The Best Hot Sauce On Earth: A HuffPost Deathmatch

We've said it before, we'll say it again: we love hot sauce.

Hot sauce can be the difference between a totally under-seasoned snooze-fest and a flavor bomb going off inside your head. Hot sauce makes chicken wings worth eating, boiled peanuts delicious and does not skip a meal in our houses. Whether you like them vinegary, garlicky, peppery or just plain fiery, everyone has a favorite. We want to know which hot sauce HuffPost Taste's readers think is the best of all. It's time for the Hot Sauce Deathmatch.

Here's how the Hot Sauce Deathmatch voting will go down:

• Round One voting opens today (September 18th) -- vote right now!


• Wednesday, September 19th at 12:00am Eastern, Round Two begins.


• Thursday, September 20th at 12:00am Eastern, you'll be able to vote in Round Three.


• Friday morning, September 21st, we'll announce who makes it off the island last.

*This is one of those times that we wished we could have more than eight bracket spots. If we missed your favorite hot sauce, don't forget to let us (and everyone else) know in the comments!

Ready, aim, fire!

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• Original Tabasco Sauce

  <a href="http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco_tent/pepper_sauce/red_pepper_sauce.cfm" target="_blank">www.tabasco.com</a><br> <b>Heat:</b> 2.8 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Aged red peppers, vinegar<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Chemical-like taste." "Very vinegary." "Oddly sour."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Tex-Mex food, eggs, pizza, seafood<br>

• Green Tabasco Sauce

  <a href="http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco_tent/pepper_sauce/green_pepper_sauce.cfm" target="_blank">www.tabasco.com</a><br> <b>Heat:</b> 2 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Jalapeno peppers, vinegar<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Fresh and vegetal." "Fresher and brighter than the original Tabasco." "Bright heat."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Fish, beef tacos, burritos, steak, guacamole, salsa<br>

• Chipotle in Adobo

  <b>Heat:</b> 3.5 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Smoked jalapeno peppers, tomato paste, vinegar, spices<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Smoky!" "The heat really hits you in the back end." "Great balance of heat and flavor."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Enchilada sauces, chili, pork<br>

• Wasabi

  <b>Heat:</b> 4 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Horseradish<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Strong horseradish flavor that clears the sinuses." "Overwhelmingly horseradish-y."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Sushi, cooked salmon<br>

• Sriracha

  <b>Heat:</b> 3.1 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Chili peppers, vinegar, garlic<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Nice roasted pepper flavor." "Good Asian zip."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Eggs, roasted vegetables, pizza, stir-fry, bibimbap ... anything!<br>

• Madras Curry Paste

  <b>Heat:</b> 2.3 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Coriander, tamarind, turmeric, chile pepper<br> <b>Comments:</b> "This would add classic Indian flavor to anything you add it to." "Many layers of spices." "Lemony and almost floral." "Delicious, but not a lot of bite."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Stews, chicken, curries<br>

• Frank's Red Hot

  <a href="http://www.franksredhot.com/" target="_blank">www.franksredhot.com</a><br> <b>Heat:</b> 2.8 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Aged cayenne red peppers, vinegar<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Tastes just like Buffalo wings." "Mild heat with a vinegar tang." "Salty and savory." <br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Chicken wings, creamy dips, baked beans, fries (Their motto is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdqwWo13pyw" target="_blank">"I put that ____ on everything."</a>)<br>

• Pickapeppa

  <a href="http://www.pickapeppa.com/" target="_blank">www.pickapeppa.com</a><br> <b>Heat:</b> 2 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Tomatoes, onions, sugar, vinegar, mangoes, raisins, tamarinds, peppers and spices<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Surprisingly sweet." "Nice sweetness with a hint of spice." "Not so hot, but it's got a complex, sweet-sour flavor."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Grilled meat, barbecued chicken, roast chicken, cream cheese<br>

• Harissa

  <b>Heat:</b> 3.5 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Chili peppers, serrano peppers, garlic paste, coriander, red chili powder, caraway<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Tastes like bitter spices." "Spicy with no real discernible flavor." "Pure heat." "Ouch."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Meat or fish stews, couscous, chickpeas, in sandwiches<br>

