Hot Sauce Facts and Flavors

Hot sauce is a spicy condiment made from chili peppers.

One of the first US bottled hot sauces appeared in 1807.

Tabasco sauce began in 1868 as an early US hot sauce.

Habanero peppers are often used to make very hot sauces worldwide.

Vinegar is used in many hot sauces as a natural preservative.

The Scoville scale measures heat by how much water dilutes capsaicin.

Pure capsaicin rates at 16 million Scoville units, the hottest heat.

Louisiana-style hot sauce uses cayenne peppers and vinegar mainly.

Tabasco sauce rates about 2,500 Scoville heat units on average.

Caribbean hot sauces use Scotch bonnet peppers and vinegar widely.

Mexican sauces focus on flavor with chipotle peppers and less vinegar.

Fruits or vegetables sometimes add flavor and texture to hot sauces.

Artisan hot sauces in the US often feature unique, themed flavors.

Mustard oil or pure capsaicin can increase the heat of sauces.

Hot sauce heat ranges widely from mild to extremely hot varieties.