Shoutout to that dollar store hot sauce I ignored for months

I stopped by the Dollar Tree on Route 9 last Tuesday just to get trash bags. Walked past the hot sauce shelf like I always do, figured it would taste like colored water. But this older guy in the aisle was loading up a whole basket of that El Yucateco knockoff they sell. He told me he uses it in his marinades and it's legit spicy, not just vinegar. So I grabbed a bottle for a buck and tried it on some chicken that night. Honestly it has real heat and a smoky flavor that surprised me. I went back yesterday and bought three more bottles. Has anyone else found decent hot sauce at a dollar store or is this a one off thing?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_faith1mo ago

Did you check the ingredients on the back of the bottle? Sometimes the cheap ones have a ton of salt or sugar that makes them taste way better than you'd expect.

tylerpark1mo ago

Wait @the_faith, the ingredients thing never even crossed my mind? I just pulled the bottle out of my pantry and it's got like five things in it - peppers, vinegar, salt, garlic, and some spices. No sugar at all which is wild for a dollar store item. So yeah, I guess sometimes you really do get what you pay for, or in this case way more than a buck's worth of heat.