I'd not go as far as calling myself a foodie or food snob although I'll admit to appreciating quality food, presented well. That's not to say I'm a fussy eater. I've been known to eat food dropped in the dirt when other options aren't available and hold the belief that great company can make even the most mundane food great. I value quality though so look for it when possible.
We're all guilty of having food habits. Should we feel guilty though? Isn't it just preference? Yeah, I think so. We like what we like and it's ok if other people don't like what we like, or we don't like what they like. We all like our own things and dislike things we don't like. It makes perfect sense right? 😉
I'm one of those people who likes to pour sauces onto my food and uses chutneys and relishes. I think it adds new and interesting perspectives to the food, a certain depth that might not otherwise be there. Using sauces and relishes means I can eat the same basic foods I like but change them up a little as I need, or please, with the addition of a sauce.
Not too long ago I was on the scout for some new sauces, a hot sauce in particular, and found myself at a very high-end fine-food and produce store called Tony & Marks. I was there based on a tip-off I'd received from a fellow sauce-guy friend of mine and the mission was to find the very sauce you see pictured here. Clearly I achieved mission-success.
This particular hot sauce is by Australian company Handsome Devils Co. and I'd been told it is magnificent. But, you know what? I wouldn't have cared if I'd been told it was average, I'm a sauce guy and, as such, am compelled to seek out sauces including this handsome and devilish sauce and give them a try myself.
Once purchased, for the extremely low price of $2 (AUD), I was eager to put it to the test. Somehow I resisted the urge to open it in the car on the way home and take a swig but later that night I decided to try it on my dinner which was, in fact, breakfast. Well, it was dinner, but I made what a person might usually have for breakfast, for dinner. I made bacon and eggs on toasted sour dough with a side of mushrooms, grilled tomato and avocado.
When the moment came to liberally splash on my new hot sauce I paused a moment figuring discretion is the better part of valour and I'd better test out how hot they meant by hot. For the record, it's hot.
The sauce has a nice smokiness to it and undertones of garlic, smoked paprika, tamarind and cumin along with the sweetness of honey. Of course it's loaded with jalapenos which adds the heat.
It went perfectly on my eggs and I can imagine it going well with anything cooked on the barbeque be it poultry, meat, fish or vegetables. Trust me, I'll be trying them all. It's not the hottest hot sauce I've had but that's ok, I don't like it too hot as I still like to taste the food. It lends a nice flavour though and is perfect to spice up my meals.
Are you a hot sauce kind of person? Do you like spicy foods? Maybe you just add sauces and relishes like the very legit Mrs. Balls from South Africa. Trust me, if you can get some of that you need to do yourself the favour; it's splendid. Feel free to let me know what's up in the comments below, or alternatively, tell me about your hot sauce, spicy food, malfunctions.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Any images in this post are my own
The meat and potatoes are the side dish, sauce is what matters.
I have all sort of sauce stuff in the fridge, Hellman’s Mayo, Shiracha, soy sauce, fish sauce etc, so much so that my bestie once said that it’s incredible how my fridge is full but there is nothing to eat.
Well, I'm sure you create some legit things with your refrigerator of sauce and yep, I agree completely, the sauce makes the dish. Siracha, so good.
Also love a good splash of hot sauce on many items. Cholula is standard fare at many restaurants here, and some other more classic chili sauces. Frank's Redhot is generally available at many grocery stores and usually in my fridge. Like you, I generally like to taste the food, but when I'm eating chinese, thai, etc. I like it hot. I mean make my eyes water, my nose run, and maybe even break a sweat hot. There's just something about having a meal that makes you cry once in a while :) This sauce looks really interesting, will have to see if it's available over here.
It's really cool what's around the place these days with loads of smaller businesses getting involved with bespoke products. The resurgence of gin is just one example; here it's going off big time with so many small places (including a friend of mine) getting amongst it. The same with craft beers (micro breweries) and things like rubs, sauces and other condiments. It's really great I think.
I like food hot sometimes too, but I think you'd out hot me considering how you eat your Thai food. Still, I'd break bread with you any day bro.
