Ssäm Korean Chili Sauce

Greetings readers! I took a break from the blog for a couple of weeks to deal with some family stuff, what with Thanksgiving occurring, but I've returned to review something very special. I'd like to share a sauce with you from Momofuku Ssäm Bar called Ssäm Sauce. This sauce is a delight. It goes amazingly on scrambled eggs as well as a great addition to tacos/burritos. A little background first:
Not only is David Chang to thank for this deliciousness, but he founded a noodle bar in NYC called Momofuku Noodle Bar that quickly rose to international popularity. He has also opened many other restaurants and hosts a show on Netflix called Ugly Delicious (definitely worth checking out). He's kinda one of the people in the culinary world that I look up to.
As for the sauce, the first thing that I noticed (of course) was the consistency. This is a nice, thick, red sauce. At only just over $7.00 online, this gem is more than affordable considering the value that it confers. So I'm sated on the consistency and color, as I've made it well known that the aforementioned combination is my favorite.
The next part surprised me in the pleasure that it gave: that of the flavor. This sauce is sweet! Almost as if St Louis style barbecue sauce had notes of wine and soy sauce. Now, normally I'm not huge into sweet sauces, but the Ssäm Sauce has somehow melded a flavor profile that I am completely a fan of. I must admit that it has a saltiness that appeals to me.
The heat level is not super high, but if you're expecting barbecue sauce-level mildness, you'll be joltingly surprised upon sampling this sauce. It has a noticeable kick, but it's not off the charts like some of the sauces I've reviewed in the past. Also, with the amount of sauce that I consumed due to its wonderful flavor, it can build on you.
If I can leave a take away, it would be to do yourself a service and order a bottle of this sauce for yourself. I know that it will be a mainstay in my fridge from here on in.

Yellowbird Sauce Habanero Condiment

I discovered a sauce via my internet travels that goes by the name of Habanero Condiment made by Yellow Bird Sauce, a company from Texas, that piqued my interest based on public discussion as well as a reasonable price of purchase. This bottle cost me about $8.00 for 19.6 ounces which, considering price of product per ounce, is quite affordable.
The first thing the caught my attention about the sauce once I got it home was the color. While everyone has seen the yellow and orange hot sauces, it doesn't really fit in with that category of those sauces the way I conceive of them. I imagine orange sauces to be more of a lighter red pepper fruit sauce and yellow sauces to have more of a mustard context. Both in flavor and in consistency, this sauce threw me for a loop, but more on those factors later.
The consistency of this hot sauce was much thinner than I had initially predicted. While thicker than, say, a Louisiana red, it was not as heavy as I thought it would be before I put it on my taco, the initial testing vector. While this was mildly disappointing, it made up for it in the addition in contributed to the flavor profile of the dish.
The flavor of the hot sauce is probably my least favorite part of this offering. It is far more one dimensional than I generally prefer in this type of thing. It definitely tastes of citrus, which is a nice departure from the richer sauces that I generally consume. While starting with this leads to a nice and refreshing tang on the tongue, it doesn't really grow on the palate after that. With that said, a richer dish, like tacos, having complex layera of flavors (if done right) is a perfect landing pad for Habanero Condiment. Other potential good uses would be in stews or on a sandwich (one with vegetables and cheese, preferably).
Of course flavor leads to a discussion of heat. The heat found here shocked me. It is surprisingly and genuinely hot! Not a growing heat, mind you, but a heat that hits you immediately and lingers for a good length of time. This heat hit more towards the middle and sides of my tongue, with no real lip burn, even after repeated sampling. No matter where the heat is located, it is a definite and strong heat without being a seemingly pointless and macho heat.
As a take away, the sauce is fine but I wouldn't give it super high marks. I feel as if it had every opportunity to impress me considering the neat experimentation of color and ingredients. At the end of the day, however, I don't think that I'll be leaning on this one heavily in cooking or dipping usage.

Bufalo Salsa Jalapeno

Hello again, chileheads! This week I'd like to take a look at a sauce called Bufalo Salsa Jalapeno that I stumbled upon in a market in a small town that I visited by the name of Murphy, NC. It cost me VERY little, to the tune of $0.64, if I recall correctly. It was so inexpensive that I bought four bottles, and I'm fairly glad that I made that decision.
Upon initial taste, it has a nice citric acidity, but this might not be conducive to folks with sensitive GI tracts. Luckily I don't have that particular malady. It is quite rich, making it good for things like eggs and mixed with chili or a queso dip. There is also a very slight hint of carrot which, after our last review, may seem to be a trend. Coincidence only, I assure you. The freshness of the vegetable pairs nicely with the otherwise full flavor of the sauce. It is a bit simplistic in flavor, having none of the nice layers of taste found in some of the more premium sauces, but the flavor it does express is pleasing.
The heat of the sauce is actually rather potent. The initial burn isn't overwhelming, but it is present. This one, like our last sauce that we visited, has quite an apparent building burn while tasting it. It hits more towards the tip of the tongue, but doesn't have a prolonged lip burn.
The consistency is quite thick, almost to a fault. It is tricky to coax it out of the lip of the bottle and when it finally reaches pouring state, it tends to erupt, so pour with caution and, if mixing it, pour it into a tertiary container first. With that said, it should be evident by now that I have an appreciation for thick sauces and this one is no exception to that tendency.
For the money, this is one of my favorite hot sauces. It's very satisfying on a lot of levels. It isn't nuanced or subtle, but for ones simpler dishes/creations, this will fit in well.

Smokey Mountain Hot Sauce Habanero Pepper'N Carrots

Today I have a sauce which I'd like to examine with you that I picked up a bottle of in Salem, Georgia a few months ago. It's a thinner sauce, which I am normally not the first cheerleader of. However some of the characteristics of this product make up for the thinness somewhat. Firstly, it has a nice heat to it. One might not immediately pick up on said heat but it sneaks up a bit slowly, though I wouldn't say it creeps, and hits more of the back of the tongue. Also, if you sample enough of it, which your friendly writer has, it leaves a mild lip burn. One that's not too intense but leaves enough of a smolder that I was aware of it for a few minutes.
The color wasn't too much of a surprise as it is a relatively rich red. This is cut somewhat with a warm orange, a fact I'll chalk up to the carrot content. Unlike many thin sauces, however, the liquid doesn't look watery towards the barrier of air and liquid, like some of the more classic thin sauces do, say like many Louisiana styles.
Another point of interest in this for me is that I definitely taste the carrot in the condiment. Pleasantly, I'm surprised to say, as I feared that the any carrot taste might set off the experience. In fact, one thing I took away from this tasting experience was a flavor that I might lyrically compare to a garden. I was left with a feeling of freshness, not the normal savory richness that I expect, nay hope for, in a sauce. I have to describe it at surprisingly, in a good way, refreshing. This sauce is definitely worth checking out.

Truff Hot Sauce

Greetings new friends! Thanks for coming back to check on us here at Molten Sauce! Today I've found a really interesting sauce that shocked, impressed, and inspired me at the same time. I am speaking of Truff Hot Sauce. This is a black truffle-infused hot sauce. It was suggested to me by a friend that I should give this a try and I'm glad that he did (thanks Adam)! The sauce is much richer and more hearty than I thought it would be upon first glance. When I tasted it initially I was surprised how smokey the flavor was, giving it an almost meaty quality. In fact, my friend that was doing an initial tasting with me said, in effect, that it had a flavor reminding him of chili (the stew, not the pepper). I'm not sure that I agree with his reaction fully, but I can see where he's coming from. This is a sauce that will stick to your ribs.

On the topic of pairings, this sauce did not meet my expectations when paired with my scrambled eggs. This is not necessarily the fault of the sauce, but an interaction with the way I like to make my eggs and the dynamic of the sauce: while I like to heavily butter my eggs, the meeting of the sauce and the heavy butter made the dish almost too savory. Almost, but not quite there. I still wolfed down the eggs, enjoying the smoke and the heat of the sauce. The heat itself is not overbearing, as I've found some artisan sauces tend to be. It has a definite bite without taking away from the flavor. A post script to pairing: the sauce on plain tortilla chips is fantastic.

As I made clear in my previous review, I have a soft spot for sauces with a thicker consistency, and Truff does not disappoint in this. It's a nice sauce with a light red color that reassured me a bit upon first glance, as I did not know what to expect from a black truffle hot sauce. Also, as the color hints, it does have an acidic component which cuts the smokey part of the flavor a bit, preventing it from being overpowering.

The price may intimidate at $14.99 plus shipping, but for a treat when served alongside (or topped upon or mixed into) chili or added to a creamy queso dip, this sauce is well worth the price for occasionally splurging.

Edit: It goes AMAZINGLY with homemade tacos.

Valentina Salsa Picante

Welcome to Molten Sauce's inaugural post! Thank you very much for checking us out and I hope that you will find my hot sauce reviews and discussions interesting at the very least. My first review is for an old stand-by, that of Valentina Salsa Picante. This sauce's big draw is its affordability. I picked up a 12.5 oz bottle for $0.88, which is totally approachable on almost any budget. The first thing that drew me to the sauce was its consistency. It's not like your classic Louisiana hot sauce in that it is not watery; it is relatively thick, something I very much prefer in my sauces. The second thing that tickled my fancy about it was that it doesn't overwhelm the tongue with vinegar. I don't have anything against vinegar laden sauces. Indeed, one of my own private recipes is a green hot sauce heavy on vinegar that has gone over very well thus far. It's just nice to not get stuck in the same rut as one tends to with "this week's new version of spicy vinegar". The flavor is not very complex, although I like the garlic notes that I detect (also a happy trigger point for me in hot sauces). The heat is the main weakness in the sauce in that it is only slightly above mild. I have found that this sauce shines when served over scrambled eggs. It removes the need for salt while not making the dish runny or pooling at the bottom of the plate/bowl/whatever. All in all, a great bang for the buck!