Discovering a tasty new vegan food is always fun, and for me, finding foods that are “accidentally” vegan is even better. Every issue of VegNews is packed with new products that proudly flaunt their vegan credentials, but there are even more foods that fly under the radar because despite being vegan, they’re not marketed as such. Hot sauce is one of those products that in most cases is vegan, but rarely gets a mention in vegan publications and blogs. Maybe it’s because it’s so often associated with barbeque (read meat), or perhaps it’s the whole macho thing where hot sauce makers continuously one up each other to see whose sauce can burn a hole in your intestines faster, hot sauce just doesn’t get it’s due in vegan circles. If I have my way, this will change.

I stumbled upon Boulder Hot Sauce while at a Mexican restaurant in a small town in Colorado. Along with the usual selection of Tabasco, Tapatio and Cholula, there was a small bottle of Boulder Hot Sauce Smokey Serrano. Never one to shy away from something new (well at least not in this case), I poured a little dash on my beans and I was hooked instantly. This wasn’t just heat, it was tasty, smokey heat. A standard side of beans was brought to a whole new level of deliciousness. I immediately wanted to add it to everything else, even dessert. OK, there was no dessert. This was a small town in Colorado, no vegan desserts here. But you get the idea.

Fortunately, I picked up some Boulder Hot Sauce at Whole Foods in Boulder (where else?) before heading back to San Francisco and have been looking for excuses to use it at any opportunity. Yesterday’s chili recipe which already packed a pretty good kick, benefited from a few shakes as did anything with Mexican, Southwestern or Latin flavors.

There are a lot of hot sauces that will enhance a dish with heat. Boulder Hot Sauce not only adds the kick, but also a depth of flavor that I haven’t found in other hot sauces. Granted, I’m no hot sauce expert and I’m sure there are others that are as tasty as they are hot. Hopefully, in time they will increase their distribution and we’ll be able to find some Smokey Serrano in stores outside of Colorado. Until then, it can be ordered on their website.

While other hot sauce makers continue their arms race of how many Scoville Units they can pack into a bottle with names like Assblaster, Rectal Rocket Fuel, Jersey Death and Magma, it’s comforting to know that companies like Boulder Hot Sauce continue to make a product that satisfies the taste buds while making you sweat.

Boulder hot Sauce Company
Boulderhotsauce.com

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