July's Top Ten Sauces & Seasonings

Matouk's West Indian Sauce

Our best-selling products for July included a diverse selection of consistent top-ten sauces, new appearances on a monthly list, and the return of some old favorites, with a surprisingly heavy bias towards Caribbean products. You can see the list on the Carolina Sauce Company home page, and, for your convenience, I've reproduced it below, complete with links to where you can buy the products and brief descriptions of each.

1. As was the case in June, Wells Hog Heaven Barbecue Sauce is once again the best-selling sauce at the Carolina Sauces online store. A favorite of eastern North Carolina BBQ purists, Wells is made from a deceptively simple list of ingredients (mainly vinegar, pepper and other spices), but when splashed on pulled pork it perfectly complements and enhances the rich flavor and supplies that trademark Carolina tang.

2. Up from a fifth place finish the previous month, Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce took the second spot in July. Made in Trinidad & Tobago from local ingredients including sweet papaya, fiery scotch bonnet peppers and savory spices in a thick and tangy mustard base, this is the "mildest" of the Matouk's Hot Sauces but still delivers plenty of tropical heat along with a mellow fruit flavor that pairs nicely with chicken, fish and seafood.

3. Also moving up three slots is the hotter, more savory Matouk's Hot Calypso Sauce, a feisty, fiery and less sweet sibling to Matouk's West Indian. While it also works well with poultry and seafood, its bigger, bolder flavor stands up to more robust foods like meats, stews, rice and beans, and the like.

Pukka Hot Sauce

4.  Back on the top ten list is Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, a perennial best-seller from what's probably the most famous name in Jamaican jerk products. This concentrated paste continues the age-old tradition of mashing together scotch bonnet peppers, Jamaican allspice, scallions, thyme and garlic along with salt, black pepper and sugar for an intensely aromatic and hot wet rub that will infuse meat, poultry and fish with the unmistakable flavor of Jamaica.

5. Busha Browne's Pukka Sauce is also from Jamaica, but it is not a jerk sauce. Instead, this sassy pepper sauce is made in the colonial tradition and relies almost exclusively on scotch bonnet peppers in a vinegar base for a clean, straightforward flavor that will spice up virtually any dish. This classic table sauce is one of our all-time best-selling hot sauces and is reappearing on the monthly top-seller list after a brief absence.

6. Also returning to the list is Susie's Original Hot Sauce, a traditional Caribbean mustard-pepper sauce with a fanatical following and which can sometimes be very hard to get. Enjoy it on anything that could use a punch of savory, peppery heat--and it's especially good with red beans and rice, seafood stews, and vegetarian dishes.

7. Walkerswood Spicy Jerk Marinade is made from the same basic ingredients as the jerk seasoning, but in ready-to-use marinade form. Because it's a liquid rather than a paste or rub, it's also less intense, making it great for marinating chicken breast, seafood and vegetables as well as heartier meats or dark poultry.

Jalapeno Popper Grill Rack

8. Jalapeno poppers are a popular restaurant appetizer but can be messy and difficult to make at home... unless you have a Jalapeno Popper Grill Rack! Not only do they hold your stuffed jalapenos upright for even cooking without the filling spilling out, but by grilling instead of frying you end up with mouthwatering roasted-pepper flavor and a healthier, lower-fat appetizer. These jalapeno popper grill racks come in three different sizes, and you can also use them to grill unstuffed peppers and anything else that fits in the rack--and  the rack is easy to clean, too!

9.  Scorned Woman Hot Sauce is a classic, all-purpose pepper-vinegar hot sauce that's been around seemingly forever, no doubt because it's so popular with folks who want a hotter, multi-layered heat that won't change the flavor of food. Habaneros, jalapenos and black pepper provide three different heat experiences in one tangy vinegar sauce that works with all sorts of foods plus in bloody marys and any recipe calling for hot sauce.

10.  GrillGrates are a revolutionary, award-winning innovation in BBQ grilling, with a special raised-rail design that grills food more evenly, without flare-ups and with better flavor. Food won't stick to the surface, making cleanup easier and food tastier. Available for virtually any size, shape and type of grill, GrillGrates are the grilling surface of choice for championship BBQ teams as well as the home grill. In addition to producing the most delicious grilled meats, poultry and fish you've ever tasted (and with beautiful, professional-quality sear marks), GrillGrates let you make grilled pizza, bread, appetizers, vegetables and desserts with ease. Just place the GrillGrate on top of your regular grates and you're ready to grill like a pro!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria