Health and other associated issues - Tips, Information and Guides
Hot Sauce – Heating Things Up
by: Chris McCarthy There is nothing like a dash of hot sauce to liven up even the blandest of
all dishes. In fact, true to the genre of sauces all over the world, the hot
sauce is not only an accompaniment but also does honors as the prime ingredient
in many dishes. The term hot sauce could not have been more apt for it refers to any hot
and spicy sauce made from chilly peppers or chilly extracts and vinegar. Thus,
you can have sauces made from any kind of chilly pepper (i.e., the fruits of
plants hailing from the Capsicum family) like red peppers, habaneras or tabasco.
The Tabasco sauce is the most popular amongst all the hot sauces available. How hot your hot sauce is going to be is determined by the type of pepper
being used. Thus, you have the bell pepper with a barely-there taste at one end
of the spectrum and the robust habaneros, which will work up quite a steam, at
the other end. Interestingly, it is a substance called capsaicin, which imparts
the characteristic heat to the pepper. The hot sauce is a popular constituent in many Mexican and Cajun dishes
and in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. However, its most widespread use is, as a
barbequeue accompaniment. Barbecue sauce is poured onto grilled or barbecued meat. It is also used
as a dipper. A hot barbecue sauce is usually a blend of sweet, sour and spicy
elements and the most popular combination contains tomato flavorings, vinegar
and sugar. Barbecue sauces come in myriad forms, with every region boasting of their
native BBQ sauce. Thus you have the fiery Texas variety with a tomato base, the
vinegar and tomato based Arkansas variety tempered down by molasses, the white
mayonnaise based Alabama type and the black pepper, mustard and vinegar
concoction hailing from South Carolina. For all the fire they spew, hot pepper sauces are easy to prepare. Take a few peppers (the number wholly depends on how hot your sauce will
be) like habanera or tabasco, a cup of water, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, one bell
pepper, a tablespoon of paprika, salt to taste and cumin if you so desire. Chop
or grind the peppers and boil it with all the ingredients. Lastly, crush this
heady mixture in a blender. Your hot pepper sauce is ready. A word of caution While working with pepper and pepper sauces, do remember to don the
gloves. Some peppers are nothing short of live ammunition and are known to cause
skin irritation and are especially nasty when they get into the eyes. There is more to a pepper than just the tangy taste. Peppers are
storehouses of vitamins A, C and E, potassium and folic acid. So apart from the
distinct taste, the hot sauces also impart some nutritional value to the dishes
they grace. The hot sauce holds its own in whatever dish it appears. As the saying
goes, like it or loathe it, you just cannot ignore it.
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doc thanks Jonathan Leger txt
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