Red Hot Super Bowl Battle: Tabasco vs. Frank's Showdown
In Monday's New York Times business section, there was a story about the rivalry heating up between Frank's RedHot and Tabasco, which recently released a Buffalo-style sauce in time to catch the wing nuts who gobble tons of those spicy bites on Game Day.
I'm a huge fan of pepper sauce and have a rainbow of shades in my pantry that I use on everything from soup to nuts. My tastes have changed over the years, but I think that has more to do with the explosion in the variety of sauce that are now available. Currently, I'm pretty fond of Texas Pete, which is actually made in North Carolina! I also like Crystal Hot Sauce Louisana Pure Hot Sauce and the green version of Tabasco. Sometimes, just for fun, I mix them up until my food looks like a Jackson Pollack painting.
This story stirred something, awakening curiousity, so I took a quick poll among my Twitter pals and Facebook buddies and - hot dang - were people fired up about this hot topic.
Most folks didn't just have one favorite, they had two or three, each with different purposes. A chef friend broke his preferences down like this: Crystal for straight-up fried chicken. Frank's for wings. Tabasco for anything with rice. Another friend said she chooses hot sauce like she chooses wine. It all depends on what's being served.
There was a lot of heat for sambal, Cholula and Sriracha (aka Rooster sauce), with one of my clever writer friends declaring he loved it so much that he would pour it on cheesecake! Fans of Tapaito and Valentina cheered the peppery goodness.
I also learned a couple new names: Baron West Indian Hot Sauce from the Caribbean and Secret Aardvark. Another friend raved about the lineup of Marie Sharp's Hot Sauces, an accidental discovery he made years ago while eating oysters in New Orleans. "I thought I was reaching for a bottle of Tabasco, but when I took that first bite I knew it was different. It's got great flavor and great heat." And a friend, who's living in Great Britain praised a sauce she picked up while on a trip to Vancouver. It's called Organic Oddball Nuclear Nectar.
When the final votes were tallied in this pepper sauce poll, one thing was clear: There was no clear winner. But that's not a bad thing. It just speaks to the bold tastes of a great nation of eclectic eaters. Go team!
-- Leslie Kelly
Bill on January 30, 2012 at 11:03 AM
This is an often debated topic among my friends. Tabasco seems to be the market leader in the hot sauce market. However, not everyone seems to think it is the best hot sauce. A lot of people seem to prefer Texas Pete's Tobasco. Personally, I have always been happy with Tobasco.
Thanks for the blog post!
Bill Graze
http://socialgraze.com
jeff on January 30, 2012 at 12:23 PM
I've become a convert to Cholula, it's amazing how well that sauce compliments even the most unlikely food (e.g. tangerines).
My midmorning snack is typically a hard boiled egg with a healthy splash of Cholula.
Mark on January 30, 2012 at 03:41 PM
I love Chili Beer Hot Sauce. Doesn't over power the food. Probably the best I've had!
Joey on February 01, 2012 at 12:56 PM
Cholula is my go-to for "regular" hot sauce. Tabasco is too vinegary for me.
However, I do like Smoked Tabasco over Smoked Cholula. Go figure!