sense.
Shortly after buying it in New York I tried it on a slice of pizza and loved it. But I did not buy any more bottles. Because I am an idiot. So if anyone is looking for a present for me, you can order me a
personalized one-gallon jug of the sauce right here. That should last me at least a few days.
Here is a rundown of just some of the things I tried the sauce on before it ran out:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ak52nlq1BPqVFYImwY0yJBs-72rA34M5o6N-6iUFW6sRI-3PAetgoHHeK_N4Lw8Ea83lpzuW6YTeSLJWSIi9ZlV6_TNb-pgR7mjRcn8tweVCMb8yzLBBsTSzg9_dLVBvA5WWHUrC4yc/s400/DSC04809.JPG)
Trader Joe's Tempura Chicken:
I've written of the chicken before, tempura-battered, white meat chicken that is as good as you will get at most restaurants, for only a few dollars for a bag that is more than enough for two people. After making it for dinner one night, I tossed a few of the pieces in the Tabasco Sweet & Spicy sauce. It was the best tempura chicken I have ever had.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlmV3JxxvybrLwU-C90gG3OvssSDKAxBm2Z7tHteyB67QXbVkhuwI25nVX69OSjJOLFgTEGZCIlIilHk8qXNmlWIASNWrDlpW-wL5gZPuBqfKV_431V84r6RJeRtAGzcfDG9VrQnOS_w/s400/DSC04845.JPG)
McNugget: Was this good? Yes. As good as McDonald's hot mustard sauce is on McNuggets? No. And not as good as the TJ's tempura chicken. But it had to be done.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlw4jcJI7FcwOebxA926pusyCkLr42MNxrACvN_YLgUqu9xPSVgf2UsGFCHGaBn6qi3DQ9ofP9IsvsWtjaDDTegkdpDgJ4pqQsJ2vCihz1AuffP27y_OZCSxiSNN4Jw1fHIf3gl4F5lk/s400/DSC04954.JPG)
Whole Foods mini dumplings: the Sweet & Spicy sauce did not taste bad with these - it would not taste bad if I tried to eat it on a baseball - but it really didn't complement the dumplings. This was a waste of the precious sauce.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixejIBrjLYYcv3wfDQeAATGCTME8TIfmI_FQMki01XJv5SDPcGCU9yZ5KKKlTFcucFtbHk0EXxwZQPk8YHeXoMppIrNzzzF-yDjHUYi_zFy3olAFrBDvJF0HKeEWuNgT0mlZUW0OEW56U/s400/DSC04982.JPG)
Del Taco Chicken Soft Taco: Now we're talking. If Del Taco decided to make this a regular menu item, it would become legendary.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj832TkCEAWiFKrHb-sLYwCav6o4ukp8QNEembAazT9SF3xtH256oXmbAgn3qfe_6D6ls3FnhCkedzz7FDEPnLmJIIn2hdXYXKAfhYOyDHH5nWmxQtjOEURvo64S2IKQJyEnhFo_ZeO5TM/s400/DSC05062.JPG)
Cheese Quesadilla: Like the dumplings, the sauce didn't add anything. The quesadilla only had cheese in it; the gooeyness of it was the main taste and the sauce was lost. I wish I'd added some additional ingredients to play off the sauce.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUwVNZDUJvAVYXe4piH2KNXantuKT90ElgDKoM9t9bA4Dc8Dde9Pd7du14755Cj6SFl7KmrcZtDtQ1X6lefCAsGopt-Ir3Hk5NUiGfnhyHgGuAfp35i6Stq5xFchuhetx78kTSsiZeA0/s400/DSC05096.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ku2B6KxgCVjB6X6DMm2TFqVr-jYUgDoj8EA5HorvEXdsnPePhZCNWOAb-9z44iPbZxvdCPQqtGFlgFAQjWLeHT48HxAiOcg-Ml33m9DaQKrzCbGcjtf4aUbcK17OvHdR0b8BbMwH13s/s400/DSC05097.JPG)
Cheese Pizza: My friend Tracie was over one night and I was grilling up some pizzas. There was only a little bit of the sauce left and I wanted her to try it, so I figured what the hell, I will make a pizza with it. I emptied the last of the bottle onto the dough, topped it with mozzarella, and threw it on the pizza stone. In a few minutes I took it off the grill. It was great. Tracie agreed with me that the sauce is very good.
1 comment:
This stuff would be amazing on fries too i bet! im running out to buy some right now!
Post a Comment