Hot Sauce

A friend recently sent me a link to a Cook's Illustrated taste test on hot sauces. I love hot and spicy food so I was intruiged. In my refrigerator sits the ubiquitous bottle of Tabasco so I was surprised to read:

We thought Tabasco would win hands down. Not necessarily.

The winner of the taste test was Frank's Hot Sauce. On a recent trip to my local Safeway they had it on sale for half off so I picked up a bottle. After a few quick side-by-side tastings, I have to agree with the Cook's Illustrated review:

Tasters liked Frank's "bright" and "tangy" notes and potent heat when sprinkled atop a portion of steamed white rice. The full, tomatoey complexity and "luxurious" body of Frank's was also a high point for many tasters. One taster put it succinctly: "Tabasco is an ingredient, while Frank's is a condiment."

For me, Frank's Hot Sauce had a lot more flavor and complexity compared to the acidic and spicy Tabasco. I'm a convert!