December's Best-Selling Products at Carolina Sauce

As usual, December was a super-busy month for us, for which we're deeply grateful to our customers AND to our partners who were busy fulfilling customer orders.  Because we now offer a greater diversity of specialty foods and gifts through our partners, and because we had a wider variety of orders last month (along with the typical spike in volume), I'm changing things up a little.  Instead of the usual list of Top Ten best-selling products, here's the list of the Top Twenty best-selling sauces, seasonings & gifts for December 2011.  Enjoy!

1.  For the second consecutive month, Jamaica Hellfire 2 in 1 Hot Sauce was the top-selling product across all categories at the Carolina Sauces online store.  Made in Jamaica from sun-ripened peppers and Blue Mountain pimento (allspice), this quintessentially Jamaican hot sauce adds tropical fire to any savory dish.

2.  Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce was our best-selling barbecue sauce as well as the second-best seller overall.  This classic Carolina vinegar sauce is tangy & savory, perfect for pulled pork BBQ and also for marinating chicken.

3.  Walkerswood Traditional Jerk Seasoning moved up to third place last month, and is a favorite in Jamaica and in the US for its authentic combination of Jamaican herbs, spices and peppers for an unbeatable jerk flavor that works wonders with poultry, meat and seafood.

4.  Busha Browne's Pukka Sauce also hails from Jamaica, but it's not a jerk sauce.  Rather, it's a piquant and peppy all-purpose hot sauce that's perfect for adding scotch bonnet fire to any savory dish, from breakfast to lunch to dinner.

5.  Georgia Peach & Vidalia Onion Hot Sauce is one of the most popular products we offer.  Gently spicy by hot sauce standards and irresistibly delicious with its blend of luscious ripe peaches and zesty sweet onions, this hot sauce pairs nicely with chicken, fish, grilled meats, veggie burgers and more.

6.  Susie's Original Hot Sauce continues its recent surge in popularity, as more folks discover and fall in love with its savory pepper-mustard flavor.  This hard-to-find hot sauce adds authentic West Indian flair and fire to your favorite dishes.

7.  Three-Month Cured Country Ham (half, uncooked, sliced):  This traditional country ham hails from North Carolina and is the perfect size for a small gathering of a few folks, which probably explains its popularity around Christmas.  Slightly less salty than a 6-month cured ham, it boasts a buttery texture and full flavor the whole family will enjoy.

8.  Another popular choice for the holidays is Boneless Buffet-Style Cooked Country Ham.  Its 3-lb. average size is ideal for smaller families, and its traditional bold flavor is just as big as that of larger hams.  Whether served heated as a main dinner course, or for breakfast in piping-hot buttermilk biscuits, or cold in lunch sandwiches, or chopped and added to salads, omelets or other recipes, this mouthwatering ham is versatile and delicious!

9.  Wells All-Purpose Rib & Chicken Sauce is the thicker, mellower and tomato-rich sibling of the better-known Wells Hog Heaven Barbecue Sauce.  As the name suggests, this BBQ sauce is excellent for basting, slathering, dipping and finishing ribs (pork or beef) and chicken.  It's also a tasty sauce for veggie kabobs, burgers and grilled shrimp, too.

10.  The Hot & Spicy Gift Set from our partner OliveNation comes with wasabi peas & peanuts, hot Cajun snack mix, red chili pepper infused oil, crushed Aleppo pepper flakes and several spicy seasonings--and it proved to be a big hit as a holiday gift for chileheads.

11.  Another new item that's a popular gift for bacon lovers is a Bacon Gift Certificate from our partner BaconFreak.   Available in amounts from $20 to $100, they're redeemable for gourmet bacon, nitrite-free bacon, flavored bacon, bacon-flavored foods, bacon-themed novelties & clothing, bacon cookbooks, and virtually anything else you can think of having to do with BACON!

12.  Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce captures the true flavor of Jamaica's most famous chile pepper and complements it with scallions, onions, garlic & thyme for a burst of savory, fiery flavor that will enhance, not overpower, your food.

13.  J.T. Pappy's Flamin' Gator BBQ Sauce recently made a triumphant return to our online store, and quickly returned to the ranks of  top-selling barbecue sauces.  Its medium heat level and tangy mustard-tomato flavor goes well with anything you grill or broil, and also in ground beef recipes.

14.  Matouk's Calypso Sauce features aged pickled scotch bonnet peppers in a mustard-vinegar base with just a touch of sweetness for a classic West Indian hot sauce that's thick, rich, and fiery like the tropical sun.

15.  This Gourmet BBQ Gift Basket comes with a bottle each of Olivier Rum-Molasses Texas Style Barbecue Sauce, Broadbent's Original Barbecue Sauce, and Olivier Honey-Apple Cider Kansas City Style Barbecue Sauce--extraordinarily delicious BBQ sauces that will be appreciated and enjoyed by grill chefs and barbecue connoisseurs.

16.  Walkerswood Jerk Marinade always sells well in the summer months when folks are marinating and grilling more (it's wonderful with chicken, beef, pork, seafood and vegetables), but it's also excellent as a marinade for broiled and baked meats & poultry, making it a popular cook's choice for the holidays and a welcome gift for anyone who relishes authentic Jamaican jerk flavor.

17.  Bone Suckin' Barbecue Sauce is probably the best-known BBQ sauce from North Carolina.  Made in the traditional Piedmont (western) style, this tangy-sweet sauce blends tomatoes with vinegar and a touch of zesty spices.  Slather it on ribs or chicken, splash it on pulled pork BBQ, mix it into your burger or meatloaf recipes, and watch your family and friends joyfully devour the results!

18.  The Tapas Gift Basket from our partner Spanish Feast comes with everything you need to serve authentic Spanish style tapas (except the wine), including chorizo, piquillo peppers, anchovy-stuffed olives, pear marmalade, gourmet tuna & sardines in olive oil, fig bonbons soaked in brandy, and more.

19.  The aptly named Bacon Wonderland Bundle will make any bacon lover swoon.  Featuring Honey BBQ Bacon and Apple Cinnamon Bacon, maple-bacon coffee, chocolate-bacon strips and other bacon-y treats, it makes a great bacon gift for any occasion.

20.  A number of Bacon Novelty Items of the edible and inedible variety were tied for the final spot on our best-seller list, and they're just a snapshot of the many delightfully amusing and occasionally bizarre bacon-themed products we have available through our partner Bacon Freak.  Have fun browsing through their vast selection, and pick something out for yourself or your favorite bacon freak.

If you want to know what the most popular and best-selling products were for all of 2011, make sure to keep checking this blog.  I'm in the process of compiling the results and will post them here once all the lists are tallied.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria