May's Best-Selling Products at Carolina Sauce

The Silver Sausage, aka the RV-Que, has arrived in Bozeman, and I'm back in (almost) full-swing, at least when our flaky internet connection permits. We're camped on the outskirts of Bozeman for the month, and should be able to move into our new house in early July assuming all goes as planned with the final inspections and closing. In the meantime, I'm busily catching up on Carolina Sauce work, including the following list of the Top 10 Best-Selling Products for May:

1. Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce is a genuine eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce that's thin and tangy with a touch of spice and absolutely no tomatoes, corn syrup or thickeners. Usually enjoyed with pulled pork barbecue, Wells can also be used as a marinade for chicken or a seasoning for greens like collards or kale. This is our best-selling barbecue sauce and also our best-selling product of all time.

2. Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce is our top-selling hot sauce of all time, which should come as no surprise when you taste it. A sensory delight, its thick texture sticks to your food and delivers spicy-hot scotch bonnet pepper heat in a tangy mustard base that's naturally sweetened with papaya for a lusciously exotic flavor that complements fish, chicken, veggies, rice & beans, and grilled foods of all kinds.

3. Jump Up & Kiss Me Hot Sauce was created by a heat-loving gourmet chef and beautifully proves that a hot sauce can be packed with layers of palate-pleasing flavors while still delivering enough of a peppery kick to thrill chileheads. Enjoy it with any savory dish that could benefit from a spark of flavor and fire, including burgers and fries, spaghetti and chili, nachos and burritos, scrambled eggs and quiche, fried or broiled fish or chicken, and even steaks, chops, ribs and roasts.

4. Busha Browne's Pukka Sauce is found regularly on our monthly and annual lists of best-selling sauces and has a devoted following among people who enjoy an all-purpose, food-friendly hot sauce that sparks the tongue without burning out the mouth. Made in Jamaica but not a jerk sauce, its special blend of peppers and spices dates back to colonial days, as hinted at by the name and the pith-helmeted explorer on the label. Pukka Sauce is excellent in the kitchen for cooking as well as on the table for splashing and saucing served food.

5. We had a tie for 5th place last month, between Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, probably the most famous jerk seasoning that's made in Jamaica, with authentic fiery heat and intense aromatic herbs & spices; and Scorned Woman Hot Sauce, a classic all-purpose vinegar pepper sauce that's savory and fiery, perfect for recipes and table use, and great in Bloody Marys and other spicy beverages.

6. Matouk's Calypso Sauce is similar to its second-place sibling with one major difference: It doesn't have that fruity papaya sweetness, and as a result this island hot sauce will seem hotter and more savory on the palate. You can enjoy Calypso Sauce just as you would the West Indian Sauce, and it's even better than its sweeter sibling for heartier, more robust foods such as grilled or roasted red meats or smoked ribs.

7. JohnBoy & Billy's Hot & Spicy Grillin' Sauce hails from the Old North State and blends together the three distinctive styles of barbeque sauce found in the Carolinas: zesty mustard from South Carolina and the NC "low country," sweet tomato from western NC, and tangy vinegar from eastern North Carolina. These three foundations are brought together with a handful of hot peppers for a crowd-pleasin', lip-smackin', finger-lickin' and tongue-ticklin' sauce that brings out the best in anything you grill, barbecue or smoke. Magnificent on pork or beef ribs, grilled chicken, brisket, chops, burgers, and even shrimp and veggies, it's hot enough to get noticed but not so hot that it hurts.

8. Matouk's Hot Pepper Sauce is a no-nonsense savory-tangy hot sauce that packs a serious scotch bonnet pepper punch. If you want to experience the real flavor and fire of West Indian and Caribbean cuisine, this is the hot sauce for you. Thick enough to pour without dripping all over the place, and versatile enough to add to all sorts of recipes calling for hot sauce, it's excellent with most styles of spicy fare, whether you're serving island cuisines or Cajun/Creole favorites, nacho chips or Mexican food, Chinese stir-fry or fried rice, and even pizza or pasta, as well as all-American burgers or sausages.

