Hello,
In a typical hectic fashion, I saved working on this issue until the weekend because, well, life. As soon as I sat down and looked at my research notes, I knew I’ve got a lot of ground to over. After just 20-30 minutes of further reading, researching, scribbling down the notes and messaging friends, I realised that this is going to be a 2 part issue.
So here goes, first part of the hot sauce special, covering countries from A through to I. If I missed something off, please tell me and I’ll update the list. I am including the Scoville Heat Scale again, so that you can reference types of chilli and compare their heat levels.
Algeria: Harissa
Ingredients: roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers, garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin and olive oil.
Extremely versatile and used for everything - sauces, stews, as a condiment added to pitta sandwiches and so much more. The type of harissa varies by region but it’s mostly gentle on the palate and the heat level can be easily adjusted based on the amount used. Two years ago, I did a deep-dive of harissa, you can read more about it here.
Belize: Belizian Habanero Sauce
Ingredients: habanero peppers, carrots
Think habanero sauce but spiked with sweetness from the carrots. The whole country is fuelled by Maria Sharp’s sauces, started off as a small scale home production, it’s now boasting 16 flavours, varying in heat, flavour profile and is proudly free of additives, containing only chillies and vegetables grown across Belize. You can read more about Maria’s sauces here.
Bolivia: Llajwa
Ingredients: Rocoto peppers, tomatoes, onion, lime, coriander
This sauce is similar to a salsa but as it contains chillies and seems to be the most loved condiment in Bolivia, it’s definitely worth including. Used on bread, potatoes and everything else, this is a go-to condiment at the local takeaways. Rocoto is a big heat hitter and packs a punch. If you’re planning to make your own, sub Rocoto for Jalapeños.
Bosnia: Pindjur
Ingredients: auberginess, tomatoes, peppers, oil, garlic, black pepper
Pindur has different names across the Balkans and varies slightly in preparation. It also doesn’t carry much heat as it uses sweet peppers, but it’s an excellent condiment to be added to everything - sandwiches, pasta, potatoes, rice, eggs, a delicious side for your proteins. The sauce consists of cooked down, finely chopped vegetables. Learn how to make your own here.
Brazil: Molho di Pimenta
Ingredients: Malagueta peppers, vinegar, onions, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf, lime juice.
As you are already getting the drift, the recipe will vary from region to region. One thing that’s important is to not skimp on the Malagueta peppers because they make this dish and Brazilians aren’t afraid of the heat.
Bulgaria: Ajvar
Ingredients: red peppers, aubergines, onions
Ajvar is similar to Pindjur, packing no heat but provides a lovely base and a side dish for pretty much anything and everything. I always have a large jar in the fridge and recently I came across a ‘picante’ version with an addition of chilli peppers. My favourite way to use it is in sandwiches and flatbreads, a perfect addition to roasted meats and creamy cheeses.
China: Doubanjiang + Chilli Oils
Doubanjiang Ingredients: fermented broad beans, chili peppers, soybeans, salt, flour.
Doubanjiang is at the heart of Sichuan cuisine, often used to flavour tofu and vegetables. It’s not a sauce as such but more of a paste. You can find it in tubs in East Asian supermarkets.
Chilli Oil Ingredients: chillies, oil. With many additions - peppercorns, garlic, peanuts, tofu, salt
Chilli oils are gaining their popularity in the U.K., most often served with dim sum but becoming wide spread across the households and used for everything and anything. The most popular/trusted brand is Lao Gan Ma (the one with peanuts is my favourite and is worth the heartburn!)
Chile: Pebre
Ingredients: Coriander, chilli peppers (green, red, or aji), tomatoes, garlic, onions
Once again, more akin to salsa than a sauce, a must have for every Chilean diner. This is used on everything and anything and is super easy to recreate.
Egypt: Shatta
Ingredients: Tomato, red or green chillis chilis, olive oil, parsley
The chillies get pounded and then left out in the sun to ferment therefore intensifying the flavour and prolonging the shelf life of the sauce. This is a thick sauce used across many Middle Eastern Countries. Shatta (and most other hot sauces) can be used as a condiment, as a dipping sauce, as a dressing or as a garnish.