• Crystal Hot Sauce

  <a href="http://www.baumerfoods.com/" target="_blank">www.baumerfoods.com</a><br> <b>Heat:</b> 1.7 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Cayenne peppers, vinegar<br> <b>Comments:</b> "This is like a watered-down version of Frank's Red Hot." "Weak and watery." <br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Shellfish, chicken wings<br>

• Hot Chinese Mustard

  <b>Heat:</b> 1.8 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Vinegar, mustard seeds<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Not pungent, but nice heat." "Sharp flavor."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Egg rolls, sausage, sandwiches<br>

• Louisiana Hot Sauce

  <a href="http://www.louisianapepper.com/" target="_blank">www.louisianapepper.com</a><br> <b>Heat:</b> 2.2 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Long cayenne peppers, vinegar<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Thick and peppery." "Tomatoey, but nice kick."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Fried seafood, po' boys, eggs, gumbo<br>

• Jerk Sauce

  <b>Heat:</b> 1.7 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Cane vinegar, cane sugar, scallions, tomato paste, hot peppers, thyme<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Really nice sweetness, and not too spicy." "Overwhelming juniper flavor." "Tangy but not so hot."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Grilled fish, chicken<br>

• Heinz Chili Sauce

  <a href="http://www.heinzchilisauce.com/" target="_blank">www.heinzchilisauce.com</a><br> <b>Heat:</b> Almost undetectable<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Tomato puree, vinegar, onions, spice<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Little discernible difference from ketchup." "Maybe too sweet, but good chili flavor." <br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Cocktail meatballs, French fries, eggs, and it makes a good shrimp cocktail sauce base<br>

• Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

  <b>Heat:</b> Almost undetectable<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Sugar, chili, vinegar, garlic<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Tastes like sweet and sour sauce." "Sweet and less spicy than I expected."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Chicken, fried fish, egg rolls, Asian dishes, fries<br>

• Texas Pete's Hot Sauce

  <a href="http://www.texaspete.com/" target="_blank">www.texaspete.com</a><br> <b>Heat:</b> 1.7 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> 3 peppers, vinegar<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Bright and fresh." "Not too much flavor, and relatively neutral heat." "Good standard heat."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Tortilla chips, fried chicken, chicken wings<br>

• Thai Red Curry Paste

  <b>Heat:</b> 1.8 out of 5<br> <b>Main ingredients:</b> Red chili, garlic, onion, lemon grass, galangal, Kaffir lime peel, coriander, cumin<br> <b>Comments:</b> "Tastes more like 'spice' than 'heat.'" "Herbal." "The kick takes a few seconds to emerge."<br> <b>Goes well with:</b> Tomato sauces, stews, seafood, thai curries, stir-fries, soups<br>

Comments

[boognish]

10:07 AM on 04/17/2013

Yuck, Tabasco is the worst. Unsophisticated palates trying to assess hot sauces.

[Kevin Oldenburg]

03:10 PM on 03/11/2013

Teaspoon Willies Spicy Sauce and Everything Sauce is by far the best Hot Sauce on the planet

[Fhuh Kew]

11:22 PM on 12/22/2012

Tabasco is the only hot sauce I don't like. Matter of fact I HATE it.

[Brad Willie]

04:47 PM on 12/15/2012

toad sweat chocolate.....not very hot, but soooooo good

[brokenleoheart]

09:19 AM on 09/21/2012

i pick sriracha any time of the day over tabasco. but i think alot of ppl picking tabasco cause they've never actually had sriracha. unless u eat at some asian restaurant, they may not have it.

[exxman]

10:04 PM on 09/20/2012

Something's fishy. Tobasco is beating Sriracha almost two votes to one. I'm seeing lots of comments about how good Sriracha is but no one is singing the praises of Tobasco. In fact everyone seems to agree that it's crap. What's up with that?

[marcguzman]

06:49 PM on 09/20/2012

I wish Valentina sauce would've been in this competition.... it is sooooo good, specially the black label!!!

