Did you know that January 22 is National Hot Sauce Day? I didn’t know too!
In celebration of this food holiday, I received a free sample bottle of Tabañero to try before National Hot Sauce Day.
First things first…Tabañero is not the same as the Tabasco hot sauce we all know. According to their website, “Tabañero hot sauce is from the state of Tabasco, Mexico and has no affiliation with the hot sauce made in Louisiana named Tabasco Hot Sauce.” In addition, “Tabañero was named after the state of Tabasco, Mexico and the habanero pepper. Combining the two words: Tabasco + Habanero = Tabañero.” Hope that clears that up.
Tabañero is made of all-natural ingredients like habañero peppers, carrots, onions, key lime juice, agave nectar, garlic, salt and grapefruit seed extract. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have vinegar, unlike most hot sauces. It was more red-orange in color than the usual red hot sauce.
We taste-tested it immediately during dinner on the same day I got it. By the end of our meal, we used half of the bottle and finished the entire thing the next day.
Hubby and I love hot sauce, although he is more the hot sauce aficionado than I am. He thought it was even better than Tabasco. “Compared to regular Tabasco, it’s a little bit hotter and sweeter, not vinegary, similar taste-wise to Tabasco Chipotle.” As for me, I thought Tabañero was hot enough without me needing to drink a glass of milk or eat a cup of ice cream. Other hot sauces are just mind-numbingly hot, burning your tongue without delivering taste.
Don’t forget to shake it well before using because the ingredients might’ve settled.
To celebrate National Hot Sauce Day, hop on over to Tabañero’s website for giveaways (a year’s supply of Tabañero Hot Sauce sounds like an excellent idea), special anniversary recipes and a “Tabañero Takeover” in Los Angeles where you can trade in your current hot sauce for a bottle of Tabañero Hot Sauce.
Verdict: With its all-natural ingredients, Tabañero is a great addition to our hot sauce favorites. Our sample didn’t last a week, not even two days. I love how Tabañero was subtle enough not to overwhelm with heat, but it still gives more than enough kick to remind you that it is hot sauce.
Disclaimer: A representative for Tabañero Hot Sauce contacted me to review this product. I received one 5 oz. bottle in exchange for writing a review on the blog. All opinions are my own and my husband’s.