Years ago, many restaurants were known to stock dining tables with only the essentials.
No longer, though, are customers only interested in grabbing up traditional mustard, ketchup, salt, and pepper to flavor a meal. These days, people are looking for real variety, and hot sauce makers are definitely answering the charge. While the closest thing to added spice used to be a bottle of Tabasco sauce, more and more restaurants are beginning to add some newer and more unique options to the tabletop.
Likely spurred, at least in part, by a newer generation of foodies in search of:
A more flavorful meal, restaurants are beginning to add more and more unique hot sauce flavors to the traditional mix of condiments. The bold new options in tabletop hot sauces follow a trend at local grocery stores, too. Whereas the hot sauce section of the market used to be on a much smaller scale, perhaps just a shelf or two, it seems more and more retailers are adding on to their offerings, translating to a rise in hot sauce availability in traditional, as well as specialty, grocery stores nationwide. The appeal of craft hot sauce has grown substantially, making it easier than ever to grab up your favorite bottle in the store, online or at your favorite hot sauce and hot pepper festival or expo.
This explosion in the hot sauce makes it simple to try out new and more flavorful options in hot sauce, no matter your preference or your tolerance for a spicy flavor. Whether you’re hoping to tip the scales or simply add a little extra spice to your meal, there’s no doubt hot sauce is here to stay. It’s been decades coming, but there’s now an entirely new menu on tap when it comes to traditional, or even untraditional, tabletop condiments.
