I've been watching Hot Ones for years and I also love hot sauces, so testing out Canadian hot sauces that have been on the show just makes sense.
For the unfamiliar, Hot Ones is a show hosted by Sean Evans where he invites celebrities on to chat while they eat chicken wings that increase exponentially in heat, often to the point of pain.
The show is currently on Season 22, and with the lineup of hot sauces changing each season, they've gone through quite a number of products, some of which are Canadian. Heatonist, which is the official hot sauce partner for Hot Ones, has info on nearly all of the sauces that have been on the show, but we're going to focus on some of the ones that were produced in The Great White North.
I got my hands on a few of the Canadian Hot Ones hot sauces that have been on the show, baked up some dinosaur chicken nuggets, tossed them in the sauces and gave them each a try.
Here's how that went down for me.
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Shawarma Hot Sauce by Dawson's Hot Sauce
Based out of Hamilton, Ontario, this product was Sauce 2 on Season 13.
This is a nice-tasting sauce, but I'd say there's no heat in it at all!
It has a garlicky, cumin flavour that I think would make for a delicious marinade on chicken, but as a hot sauce, this one simply isn't it. The ingredients list cayenne, chilli powder and red pepper flakes, but I honestly don't get any of those notes.
If you're looking to up the flavour of a bland dish, this would be a nice addition but don't expect there to be any spice.
Spice level: 1/10
Price: $12.00
Habanero Hot Sauce by Heartbeat Hot Sauce
Based out of Thunder Bay, Ontario, this product was Sauce 2 on Season 6.
This hot sauce is absolutely delicious and is overall my favourite from the five that I sampled.
It's spicy but sweet, and the habanero comes through really strongly in a floral way rather than a kick-you-in-the-teeth kind of way. It's quite vinegar-forward and the lime juice seems to really brighten everything up.
This would be perfect for a shrimp dish or other delicate foods that you want to add a bit of heat too without overpowering the flavour of your meal.
Also, I absolutely love that this has a squeeze bottle top that lets you control how much sauce you add, which the others do not have.
Spice level: 1.5/10
Price: $12
Barbados Style by Mark's Hot Sauce
Mark's Hot Sauce is based out of Montreal and this product was Sauce 3 on Season 14.
This was the sauce I was most intrigued by, and it was indeed an interesting ride. The spice doesn't hit right away, but when it does, there's a strong scotch bonnet heat that I'd classify as pleasantly hot. It's balanced with unexpected floral notes like pineapple, mango, papaya and carrot, which gives it a refreshing taste.
The heat doesn't linger, and this is probably what I'd consider to be a nice spice level for myself without being painful.
Spice level: 5/10
Price: $12
The Original Goat (The OG) Hot Sauce by Ginger Goat
Based out of Waterloo, Ontario, this product by Ginger Goat was Sauce 5 on Season 15.
I'm not certain I like this as a hot sauce, but it is interesting. The ginger stings your mouth in a bit of a medicinal way, and then the heat of Carolina Reapers sort of gets you in the back of the throat.
I'm not sure I'd reach for it as a hot sauce as it doesn't bring a great flavour or brightness to food, but I could see it being a nice addition to a curry or stir fry while cooking.
I'd say this is a somewhat uncomfortable level of spice, but manageable; however, this is definitely where my nose started to run and I needed to reach for my water.
Spice level: 6/10
Price: $12
Stargazer Hot Sauce by Pepper North
For the season's premiere, Margot Robbie was the guest and she was doing pretty okay until she had the Stargazer Hot Sauce. It made her fan her face, gasp, take her jacket off and say, "I've never eaten anything so spicy in my life."
I resent this hot sauce.
There's no flavour here, just painful heat and a bit of bitterness, despite what the Heatonist website claims: "At first, citrus and maple wake up the palate, then a hint of chipotle chimes in with subtle smoke that lingers along with the ghost pepper heat."
Lies. This sauce tastes overwhelmingly of ghost pepper and scotch bonnet, not to mention the jalapeno and chipotle in there as well.
At this point, breathing out of my mouth became painful and it was time to hit the ice cream. The hot sauce had an impressive staying power (again, which I resented) and refused to dissipate for a good 15 minutes.
I likely could handle hotter sauces, but quite frankly, I don't want to, particularly if they aren't adding any interesting flavours.
Spice level: 8/10
Price: $14
What hot sauces are on Season 22 of Hot Ones?
The hot sauces on Season 22 of Hot Ones are:
- Buffalo Hot Sauce by Hot Ones Hot Sauce
- Blistered Shishito & Garlic Hot Sauce by Angry Goat Pepper Co
- Spicy Sweet Passion Fruit by Pisqueya
- Los Calientes Barbacoa by Hot Ones Hot Sauce
- Power Jab Hot Sauce by DJABLO Sauce
- Whiskey Smoked Ghost by Marshall's Haute Sauce
- Tropic Star Hot Sauce by Ginger Goat
- Evolution Hot Sauce by Da Bomb
- Zuzu 7-Pot by Dawson's Hot Sauce
- The Last Dab: Xperience by Hot Ones Hot Sauce
If you do decide to take on these hot sauces, remember to proceed with caution — I made sure to have some rice and Greek yogurt before hand to (hopefully) coat and protect my stomach lining, because no one wants to be on the toilet after over-doing it with spice.
Best of luck!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
I Tested 5 Canadian Hot Sauces That Have Been On 'Hot Ones' & One Is Incredibly Delicious
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