Do you like hot sauce? I sure do – but where does a good deal come from? Since chili peppers are native to the Americas, it’s no surprise that some of the best and most high quality sauces are developed in and around them – however, many countries outside of the “new Earth” have took hold of on to the chili pepper and created some very unique peppers and sauces which have become fully mixed into their culinary arts.

Lets start with Mexico – what most hot sauce connoisseurs consider to be the home of the chili pepper and therefore the hot sauce. Most Mexican sauces dont focus on heat entirely, but are more about flavor – for instance, chipotle peppers, which are dried and smoked jalapeños, can make any dish taste like it has been roasting over an open fire for hours. Cholula, a popular Mexican hot sauce from el estado de Jalisco, can be acquired in many American grocery stores.

The US, Mexico’s Anglo neighbor, produces some of its own specific sauces – like Louisiana Hot Sauce, Frank’s Red Hot, and Crystal Hot Sauce. Many US sauces accept vinegar along with chili peppers. For many ages, Tabasco was reckoned to be the primary measuring stick of hot sauces in the US – which is aged and fermented in barrels like wine.

Outside of its native domain of the Americas, chili peppers (and therefore hot sauces) have become ubiquitous. Thailand is famous for their Thai chili peppers, and they set up them on all forms of food – even watermelon. Sriracha sauce is a famous type of Thai sauce, which can be establish all over the world. Other Asian countries, like China and Vietnam, also have their own identifiable flavors of hot sauce, and their cuisines clearly reflect that. Who hasnt ordered a hot Kung Pao dish from a Chinese kitchen before? The chili pepper is one of the most diverse on the planet, and is limited in its cross-cultural appeal.