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Hot and Holy Habanero Sauces
by Dave DeWitt
Habanero chiles originated in the Amazon Basin and many varieties of the species Capsicum chinense were spread by mankind east to west along the chain of Caribbean islands from Trinidad to Cuba. In the islands, the pepper is mostly called the Scotch bonnet. From Cuba, the species was introduced into the Yucatan Peninsula, where it is the only pepper species that does not have a Mayan name. In Spanish habanero means "Havana-like," or "from Havana."
An old island adage says that the best Caribbean hot sauce is the one that burns a hole in the tablecloth. We've never seen that happen in all our trips to the Caribbean, but we're certain that the earliest hot sauces in the region were made with the crushed chinense varieties. According to some sources, the Carib and Arawak Indians used pepper juice for seasoning, and after the "discovery" of chile peppers by Europeans, slave ship captains combined pepper juice with palm oil, flour, and water to make a "slabber sauce" that was served over ground beans to the slaves aboard ship.
The most basic hot sauces on the islands were made by soaking chopped Scotch bonnets in vinegar and then sprinkling this fiery vinegar on foods. Over the centuries, each island developed its own style of hot sauce by combining the crushed chiles with other ingredients such as mustard, fruits, or tomatoes.
Homemade hot sauces are still common on the islands of the Caribbean. The sauces piquante and chien from Martinique and ti-malice from Haiti all combine shallots, lime juice, garlic, and the hottest chinenses available. Puerto Rico has two hot sauces of note: one is called pique and is made with acidic Seville oranges and habaneros; the other is sofrito, which combines small piquins ("bird peppers") with annatto seeds, cilantro, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. In Jamaica, Scotch bonnets are combined with the pulp and juices of mangoes, papayas, and tamarinds. The Virgin Islands have a concoction known as "Asher," which is a corruption of "Limes Ashore." It combines limes with habaneros, cloves, allspice, salt, vinegar, and garlic.
Another good example of the combination of habaneros and other ingredients is Melinda's (called Marie Sharp's Hot Sauce in the U.S.), made in Belize from habaneros, carrots, and onions, which makes for a milder, more flavorful sauce than by simply combining pureed chiles with vinegar.
Jamaica's Pickapeppa sauce has a flavor similar to Worcestershire sauce and has only a slight bite. The fruity flavor comes from mangos, raisins, and tamarind. However, it should be noted that the company has a much hotter version of Pickapeppa with more Scotch bonnets and fewer fruits.
The hot sauce called Matouk's owes its existence to a speech by Trinidadian political leader Dr. Eric Williams, who said that the variety of jams, jellies, sauces, and pickles made by housewives were an integral part of Trinidad's culture. However, he pointed out that as women gained employment, the nation was in danger of losing the tastes of the home kitchens of Trinidad and Tobago. George Matouk, a Trinidadian businessman, was inspired by Williams' speech, and in 1968 he founded Matouk's Food Products and began manufacturing jellies, jams, and hot sauces. Congo peppers (the local name for habaneros) are combined with herbs, spices, and papayas. The Matouk's brand has three heat levels of their sauce. About half of their sauce production is consumed locally, and the rest is exported, mostly to the United States and Canada. The United States is the number one market for Matouk's Trinidadian hot sauces.
The last decade has seen an enormous explosion in habanero hot sauce production, with most of it in the United States. There are now more than a hundred brands of habanero hot sauces, with more on the way.
When a hot sauce power like the McIlhenny Company gets behind a designer pepper like the habanero, you just know that pepper is going mainstream. This company took tabascos and jalapeños and created two of the best-selling hot sauces in the industry. We can also expect strong sales with their new Tabasco Habanero Hot Sauce, and a heightened interest in sauces made with specialty peppers like the habanero.
Saucing the Habanero
Supermarket hot sauce sales are expected to top $127 million in 1997, but there are no statistics available on habanero sauces' share of that market. They certainly seem to be the fastest-growing category in the hot sauce industry, if numbers of new manufacturers is an indication. Almost every hot sauce manufacturer is adding one to its line-up of sauces. Hot sauce consumers are responding by becoming aficionados who have one favorite habanero sauce for fish, one for eggs, and another for drinks like the Bloody Maria.