Ecuador: Aji Criollo
Ingredients: Hot peppers, coriander, onion, garlic, lime
A must try when in Ecuador, but it shouldn't be a challenge to find some as it’s one of the most popular sauces in the country. It’s often used as a rub to tenderise the meat.
Ethiopia: Awaze
Ingredients: Fenugreek seeds, chilli peppers, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic, tej wine, clarified butter
This is quite spicy so if you’re a novice, be careful and start off with small amounts of sauce. This sauce is different to all previous sauce as it contains the addition of clarified butter, giving it a smooth creamy finish. Most commonly used with grilled meats, where pieces of meat are dipped directly into the sauce.
Georgia: Adjika/Ajika
Ingredients: fenugreek, coriander, dill, hot peppers, walnuts
This is the hot sauce that I grew up with, adjika has been adopted far and wide by most ex-Soviet countries. You can find this in jars but you will also find a lot of families making their own. Either preserving family recipes or adapting the sauce to their palates. Variations vary by region and adjika is used with almost everything and anything, dribbled over hot khinkhali, used for dipping charcoaled meats, or as a feast base in soft pillowy breads. Try this recipe from Tatiana.
Ghana: Shito
Ingredients: dried fish, chilli peppers (usually cayenne), ginger, oil, onions, tomatoes
The first sauce on the list to not only provide the heat but also the umami richness that comes from dried fish. Shito is used with rice and beans dishes, with bread rolls and is even adapted by Chinese restaurants in Ghana to replace chilli oil. Shito is known for it’s spice levels, so be careful.
Haiti: Ti-Malice
Ingredients: onions, garlic, shallots, green and red pepper, vinegar, tomato
Popular sauce across the country. Legend has it that a recipe was created to prevent a freeloading friend from coming over for lunches, but the sauce had quite the opposite effect, improving the quality of the said lunches. To make your own, try this recipe.
Hungary: Crushed Paprika Paste
Ingredients: peppers, salt
Used across many dishes - from goulash to chicken paprikash. Most of Eastern Europe doesn’t share the love of heat, but Hungarians really embrace it. There are 3 variations of the sauce Erös Pista (Strong Steve)-mild, Édes Anna (Sweet Anna) - very mild, and Haragos Pista (Furious Steve) - the spiciest.
India: Green Chutney
Ingredients: green chillies, salt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, cumin
Had to reach out to a friend to make sure I get this one right. Internet provided so much conflicted information. Sohini shared that Green Chutney is the closet equivalent to a hot sauce in Indian households. A lot of families preserve the traditions and make their own but you can also get commercial equivalents. The ingredients will vary by the region, if you want to give it a go, here’s a suggestion from Sohini.
Indonesia: Sambal
Ingredients: ground red chilis, shrimp/fish paste, garlic, shallots
Sambal isn’t only popular in Indonesia, it’s spread across Southeast Asia containing multitudes of variations. Not all variations of the paste contain fish or shrimp, but make sure you check the label before you buy. In Indonesia sambal is used as a cooking ingredient, as well as a condiment. If you want to make a batch of your own, try this recipe.
Israel: Zhug/Zhoug/Skug
Ingredients: coriander, cumin, olive oil, green or red hot peppers
A spicy paste closer in texture to very fine salsa. Popular in Israel and Yemen, if you’re visiting either countries this will be offered to top off your falafels and shawarmas. Easy to make and you can adjust the level of heat by removing or keeping the seeds. Try it for yourself, here’s a recipe.
Part 2 is coming next week, covering J-Z
Something to watch: The Bear S2, a true masterpiece. Watched every episode holding my breath, with multiple notifications from my Apple watch, reminding me to breathe. If you watched it already, please talk to me. This show needs to be discussed at length.
Cookbooks to explore: I’ve added two cookbooks to my wishlist this week and neither are out yet. Bahari by Dina Macki, a book on Omani cooking, coming out in Feb 2024 and I can’t wait to explore. And Tim Anderson does it again, this time with ramen, pre-order Ramen Forever for September delivery. Tim took out the intidimadtion out of Japanese cooking for me, by breaking it down in Japaneasy, I’ve been a fan since, slowly adding to my Tim universe.
Thank you for reading, hope you found this issue interesting. Please, share with your heat loving friends (and enemies).
Anya xx
Coming up next week: Hazelnut & Grape Galette recipe for Appetite Extra and Hot Sauce Special PT2 for everyone