South Louisiana hot sauces

[Monch]

All,

Seeking opinions, please.

Tabasco has its place, but I'm finding that others have more flavor....to my palate.

Crystal is available in Wisconsin, but I'm wondering about peoples' opinions of other brands.

I'm interested in the group's opinion of Louisiana Gold. I've only had it once, but it seemed to be a balance of hot and flavor.

What am I missing and what do you love?

Thanks in advance,

[iluvtennis]

I know you're looking for opinions on other hot sauces, but i was wondering if you've tried the chipotle flavored Tabasco? I don't like regular Tabasco, but i really love the chipotle flavored variety.

[bourbonstjoe]

I have some at home ilovetennis, but I've never used it as I find that the Buffalo brand chipotle sauce that you can find @ Wal-Mart does the trick when I want to add smoky spice to the dish I'm cooking.

[penthouse pup]

I favor Louisiana Gold for general use, followed by Crystal and Louisana Red Spot, and Tabasco for dishes that need the vinegar tang...Here's a question: was Trappey's originally a Louisiana product? I know it's not anymore, but I do like their "green" hot sauce (better than the Tabasco version.)

[gastrotect]

Crystal is my staple. Louisiana is another favorite. Tabasco I love, but only for specific dishes as I find it less versatile.

[stvtunlvzn]

for some reason Tabasco never really did it for me. Louisiana One Drop and Crystal are the bombs, especially on oyster and shrimp po-boys.

[porker]

I think the tobasco marketing people are a big part of their success, making it an iconic product.

[Fydeaux]

Tobasco has been around a long, long time; I dont think it's P.R. that has turned it into an iconic product.

I gues the best way to put it is that, just like any one wine is not going to be good to accompany any & all meals and occasions and people, neither is any one hot sauce. That includes Tobasco.

This is America, where we are free to use Tobasco, Crystal, Melinda's...even Frank's. Or all of them.

[porker]

I haven't seen Crystal in Canada, but pick it up when and where I can in the states. I love the stuff. The one-drop-does-it Louisiana is pretty good as hazelhurst points out
There is a market for collectible hot sauces, either super hot or with catchy names (I dunno a$$ in the tub, or colon cleaner come to mind...) but I don't usually pay too much attention to these.
In general, I find store brand hot sauces (Hannaford, Price Chopper, Steve and Ed's Original, etc) too vinegary, but pretty good to brine a chicken for 24 hours then grill.

I haven't seen Louisiana Gold, though.

[carol land]

Crystal doesn't have the vinegary (sic) bite that Tabasco has. I love it.

[porker]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesau...
{:-/)

[bourbonstjoe]

I'm thinking that Louisiana Hot Sauce is pretty much my go to guy in the kitchen. Hat's off to the big dog as hazelhurst called it but I find Tabasco (And to those that read my reviews YES I did visit Avery Island when I was in LA) less versatile than the milder Louisiana brand. On a side note that made me wanna cry I saw the BIG bottle of Louisiana in a Rouses for $1.99, we pay between $6.99-$7.99 for the same up here in Canada depending on where you make your groceries :(

[joedontexan]

Im a huge fan of Cajun Chef you ought to try it out I think its the best of the traditional louisiana hot sauces.

[hazelhurst]

I have NO idea how many hot sauces--just Louisiana alone--are out there...a friend has at least three dozen on a rack in her kitchen (it is a collection, not necessarily used) and many of them are kaput. New ones srping up like mushrooms after a spring rain and others just die out. there used to be an Ortego brand I bought in and around ville Platte that I have heard passed out of business when its owner did the same.

I saw Louisiana gold's horseradish version laughed off the bar once. The regular was OK but I'd opt for Louisiana Brand--One Drop Does It--over that. Crystal, of course. The Slap Ya Mama brand is getting around more--it is thinner---and I see, with distressing frequence, WalMart Big Store stuff showing up.

What's fun is to get a tank of gas and just ride around out in teh country and see what someone is making in the garage...(so to speak)

[Monch]

Hazelhurst,

Is this the product you mean: http://www.brucefoods.com/louisiana-h...

Also, based on your advice and Hunt's...I now have both the panama hat (bought it over the weekend) from Meyer's and the white linen suit from Perlis...Next trip...GALATOIRE'S!

[hazelhurst]

That's it...in the 1970's a friend and I were on a panel that voted it the best of the submissions...Tabasco was not included simply becuase it is The Big Dog..no slight on them.

You should make a fine entrance in your raiment. Street name tie?

[Mytah]

Original Louisiana red dot is my fave and standard. And cheap too :)

[BrooksNYC]

Panama hat and linen suit! This makes my day. Something is lost when tank-tops, shorts, and flip-flops become de rigeur everywhere. Thanks for helping keep a piece of old New Orleans culture alive.

No one waxes more eloquently on the subject of Galatoire's than Hazelhurst. His response to a post of yours (two years ago!) was my all-time favorite:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6176...

-----
Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

[Fydeaux]

Louisiana Gold is pretty good. Nothing wrong with it at all, but Crystal is my go-to hot sauce for Louisiana cooking.

But I have also been very pleased with the sauces from Spice Exchange:
http://www.hotsauceworld.com/spex4peh...
These are their 'ordinary' hot sauces: cayenne, tabasco, jalapeno, etc. They also have a line of 'boutique' sauces: bourbon/rosemary/chipotle and stuff like that, but I have no experience with them.

[midcity]

+1 on Crystal. I love that is has a flavor besides the heat, and I love that it's a little milder than some of the others.

[Fydeaux]

I just opened up a bottle of Pepperdoux's French Louisiana pepper sauce that I've had sitting around for a while, and I find I am lovong it almost as much as Crystal! If you dont like Tabasco because of the vinegar taste, you probably wont like this one either. But if that is not a problem for you, seek this one out!