Until I moved to the Gulf Coast in 1992, hot sauce was just not a part of my culinary world. In fact, there was almost nothing spicy in my diet, and I thought a jalapeno pepper was about as hot as it got. Silly me. The Coast really does have its own culinary micro food culture, from po-boys to gumbo, and hot sauce is a big part of it.
If you visit a Gulf Coast grocery store, you will find an amazing array of hot sauces to choose from, but with out a doubt, Tabasco is the most popular, and I am now quite a fan too. Tabasco was created more than one hundred and fifty years ago, by Edmund McIlhenny on Avery Island, founder of the McIlhenny Company. For many years, tabasco peppers were only grown on Avery Island but are now cultivated around the world. Besides the original red sauce, today you have the choice of habanero, jalapeño, chipotle, sriracha and Trinidad Moruga Scorpion. Tabasco sauce can now be found in more than 195 countries and is packaged in 36 languages.
There is nothing wrong with Tabasco, but of all the hot sauces out there, the Mexican brand, Valentina is my favorite. It is vinegar based and just spicy enough. You may have to visit a Mexican grocery store to find it (Like La Norteña, on Porter Ave in Biloxi). Valentina is made with puya chilis from Jalisco state. It is thicker than Tabasco sauce, less vinegary, with more chili flavor. It comes two varieties, hot, that clocks in at 900 SHU (Scoville heat units) and extra hot, with a smoking 2100 SHU. The sauce is named after Valentina Ramirez Avitia, a Mexican revolutionary.
So, what do I like to spice up with Valentina? I use it on a lot of different foods, but my favorite has got to be a good street taco. One of my favorites is to buy rotisserie chicken from Rouses and turn it into taco liberally seasoned with hot sauce. I also stop by La Norteña for take out, and nine times out of ten, its going to be tacos or tamales, which, once I am home, I doctor liberally with Valentina. They also roasted meats, and preseason beef ready for the grill.
Valentina is also perfect on scrambled eggs or a good shrimp and cheese omelet. Why not on a grilled cheese sandwich or your favorite cheeseburger? A good hot sauce can be used in countless ways, so get creative!
