When it comes to the hot sauce, obviously not every flavor and type is created in the same way with the same ingredients.
It’s true that most hot sauce is red, but it’s not always the case. The color of hot sauce is usually tied to the color of the pepper used to make it. With that in mind, most ripe hot peppers are red; meaning the hot sauce also comes out red. There are, however, exceptions. A ripe jalapeno is a green, so hot sauce derived from jalapenos often comes out green. Much like the pepper itself, it also comes out mild. Other peppers, such as the Habanero, come in several different colors. A hot sauce maker may add a red cayenne or something else to make the sauce red. It’s entirely possible, though, to find a variety of colors available.
Along with using different peppers, another way to change the style and flavor of hot sauce is by adding other ingredients. Louisiana-style hot sauce is extremely popular and it’s vinegar-based. It’s the style that most people think of when you bring up the hot sauce. Many types and flavors of hot sauce include distilled vinegar as an ingredient, and some also include red wine vinegar. In fact, some of the hottest hot sauce available in the United States is vinegar-based. The vinegar helps enhance the overall flavor of most types of hot sauce and it helps preserve the sauce.
There are, however, other options.
Some New Mexican-style chili sauce doesn’t contain any vinegar at all. It’s usually a lot thicker than other types of sauce. You may also be able to try and make your own sauce without vinegar. Of course, with so many great hot sauce flavors already on the market, you may also just want to work your way through the different flavors that already exist before settling down on a favorite.