Nothing can beat spicy food. For me, i prefer "sambal" as hot dipping souce.
Sambal is a legit hot dipping sauce indeed, one of my favourites!
A bit of barbeque sauce or hot sauce just takes the whole meal to a different level for me. Hot sauce is a must, I absolutely love spicy food. Sometimes I like my food so hot that I don't even mind crying as I'm eating haha.
Some good ole barbeque sauce and garlic sauce comes in second place mostly. If it's chutneys, then pudina chutney is my absolute favorite. And a simple mix of pickles/achar makes a boring plate of rice way more enjoyable too.
Cry-eating has happened to me too...oh what an enjoyable meal! 🤣
I love hot mango chutney on rice dishes, we get some really good one's here. I guess that's one of the benefits of Australia being so multicultural, there's no shortage of good food options.
Gotta love it, living life on the edge type of stuff haha. 😎
Over here most of the mango chutneys are sweet, people just go crazy over it. Even when it comes to my family, we just devour a few jars of mango chutney like it's nothing. 😂
Oh shit, just realised my typo. Corrected it, thanks.
I remember as a kid first trying it and burning my mouth but I persisted and now have a selection of hot mango chutneys at home and work my way through them every now and then. They are so good and the way they transform a meal is nothing short of miraculous.
Miraculous indeed, I don't know how someone can stay away from such irresistible spicy foods and chutneys. I know, it "burns" sometimes, but even if it's that hot, and might turn out to be a "pain in the ass" in the morning, I'd say it's still worth it. 😂
Sometimes we just need to embrace the burn. 😁
YES SIRRR haha 😤
I love hot sauce man! I have to avoid trying to neck it on the way back from the shop too. Always have to bide my time to add it to some good food. That one sounds fab. Handsome Devils Very apt! Hot sauce fans and the makers of it seem to be cool dudes who know just how to market the damn stuff!
It's amazing the power a little smart advertising can have on a consumer. Although, when it comes to hit saudlce I'm a bit of an easy target. There's a place here that has a massive range of them, sauces and rubs also, I shop there mainly. I should do a post someday.
Glugging hot sauce in the car on the way home. What could possible go wrong? 🤣
There was a Mexican restaurant near me (now, sadly, out of business) that had a range of hot sauces on a wall, ranging from "Sweet" to appropriately named "Anal Damage." I tend to shy away from those.
My Canadian blood is heavily influenced by English, and my Very Proper English grandmother taught me the basics of cooking and eating. To this day I still eat with my left hand - the proper way - and avoid most spices at all costs. The exception is spiced coffee, which I cannot get enough of.
I have a very bland palette.
Gawd, anal damage? I think I'd avoid that hot sauce for sure.
I know people like you who call pepper spicy! Lol. It's all good though, we have different likes and dislikes, it doesn't mean anything. I'd ensure there was plenty of bland food at the BBQ if you were coming. 😳😊
Well, don't get me wrong. I do enjoy a good spiced coffee, and I've been known to be crazy enough to grind pepper onto eggs and throw some extra cinnamon into french toast batter. Living the crazy life here! 😂
Lol, yeah it seems you're very adventurous after all!
It's no big deal though, we're all different and have our individual likes and dislikes. I don't like hot food touching my cold food on my dinner plate. Yet, am happy to eat cold custard on hot apple pie, or cold salad stuff in a burger for instance Weird? Probably.
I don't like eating super hot foods as it tends to take away the flavour of the food too much for me, but some heat is acceptable. I'm more about taste and flavour.
Different things for different folks. Some like spicy food while others dislike it, and to some like me, they prefer it lightly spicy. To those who dont like it, that may be as a result of stomach disorder.
Yes, as I said in the post, it's all about choice.
Sounds like my kind of sauce. My favourite in the Nando's (from South Africa). Can be mild or hot!!!
Yeah, we have Nando's here too and it's awesome. Although, I went to eat there in Brisbane a few weeks ago when on a business trip and they wanted me to order on a QR code on my phone. I walked out. The cool thing is we can buy the sauces in the supermarket, and I do.
