Month: September 2025

“Scotch bonnets and sweet peppers are slowly fermented with a touch of garlic to develop an intense fruity flavour.  It’s a deceptively simple sauce with medium heat and maximum flavour.  From soups and stews to eggs and oysters, it’s our perfect everyday sauce”OK!  Fermented … check!   Garlic … check!  Medium heat … check!

It’s quite runny sauce, but then for most things I wasn’t adding it too liberally; drops here and there rather than slathering it all over.

Flavour starts with that “fermented” umaminess, growing into a rich peppery punch, with a sweet edge, before fading to a relatively short tail of heat.  It’s certainly very flavoursome, though for me I could take it a touch hotter.

8/10 – Great sauce, getting more.

First thing that struck me about this one is how violently green it is; definitely been a bunch of colouring added here (looking at you Azul 1)!

I’d classify this an another in the range of uncomplicated habanero sauces; it packs a decent punch without trying to do anything flashy.

6/10

“Day of The Dead is a Mexican holiday observed throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures.  The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.  Traditions connected with the holiday include building private alters called ofrendas, honouring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds and the favourite books and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.  They also leave possessions of the deceased.  Scholars trace the origin of the modern Mexican holiday to the indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to the Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl”

Nice introduction … tells me nothing about the sauce, though!

This one’s pretty straight-up; ingredients are water, habaneros, vinegar, carrots, salt, xanthan, garlic and spices.  You get the habanero flavour from the start, which subsides a little to let the garlic and spices through, then has a pretty long tail of heat to finish.  It’s slightly on the runny side, but not inconveniently so.

7/10 – Tasty, all-rounder sauce, but without anything to make it stand out from the pack.

On the left side we have Flaming Strike .. “Set you taste buds ablaze with Ken’s Flaming Strike sauce.  Inspired by his fierce fighting style, this blend combines the fiery hear of habanero peppers with the zing of pineapple and ginger.  A dynamic fusion of heat and sweetness, this sauce adds a bold kick to your meals.  Ignite your culinary creations and unleash the fiery passion within”

… and on the right side we have Iron Muscle .. “Infuse your meals with the power of Zangief’s Iron Muscle sauce.  A mighty blend of Scotch bonnet peppers and savoury spices, this creation embodies strength and robustness  Just like Zangief’s prowess, this sauce leaves an impression with its bold flavour profile.  Elevate your culinary strength and revel in the hearty warmth of every bite.”

And now …. fight!

Flaming Strike is relatively viscous with visible (small) chunks of red chilli and (presumably) apples and pineapple; slightly jammy!  Iron Muscle’s a more typical puree-type sauce; not too runny, not too thick.

Flaming Strike starts out with quite an intense sweetness, followed a hit of the fruit & then backed up with a relatively gentle burst of heat.  Not too hot, but quite tasty & nice with cheese.

Iron Muscle starts with quite a bold garlicy fennel flavour, fading to a gentle heat.  It’s probably a more general-purpose sauce than Flaming Strike, but you do need to like fennel!

…. and he’s down for the count!

Flaming Strike – 5/10 – Nice, but a bit on the sweet side for me

Iron Muscle – 3/10 – Not all that keen in the spicing & insufficient heat