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Hot Sauce

Hot sauce refers to any chili pepper or spicy sauce. It can be made from a variety of peppers, spices, vinegars and even vegetables and fruits like mangoes, squash and raspberries. Textures, spiciness and added ingredients depend largely on the area in which the sauce originates from. Typically, the term describes sauces from Mexico containing dried and smoked jalapeño peppers, also known as chipotle peppers. Sauce can also come from Thailand, New Mexico, Louisiana and various other Asian and Caribbean locations.

The main element in each hot sauce can determine the type of spice it will have. For example, green jalapeno and chipotle peppers have mild spice, while red jalapenos are spicier. Sauces made with cayenne pepper are often Louisiana-style sauces and still rather mild. However, Tabasco and habanera sauces will have a great kick to them.

Not only will a hot sauce tantalize taste buds, but also it is beneficial to the circulatory system. Chili peppers are hot because of the active component of capsaicin in them. While capsaicin can be an irritant that creates the burning sensation of eating spicy salsa and sauces or chili peppers, they are also anticoagulants, improve digestion, lower cholesterol and decrease congestion.