In my home there is never a shortage of hot sauce. Cholula, Sriracha, Tabasco, Gator, these are constant staples on the shelf. Yet every now and again you come across a hot sauce so exceptionally good, it makes you trade in your usual hot sauce lineup for a few heavenly drops of fiery bliss. And that right there is how I would describe the number one selling hot sauce on Amazon, Secret Aardvark Habanero Sauce.
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When I was first introduced to this concoction I had no idea it was the number one hot sauce sold on Amazon nor was I aware of its fan base. My indoctrination came when I moved up to the Pacific Northwest. Chowing down on a burrito, a friend asked "have you tried this" and reached behind the counter to reveal a cheap looking plastic squeeze bottle with a funny little blue creature on the label.
Now, before I get into the flavor, I should say I deem myself an expert on everything spicy. Having spent a great deal of time living in Southern California, scarfing down Mexican food drenched in hot sauce was practically a requirement. So you could imagine how reluctant I was to believe the Northwest could produce such a stellar sauce.
Looks alone, the unassuming bottle led me to assume it would be just another mediocre hot sauce, and then I tried it. A unique Caribbean flavor of sweet and spicy hit my pallet and I was hooked. Aardvark, where have you been all my life?
Made in Portland, Oregon, Aardvark is like the table sauce of the Northwest. It's one part Caribbean, one part Tex-Mex in a bottle. It has a touch of sweetness from the carrots in the roasted tomato base, which helps to cool the fiery heat level of flavorful habanero peppers.
Well, almost. I should mention Aardvark has this sort of lingering heat. As you continue to add drop by drop of this sauce on your food, the heat level on your tongue seems to intensify with every bite. Which is a good thing if you love habanero peppers as I do.
If you're expecting this to be a vinegary sauce, it's thick. Practically Sriracha thick. And its unique tang truly does taste good on pretty much anything which is why it's considered their "Dump on Everything" sauce.
Apparently, I'm not the only one that wants to slather this habanero chile pepper sauce on everything. Just the other day I went to two stores to see if I could snag another bottle and it was the only hot sauce they were out of. Unless there's some weird conspiracy going on or someone is hoarding it all to themselves, it's safe to say this is one damn good sauce.
Don't just take my word for it, try it for yourself. You can purchase an 8-ounce bottle on Amazon for $10 or plan for a shortage and get three for $20 at Secret Aardvark Trading Co.
If you find you really like this brand, you could even branch out from this unique Caribbean/Tex-Mex hybrid and try their other flavors - Drunken Garlic Black Bean Sauce, Drunken Jerk Jamaican Marinade, Serrabanero Green Hot Sauce, and Spicy Mayo Aardvark Habanero Spread. The hot ones await.
