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A hot sauce is any Spicy Condiment Sauce . Ingredients The main ingredients in most hot sauces are s, and Vinegar . The chile peppers used are often '' Jalapeño s'' and '' Habanero s''. '' Chipotle s'' (smoked jalapeños), are also common. Hot sauce itself may also be used as an ingredient in other dishes. Hot sauces are often found in Mexican , Tex-Mex Cuisine , Cajun , Chinese , Vietnamese , and Thai cusines. Styles of Hot Sauce There are several styles of Hot Sauce. Louisiana-style: the most popular syle in America . Louisiana-style hot sauce contains peppers ( Tabasco and/or Cayenne are the most popular), vinegar and water. Occasionally salt and/or Xanthan gum or other thickeners are used. Tabasco Sauce , Texas Pete , and Frank's Red Hot are all examples of Louisiana-style sauce. This sauce is popular outside the USA and many foreign sauces are Louisiana-style. Mexican: Mexican hot sauce typically focuses more on flavor than on intense heat. The sauces are hot, but the individual flavors of the peppers are pronounced. Vinegar is used sparingly or not at all. Chipotle is a very popular mexican hot sauce, which uses smoked jalapenos for its flavor. Some sauces produced in Mexico are high vinegar content Louisiana-style sauces. Asian: Asian sauces generally contain more ingredients than Louisiana or Mexican. These sauces are generally sweeter and often rely on Garlic or other seasonings for their flavor. However, Chinese (especially Sichuan and Hunan), Thai and Indian sauces are some of the hottest sauces made. Heat The heat, or burning sensation, experienced when consuming hot sauce is caused by Capsaicin . The burning sensation is not "real" in the sense of Damage being wrought on tissues. In fact, it is merely a harmless Chemical Reaction with the Body 's Neurological System (see This Technical Explanation ). The seemingly Subjective perceived heat of hot sauces can be measured by the Scoville Scale . The hottest hot sauce scientifically possible is one rated at 16,000,000 Scoville units, which makes it pure capsaicin. Examples of hot sauces marketed as achieving this level of heat are ''Blair's 6am Reserve'' (due to production variances, it's ''up to'' 16 million Scoville units) Marketed by Blair's Sauces & Snacks . By comparison, Tabasco sauce is rated between 2,500 and 5,000 Scoville units (batches vary). An easy way to determine the heat of a sauce they are considering is to look at the ingredients. Sauces tend to vary in heat by the ingredients in them.
Remedies Capsaicin is an Alkaloid Oil and is, as such, soluble in Acid , Fat or Alcohol . The effects of ingestion of a hot sauce deemed 'too hot' can be partially remedied by Drink ing such things as Milk ( Dairy Products , despite being alkaline in nature, contain a Protein ( Casein ) which binds with the capsaicin alkaloid, neutralizing it) or a strong Alcohol ic beverage ( Beer is primarily Water ) or by eating a fatty food such as Peanut Butter , buttery bread or Whipped Cream . Some people report relief with Tomato Juice or by eating a fresh Lemon or Lime (all acids). Granulated Sugar can also provide some relief. Serving Yoghurt with meals, as in Indian Cuisine , may also help. Contrary to many people's initial reactions, drinking water (or Soda , beer, or most other typically available Beverage s) actually makes the burning sensation worse, as capsaicin, being an oil, is not soluble in water. While the immediate effect may be quelling of the burning pain by the coolness of the Liquid , water actually distributes the capsaicin more broadly in the mouth and throat, causing more pain once the liquid is swallowed. When washing one's hands of lingering hot sauce before using the bathroom or scratching one's eye, the use of an Acid ic astringent, such as lemon or lime juice, is necessary to ensure total elimination of capsaicin from the skin. Soap is alkaline, and its use does not guarantee rinsing away all of the capsaicin. See also
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