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Need a little something extra in your bag? Here are five tried and

trusted bottles of the hot stuff to help fire up barbecue season.

Hot sauce

FIVE OF A KIND

Most wanted

1

CRYSTAL EXTRA HOT

Consider this classic, tangy

Louisiana hot sauce your best

all-rounder. The vibrant red

spice bomb balances salt, sweet

and sour, while cayenne peppers

give it good all-over heat. It’s not

a slow-pour cap so be prepared

to splash out. $3.95 for 177ml.

gourmetgroceronline.com.au

2

MELBOURNE HOT

SAUCE XPA

Jalapeños smoked over

cherrywood? A splash of pale ale

for a hint of hops? If tomato and

barbecue sauce got together

by a campfire, then this mild,

smooth and super-smoky

ketchup would be the result.

Sounds like thick sausages and

fatty pork ribs to us. $8.95 for

150ml.melbournehotsauce.com

3

DIEMEN’S STINGER

HOT SAUCE

Don’t let the name put you off.

This skinsy, sour-leaning hot

sauce is fresh, juicy and complex.

Most of the spice is from wild

Tasmanian pepperberries, so it’s

just the kind of heat your next

Bloody Mary or marinade needs.

$6.95 for 150ml. diemens.com.au

4

HANDSOME DEVILS CO

THE DOCTOR

The Doctor tastes like it’s only just

been made. A cure-all of reaper,

scorpion and habanero peppers,

backed up with tomato, onion,

garlic and lime juice (to help the

medicine go down). A punchy

addition to tacos that’ll leave your

lips tingling. $12 for 150ml.

handsomedevilsco.com

5

DL JARDINE’S

BLAZIN’ SADDLE

If you prefer a more vinegary,

lime-driven hot sauce, then this

bright salsa-like Texan number is

for you. It’s got a decent whack of

heat and tingle – though it eases

fast – and lots of seeds and

pulp. Cue the charcoal

chicken. $9.50 for 150ml.

gourmetgroceronline.com.au

WORDS MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD. PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW FINLAYSON. STYLING ROSIE MEEHAN

GOURMET TRAVELLER 41