Full disclosure – Taking a quick vacation to a small middle-of-nowhere fishing town with wife and kiddos this week. WiFi a little sketchy, and there’re only two restaurants here – both seafood (I’m veggie and wife and kids are highly allergic to shellfish, so unfortunately, won’t be reviewing those this time), but also using this as a time to unplug from the daily stresses of modern life, especially before another (virtual) school year starts! Tomorrow, I’ll be back to more regular posting, so that said…
In continuation of my new format of prefixing my reviews with…well, “Review” and prefixing my “Review” prefix with the type of review being done (have I bored you enough yet? :-)), this is the first of my official Hot Sauce reviews, titled as such. Moving on…
Aah, the state of Louisiana. My neighboring state to the East, known for so many things – awesome football (college and pro), wild parties, Bourbon Street and yes, spicy food! Cajun cooking (and the unique blend of spices it brings) is one of the staples of the Pelican State, and with it, comes a unique blend and wholehearted use of spice and flavor. Louisiana itself is also the home for the ubiquitously known Tabasco brand, and yours truly has been fortunate enough to visit Avery Island (not a real island, but the name of the town!) – the very heart of where this is made. I’ve toured the factory and observed it both from the lens of a chemical engineer (my background) and a Heataholic!
Being a vegetarian (no meat or seafood), I can’t truly experience all the delicacies Cajun cuisine has to offer – Jambalaya, crawfish boils, fish fry’s, Po’boys, etc. But I do the next best thing – enjoy the Cajun spice, without the Cajun food. I’ve tried Jambalaya without the sausage, vegetarian Po’Boys, indulging the same Cajun spice used in crawfish boils with corn on the cob and potatoes and dunking Hush Puppies in my favorite Cajun hot sauces! That brings me to Crystal Hot Sauce. Often overshadowed by its larger competitor in Avery Island and a host of smaller competitors all around, Crystal is a Louisiana-based hot sauce that provides the simple, yet sharp kick in the pants needed in your food. I admire its simplicity (given it has only three ingredients and none of those require an advanced degree in chemistry or chemical engineering to decipher).
Being in a town of 500 while on vacation, when your only source of food is a Dollar General store down the street, it’s slim pickin’s! But I followed my own advice on using grocery stores and was still able to pick up a bottle of Crystal. Crystal is great with just about anything – Cajun food, but also pizza, tacos, pasta, Bloody Mary’s, and yes, just plain on its own for a spicy kick!
Positives:
- Good spicy kick
- Simplicity in ingredients (only 3 – cayenne peppers, vinegar, salt)
- Guilt-free consumption – 0 calories!
- Good website with recipes
Negatives:
- Flavor itself is not unique and is hardly distinguishable from Texas Pete’s or Frank’s
Spice on, my friends!
