For this week’s Founder Foodie Friday, something a little different: I often get asked what the staples are in my kitchen, so this week I’m going to share some of them.

We like spice in our household, and we’ve got a lot of hot sauces. Some are good. Some…not so much. A handful have made it into regular rotation.

Here are the hot sauces that we enjoy most frequently in the Neumann Family household:

Cholula

In some circles, there’s a debate about which Mexican-style hot sauce is better: Cholula or Tapatio. This is a pointless debate, since it’s obviously Cholula. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just wrong.

Cholula is a mild, flavorful hot sauce. It’s a great “general use” hot sauce that works well on lighter dishes, such as eggs and fish tacos.

Sriracha

Another multi-use staple is Sriracha. There are plenty of hipster brands available these days, but nothing beats California’s OG sriracha, Huy Fong.

If you’re not familiar with Sriracha, is a slightly sour, vinegar-based hot sauce originally from Thailand. The Huy Fong version is made with jalapeños, giving it a flavor profile that works well with a wide variety of dishes. I frequently use sriracha with eggs, rice dishes and in soups (like Vietnamese pho). You can also mix it with mayonnaise to make an easy dipping sauce.

El Yucateco Black

El Yucateco Black is probably one of my favorite hot sauces. It’s a dark, smoky, habanero-based hot sauce with a sharp kick up front that fades quickly away. It’s robust enough to work well on red meat (such as steak tacos), while it’s smokiness makes it a perfect match for shrimp and other milder dishes. I put it on 100% of the nachos I make.

(We go through a lot of this in our household.)

Frank’s RedHot

Though it might seem cliched, Frank’s RedHot absolutely has a place in your kitchen. The original sauce used to create Buffalo chicken wings is a very vinegar-forward hot sauce, which makes it great for cutting through rich flavors. It’s perfect with southern dishes like pink beans and rice, jambalaya and gumbo.

Just don’t ever do this.

Momoya Taberu Rayu

Taberu rayu (食べるラー油) is a Japanese condiment sold in small jars that are filled half with chili oil and half with a magical fried garlic mixture. Its origins are from chili crisp sauces from China (which have been all over the news lately, due to some recent PR missteps by Momofuku).

Momoya Taberu Rayu is absolute crack-in-a-jar. Despite its dark red color, it’s actually not very spicy. It’s more like a magical salty, garlicky, crunchy sauce. And it goes on absolutely everything. We use it regularly on eggs, rice dishes, sautéed vegetables…everything.

Mum’s Okanagan Hot Sauce

Mum’s Okanagan Hot Sauce is less a traditional hot sauce and more like the result of a mad scientist’s experiments combining hot sauce, BBQ sauce and dijon mustard. And it’s absolutely delicious.

Mum’s works as a spicy dip for quesadillas or chicken strips, a condiment for hot dogs, burgers or sandwiches or an extra kick for scrambled eggs. It’s available in most grocery stores in Western Canada and through specialty shops online.

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Bacon Hot Sauce

I came across Kentucky Straight Bourbon Bacon Hot Sauce many years ago at a BBQ joint in the middle-of-nowhere. And there’s been a bottle in my kitchen ever since.

This jalapeño-based hot sauce has a medium spice level and a smoky/umami flavor that comes from the bacon and bourbon. It’s great with red meat or as a dipping sauce when you want a bit more kick.

Salsa de Semillas de Girasol Habanero

Similar to taberu rayu, this condiment from Playa del Carmen, Mexico, combines roasted sunflower seeds with a habanero-based chili oil that packs a punch. The heat is softened with white wine vinegar, resulting in a salsa that goes well with everything from seafood to chicken to veggies.

It’s only available in-person…so it helps if you have family members on that side of the continent 😉.

Well Holy Goat Peppa Sauce

Here’s another one from off the beaten path — all the way from Great Exuma in the Bahamas. Well Holy Goat is a locally-made hot sauce made from Bahamian goat peppers, which are native to the Bahamas. These peppers are related to the habanero and scotch bonnet and pack some serious heat. The flavor itself is quite light, so I use it on shrimp and seafood dishes.

If you find yourself in that part of the world, I highly recommend you pick some up.

What's In My Kitchen: Hot Sauces