I am definitely not a hot sauce fan.
I was born into a family of great cooks, Mom, Aunts, Grandmothers.... all great cooks, but here in the south (at the time) most of the normal southern cuisine was not hot and/or over spicey, not that there weren't some dishes here and there that were spicy, but not an an extremely loud way. We saved spices for cakes ! LOL
Anyway, I learned to eat more spicy food as I have come through my adult life and the 6 years I lived in San Antonio, Texas gave me a lot of opportunity to try much more with all the wonderful Tex-Mex food on every corner, much of which I totally loved. I did find I had a limit to how hot I was willing to eat, because at a point, if it was too hot, I could no longer taste what I was eating after that and well.... what is the point of great food if you can't taste it ?!
If the food is REALLY good, that is what I am after and think they don't need sauces many times. Plus, the hot sauces I have tried had odd flavors themselves to me, so who wants to add THAT to good food ?? Needless to say there are many I have never tried and I probably won't start now 😃
That doesn't count things like Yum-Yum sauce or Sweet Chili Sauce and the such for dipping Spring Rolls, Fried Dumplings and etc. Sometimes spicy and flavorful, but not really about the heat. Those I love.
I like breakfast for supper once in a while. For real breakfast though, leave out the spicy for me.... to early !
I love tex-mex food and have had some good ones over the years. Although, I've never been to America so I don't have much to compare it to I guess. It tasted ok and that's what counts.
I hear you on the, quality good tasting food thing, not all food needs anything added and I don't do so with everything but I like sauces and aren't shy when it comes to using them.
Speaking of spring rolls, I just had some for lunch, dipped in sweet chilli sauce. So good. Ok, I'll be honest, also had sweet and sour chicken on a bed of special fried rice. There, now you know everything.
I'm a flexible man when it comes to most things, and with food I'm happy to try things and if I don't like it what's the harm?
Love a good sauce! Makes it add a lot of interesting stuff to a meal that could otherwise be mundane. Ssiena says that I have the weirdest taste buds in that I add all kinds of spices and stuff to my food, sauces included and I comment if she doesn’t add enough pizzazz! Lol. I’m known to add all kinds of stuff to foods I cook such as breakfast you had here, which is perfectly acceptable as a dinner and one I have myself regularly, adding turmeric, cayenne, black pepper and paprika to my eggs and spike it with a little hot sauce but not too much and you’ve got one hell of a meal!
2$ for that sauce isn’t too shabby! Hot sauce around here tends to get a bit on the expensive side, most bottles cost upwards of 5$ and 10$+ for the craft stuff. Not the worst considering how long it lasts but always a little tough to commit 10$ to something.
There's noting wrong with a touch of weird when it comes to food tastes, and there's always room for hot sauce. I like your eggs concoction too, so damned tasty!
The sauce was on special, I'm not sure what it was before but I'd say at least $5 as that's what it is for others. It's also a very small bottle. Still, I thought $2 was reasonable for the sauce and I'd have been content even if it wasn't bloody awesome!
Ohhh yeasss. We have ot sauce on our breakfasts in the morning and on most meals. Like you @millycf1976 and myself are always on the look out for new ones. Most recently we found Encona were doing a carolina realer hot sauce that was hot and quite delicious. I like to build up a cache of them and then you have preferences for which ones go with what. Some are good with lastas other on breakfasts. Chicken wings we experiment with different ones all the time. I have a saying also that in life a little mischief is like putting hot sausenon your food, but too much hot sauce and you’ll suffer the next day 😂
Why am I not surprised you're a hot sauce connoisseur. It's the best on breakfasts right?
I had shepherds pie for dinner tonight and, I sure as shit lavished on the hot sauce and it was awesome! I'm looking forward to making a marinade out of it for some chicken I'm searing on the BBQ soon...I have a suspicion that it's going to be wunderbar!
@diveratt quite often brings up surprise bottles of random hot sauces as he loves a bit of the old pepper as well
It's the spice of life. Well, one of them anyway.