What makes habanero sauces so appealing?
--Convenience, for one thing. An increasing number of people prefer their food with a bit of a bite, and hot sauces apply the heat swiftly, conveniently, and with a flavor that can be matched to the food.
--Habanero sauces have the unique selling proposition of being made from the hottest pepper species known (Capsicum chinense); however, this heat is often tempered by using a vegetable or fruit base for the sauce.
--The sauces have a delightfully fruity aroma and great taste. Also, there is a ready supply of fresh fruit and pepper mash from the Caribbean and Central America.
Types of Habanero Hot Sauces
--Purees. These are simply crushed or pureed habaneros, usually with a fruit juice such as lime as a preservative. These are extremely hot, but consumers use small amounts in cooking when fresh habaneros are not available.
--Pickles or vinegars. These are the whole or sliced fruits preserved in a vinegar solution. The vinegar is infused with heat and is then used as a condiment for salads, soups, and fish dishes. These vary in heat, depending if other vegetables are pickled with the habaneros.
--Vegetable-or fruit-based sauces; these are made with cooked carrots and onions, papayas, mangoes, or (in a few instances) tomatoes, and are by far the most common habanero hot sauces. Trinidad Habanero Pepper Sauce has a vegetable base made of succulent herbs such as Spanish thyme. The most common additional flavorings are garlic and mustard powder.
What to Look For When Buying Habanero Sauces
--Heat Level and Flavor: Why would a retailer want to stock a sauce so hot that it takes a consumer a whole year to finish one bottle? I believe that the best habanero sauces combine medium heat and great flavor. Although I have about a dozen habanero hot sauces in my refrigerator, I tend to favor two of them, and I can easily go through a bottle in a week. Both of these fit the above criteria, and retailers can benefit from quick turnover. Avoid excessive vinegar.
--Labeling: With their reputation for extreme heat, a tropical feel, and the bright colors of the habaneros (green, red, yellow, orange), manufacturers have a lot of resources for label design. Avoid amateurish labels, or those that tout only the heat level. It's easy to make a sauce hot; the real art is making the heat delicious.
--Awards: Beware of award claims from contests affiliated with trade publications and shows that do not have blind judging by professionals associated with the food industry.
Habanero Hot Sauces in Cooking
In many cultures, hot sauces form the basis of a hot and spicy cuisine. But in North America, such cuisines were--until recently--limited to the American Southwest and southern Louisiana. But today, more and more cooks are simply adding prepared hot sauces to their everyday cooking. This practice is not a cuisine, it's a way of life. Here's how hot sauces are added to what might be called standard fare in North America.
--Beverages: Hot sauces are added to vodka and tequila to make spiced liquors; added to bull shots and bloody mary mixed drinks to add flavor and heat; added to vegetable juices such as V-8.
--Appetizers: Liquid hot sauces are used to spice up bottled salsas; sprinkled over fruit cocktails; added to commercial dips; added to tartar sauce or cocktail sauce; sprinkled on raw or steamed oysters and steamed shrimp; sprinkled over peanuts or almonds before roasting; added to hot or cold soups.
--Seafood: Added to gumbos and stews and dishes such as shrimp Creole; added to tuna or crab salads; sprinkled in batter for deep-fried dishes; brushed on fish fillets before baking; used as part of marinades for all seafood; added to ceviches.
--Meat: Added to barbecue sauces and marinades; sprinkled on steaks or chops before grilling or frying; sprinkled into meat gravies served over potatoes or rice; added to chili con carne.
--Poultry: Sprinkled over stuffing before the bird is stuffed; used in marinades and barbecue sauces; added to chicken pot pies; added to gravies; sprinkled under the skin of roasted birds.
--Side Dishes: Sprinkled over pizza; added to eggplant or squash casseroles; sprinkled in baked beans; added to pasta sauces or sprinkled directly over cooked pasta; added to salad dressings; brushed on garlic bread; added to baked or scalloped potatoes; sprinkled over french fries or over eggs for breakfast.
Dave DeWitt is the co-producer of the National Fiery Foods Show and the co-author of The Habanero Cookbook (Ten Speed Press) and The Hot Sauce Bible (The Crossing Press).