Hell’s Kitchen Hot Sauce is a company from… you guessed it…Hell’s Kitchen, NYC! They make delicious hot sauces for all different tastes. They’ve got everything from mild to wild with a diverse lineup of flavours. Their products include a smoky Ancho-based sauce, a habanero-mango sauce, and a Jamaican-style scotch bonnet sauce to name a few! We offer much of their lineup here at Chilly Chiles so why not have a look at their other products here on our website!
As someone with experience in the hot sauce industry, I can say that Hell’s Kitchen Cinnamon Ghost Punch is a hot sauce unlike any other. That’s not just due to the use of cinnamon, but also the way that tomatoes and superhot peppers are in a perfect marriage, forming a rather light, and quite savoury combination.
The flavour profile is much lighter than one may expect. All the ingredients blend in together in such a way that no single ingredient stands out much more than the other. In this case then I would say that it’s got a very good balance between heat and flavour. This is surprising given that there are some very hot peppers in the mix. The three kinds of peppers used in this sauce are some of my favourites! They’re Ghost peppers, with their sweet-earthy taste and slow-building burn, Habaneros, which have a smoky-citrusy flavour, and Trinidad Scorpions with their tender fruity flavour and intense heat. The taste of these peppers, though they are some of the hottest peppers in the world, is not that overwhelming in this sauce. They provide a modest earthy-sweet kick to the overall flavour profile. Tomatoes are the main ingredient of this sauce. With their light acidity and sweetness, they blend well with the hot peppers and bring down the heat. This level of sweetness is, for me, just right. The lime juice and vinegar add some tang which is a little citrusy and not too pungent either. The agave nectar complements the tomatoes with its sweetness and taste, which is actually very similar to honey, but is even lighter! Salt is always good to have in a hot sauce to ensure that it is well seasoned and that it is not bland. The cinnamon is the main ingredient here that really makes this a unique product. With its aromatic, pungent, and hot flavour, the cinnamon is subtle enough to not be overpowering, but present enough to add an enjoyable immediate aftertaste! Garlic powder adds some zing and sweetness, making it a slightly more full-bodied sauce. The paprika adds a red colour to it and a bit of warm heat, though I’m sure this heat is greatly overshadowed by the other peppers!
In terms of heat I would give this one a 4 out of 10. It’s rather low for a sauce that has superhots in them, which is not necessarily a bad thing! The other ingredients in the sauce tone down the heat of the peppers significantly, thus bringing this product into the realm of sauces that can be enjoyed by more than a significant few. I would say that it’s hot enough that people not accustomed to spicy food at all should probably consider building up a tolerance first before purchasing it. If you are that person however and you are up to try it, go ahead! Those who are heat-seekers like me and are expecting a very hot sauce will most likely be disappointed by the limited amount of heat that this one has to offer. I will say though that if you have a decent tolerance for spicy food and you’re a fan of cinnamon and/or tomato-based hot sauces, this one is an absolute must!
Use this sauce as a table sauce or as part of a marinade for pork chops, chicken thighs, shrimp, salmon, cod, tenderloin, steak, lamb, or tuna. I’ve enjoyed it drizzled on my rice or noodle dishes, soups, and in chili! Believe it or not, It’s also really good on bacon n’ eggs! Once you open the bottle and have a taste, you’ll realize that it has this unique flavour I have been describing and I’m sure that you will find yourself many ways to use it. It’s also great on a spicy veggie hash, roasted spiced carrots, couscous, and all kinds of stews!
If you’re still not sure whether you would enjoy this product, come by one of our store locations and give Hell’s Kitchen Cinnamon Ghost Punch a try!
As always, Keep it spicy!
Alexis