[jrichter09]

03:43 PM on 09/20/2012

Tabasco is the only one on the list I do not like (too vinegary). And it will probably win.

[exxman]

09:45 PM on 09/20/2012

I know. Right? I can't believe that bland, watered down vinegar is ahead.

[Iagree]

06:39 PM on 09/19/2012

OK, About 20 years ago I took my Grandmother to the local mall which, by the way, had a Chi Chi's restaurant. My Grandmother insisted we dine there every time we went to the mall (she loved their fish and margaritas..and she was buying..I was young and poor and loved margaritas!) So one evening I spot a bottle of hot sauce at an empty table across the room and snuck over and snatched it! Thinking that it would be wimpy since we were at Chi Chi's, I doused my enchiladas with it! Oh my! My ears whistled as steam poofed out of them! I suffered for 24 hours.. That was the night that El Yucateco earned my respect

[Skotyman]

05:19 PM on 09/19/2012

I've tried other's but Tobasco makes the only proper tasting Bloody Mary, hands down.

[Skotyman]

05:27 PM on 09/19/2012

Tabasco.......(sheesh)

[Iagree]

06:25 PM on 09/19/2012

You're cut off!!!!

Lol,jk! : )

[brookmo]

03:32 PM on 09/19/2012

Sirachi is a chili sauce not a hot sauce. Apples and oranges comparison.

[ScottRoberts]

02:00 PM on 09/19/2012

The "Best Hot Sauce On Earth"?!? Certainly not from this weak field of contestants. You claim to "love hot sauce", but where are the better makers of hot sauces in this contest? Where is CaJohns (which is America's most awarded hot sauce manufacturer, with nearly 400 awards won), Ring of Fire, Blair's, Heartbreaking Dawns, Marie Sharp's, Danny Cash, Intensity Academy...?

Tabasco is tepid, pepper-colored vinegar. Just because something is popular or readily available doesn't mean it's the best or even good. This "deathmatch" is like doing a showdown of the "Best Burgers in Texas", but choosing only McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's because they're available on every street corner in the state.

[billstmarys]

01:09 AM on 09/20/2012

ScottRoberts is right on the money. The sauces in your poll only reflect the common condiments offered by food chains. Try stepping outside the itty-bitty box some time.

[exxman]

09:47 PM on 09/20/2012

"Tabasco is tepid, pepper-colored vinegar."

Waterd down viegar at that.

[P HutZ]

10:54 AM on 02/23/2013

Try Tabasco chipotle sauce.

[wakawaka09]

10:07 PM on 09/18/2012

Here goes: the three best hot sauces on the market that I've tried (and I've tried all the national brands) are
1. "Pure Ghost". It is as hot as it sounds and it rocks.
2. " Widow Maker" It is every bit as tasty as "Pure Ghost" and darned near as hot, even without the ghost peppers.
3. Water of Life" which is a Ghost Pepper Sauce made in the Salt Lake area. "Water" has the best flavor of the three, but in my estimation isn't as hot as the other two listed.
Insofar as the brands named in the hot sauce death match are concerned: I wouldn't put a one of them on or in any food I eat.

[The Lorax]

10:03 PM on 09/18/2012

Maybe something is wrong with my tastebuds... I picked Tapatio over Cholula. Cholula isn't hot to me at all.

[tincada]

11:44 AM on 09/19/2012

No kidding. I just saw that and as far as I'm concerned. the contest is over.

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

10:02 PM on 09/18/2012

My son and husband love habaneros. We plant them every summer. They make a relish out of sliced fresh habaneros, diced onions covered in lemon juice (fresh is better but bottled can be used). They let it marinate a day or two (they make quite a bit because we usually are overrun with habaneros) and they put it on everything...sandwiches, pizza, omelettes, chips, crackers, pasta (the also put sliced habaneros in the water when boiling pasta)...just about anything. I can't even be in the room when they are slicing the habaneros or I am reaching for my inhaler so I can't endorse the taste...though several friends have become converts.