I can totally relate to this feeling.
I like your description of the sauce but I really do not like hot sauce. I really do not do well with pepper and spicy stuff.
I rather go with sweet stuff.
I could literally take ketchup with anything.
Ah yes, ketchup (here we call it tomato sauce). There's never a moment in which I don't have some in my house and yep, it goes on lots of things. make toasted cheese sandwiches with it which is really nice and white rice with ketchup/tomato sauce is worth the effort too. Trust me.
I will try it with white rice.
Unfortunately, I'm not a hot sauce kind of person. But I like spicy food. And I often use spices in my recipes. I also try Indian cuisine from time to time. And it's actually pretty yummy!
Hey there, it's been so long! I hope you're well.
Yeah, Indian food is pretty good indeed, I like it a lot although I only eat it once a month or so. I find it so salty, but yep, it's very good!
Yes, I'm pretty good. I had a small but actually difficult surgery, but now I'm fine. :) I hope you are well too.
Ahh I love salty food!
Ah ok, well it's good to hear you're ok which is the main thing right? I like salty food too, but I find sometimes Indian food is a bit to salty. It doesn't stop me eating it but I have to do so on a Friday or Saturday night, when I'm not working the next day, as I'm likely not going to sleep that night! 😂
I love a good sauce to add depth or taste to my food. I will look for Handsome Devils which I think I can find since I can find Vegemite here.
I prefer to add hot sauce on the side of my plate. First I test the food flavour and also the heat of the sauce then proceed with eating.
I make my own hot sauce as well. I throw in different types of peppers etc. One day I will write about it.
It's a good practice to test the food first, I don't be same. Not all food needs add-ons. Also, with sauces, on the side is smart, just in case it turns out not to be good. 🙂
Indeed
Yes, my dear friend, I like what I think is delicious. Really really maybe at the suggestion of others I do not want but to taste. But it usually happens less often. Like you, I love spicy foods that burn my mouth and I enjoy it. I love fast food and foods full of spicy sauces. 😋😋😋😋
It's a nice way to make a meal more interesting and can bring new dimensions to commonplace foods. Thanks for commenting.
Hi Galen, We love having breakfast at dinner time too. In the Philippines, we did that a lot, mainly because Cam left for work without breakfast most mornings, and I thought it was a nice way for him to not miss out on breakfast food. I think I actually prefer a full English Breakfast at dinnertime, and would opt for a Continental Breakfast with lots of grains/seeds, croissaints, and fresh fruit.
Sauces, oh yay!!!...we love a wide variety for both flavour and hot spices. That one you got there looks awesome!
I'd be happy eating cooked breakfasts for dinner all the time, there's so many good options and it's tasty so why not right? Add on some hot sauce and it's all good!
Exactly!!
That's an idea there. I'll gather about 5 great cooked breakfast options and have them for dinner one week.
Something about doing so just feels so good 😁
... and yes! Always hot sauce 😋
Sauce is the gravy of all foods indeed. I find your inspiring quotes quite inspiring and I also think that.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. What's your favourite sauce?
I like ketchup. I also like taking the time ;) But jokes aside, I am not much spicy resistant, I prefer the mild flavours, pesto for instance.
I do like to add lemon almost always... but when I feel under the weather spicy is the answer. I use oregano oil and garlic.
I can't take spicy food hehe!
Seriously? I would have thought you'd be ok with it.
Hahaha yeah I know right.. Spicy food aside, there's still many food options available so that's ok! ;)
There's always more food options, and so much good stuff...Seems like so little time and so much food to eat!
Sounds like Indian regular Chatani We make that type of thick sauce but with smoked green chilis, garlic, tamarind, little jaggery, salt, and fresh coriander, I imagine the taste you had. sure it is enough spicy taste.
Nice to read about you enjoyed it. greetings🙏.
I like Indian food, although I limit the intake as I find it a little salty. Still, I grew up with occasional Indian food eating, every Sunday at my grandma's house. I miss her cooking.
👍💪🇦🇷