We’ve Got the Hots for These Hot Sauces!
Spicy food is definitely a big part of Philippine cuisine. We have our well-loved Bicolano spicy dishes like the Bicol express and laing that uses different types of chilies found here in the Philippines. A lot of our sawsawans are swimming in chili as well! It's safe to say that some Filipinos have a high tolerance for these feisty peppers. These are a few bottled delights you can use to add a little fire to your dishes:
The Philippines is known for labuyo-our native red, hot pepper. Numerous local brands like Mama Sita's hot pepper sauce is made from this type of chili. This sauce has the right amount of spiciness to it. It's perfect for adding a kick of flavor to dishes like escabeche. Besides Mama Sita's, we also have a bright red sauce from Mother's Best hot sauce (P16.85) and Jufran's red hot chili sauce (P23) that also use the same type of chili.
Tabasco (P112.50) is one of the more common pepper sauce brands we have grown to love. This consists of aged red peppers, salt, and vinegar. Since this sauce has a balance of spicy and sour notes, a few drops of this pepper sauce makes for a delicious seasoning to our pasta and pizzas. Tabasco also has a variety of flavors like the jalapeño, chipotle, and garlic pepper.
Pantai hot chili sauce (P163) is Thailand's Sriracha. This hot chili sauce is an authentic chili garlic sauce that gives more complex spicy flavors to your food. It leaves you with a slight burning sensation and a subtle hint of garlic flavors at the tip of the tongue. Hong Kong's Lee Kum Kee's chili garlic sauce (P67) is the least spicy but the most garlicky of them all and it's actually more of a paste when you compare it with Pantai's sauce. The thick consistency comes from the visible garlic chunks and the chili itself. Although you can use this for dipping, this is best when you use it to stir fry meats, vegetables, noodles, and fish-especially prawns!
Vietnam's Cholimex sweet & chili sauce (P64) will give a mild spice to your dishes. This type of sauce usually has a lighter color, thicker consistency, and bits of chili and chili seeds swimming around the sauce. The peppery-sweet taste is great as a dip for lumpia, calamares, roast pork and fried pork chops!
For the extreme spicy-lovers, Bad Boy Tikboy is a local hot sauce that uses fresh, local peppers. The Yellow Bastard (P250) variant is a mixture of yellow habañero, dehydrated garlic, cane vinegar, and other spices. A small amount of this sauce can leave your tongue and throat warm. Pain is Good's Jamaican style (P359.05) will definitely have you sweating in a good way. As crazy as their name sounds, the tingling pain is actually very delicious. This thick sauce has habañeros and jerk spice-which is a combination of allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. A small amount of this sauce can add so much flavor to your dish and it will definitely leave a lingering burning sensation on the tongue and the roof your mouth. Both these hot sauces are great for dipping and as an additional source of fiery flavors to your chili con carne dish!
You can find these bottle of hot sauces at your local groceries like Robinsons Supermarket, while you can order Bad Boy Tikboy through inquiring via their official Instagram account.