9. Salsa Lizano is a favorite in Costa Rica, where it can be found on virtually all tables whether at home or in restaurants. A classic recipe that's almost 100 years old, it's still made the old-fashioned way from natural ingredients including vinegar & molasses, secret spices and locally-grown vegetables for a food-friendly, savory-sweet flavor with just a touch of peppery zip. Superb as a marinade or table sauce for steak and all sorts of red meat, it's also terrific with chicken, beans & rice, and vegetable dishes.

10. This Flexible Cordless Stainless Steel Grill Light is one of our most popular BBQ & grill accessories and sold remarkably well during National BBQ Month. Available through one of our trusted partners, its brilliant white LED light will cut through the darkest night so that you can see what's cooking anytime. With a long-lasting light source and durable stainless steel construction, this grill light is battery-operated so there are no cords to get tangled up or in the way. Makes a great Father's Day gift for Dads who love to grill and barbecue!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

April's Best-Selling Carolina Sauce Products

The weather wasn't the only thing that was crazy in April: Last month saw major shake-ups to our list of best-selling sauces, snacks & seasonings at the Carolina Sauce Company. From first-time top-ten finishers to the displacement of longtime list regulars, along with a complete surprise in the number one slot, the following list has quite a few names on it, and a little bit of almost everything we sell on our online store. For more info or to buy any listed product, click on its name below or on the photo shown.

1. Ass Kickin' Habanero Microwave Popcorn: Talk about making a dramatic entrance -- I'm pretty sure it's the first time that this spicy microwave popcorn has broken into the top ten, and it was our best-selling product for April! When supermarket spicy popcorn isn't hot enough and you're craving a hot snack to enjoy with a cool beverage, it's time to graduate to Ass Kickin' Habanero Popcorn for real heat.

2. Jamaica HellFire 2 in 1 Hot Sauce is once again on our top-ten list, and high in the rankings as usual. This zesty hot pepper sauce is the brainchild of a Jamaican doctor who uses his own special blend of island seasonings and sun-ripened tropical chiles for incomparable flavor and solid heat level that asserts its presence without destroying your taste buds.

3. Pappy's XXX White Lightnin' BBQ Sauce moved up to third place after finishing ninth in March, a clear sign that this big, bold, tangy-sweet and fiery hot Kentucky barbecue sauce is growing in national popularity. It's "fortified" with a splash of real Kentucky bourbon for depth of flavor, and the whiskey-flask bottle adds to its visual appeal (this barbeque sauce makes a great gift). Whether you slather it on ribs and chicken or pour it over brisket or pulled pork, Pappy's BBQ sauce is a winner every time with fans of hot & spicy food.

4. Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce slipped a few spots from its usual #1 finish, but continues its domination as our all-time best-selling barbecue sauce. Most people enjoy this thin, spicy (not hot) and tangy vinegar sauce on Carolina style smoked & pulled pork BBQ, but it's also good for marinating chicken or for seasoning cooked greens like collards or kale.

5. Our first of three ties last month featured two newcomers to our list of best sellers: Pain is Good #37 Honey Habanero Screamin' Wing Sauce, a fabulously sweet & spicy hot wing sauce for Buffalo wings, Buffalo shrimp, and anything else you like to slather with or dip into a good hot wing sauce; and Green Ghost Hot Sauce, a powerfully HOT ghost pepper (aka jolokia) sauce made with unripe (green) ghost peppers and habaneros plus jalapeno peppers for extra green-ness and peppery tang.

6. Another tie, this time for the sixth slot, included Naga Jolokia 10 Wing Sauce, an extremely HOT (hence the "10" in the name) Buffalo style wing sauce made with jolokia (aka ghost) peppers, making this sauce ideal for "suicide wings" and other insanely hot appetizers; and Cajohn's Lethal Ingestion Bhut Jolokia Hot Sauce, shown below on the right in its "lab chemical" box. As the name suggests, Lethal Ingestion is an ultra-hot pepper extract made from super-hot jolokia chiles, rendering it too intensely hot to be used in greater than micro-drop quantities. Both of these sauces are new to our monthly top-sellers list, to the best of my recollection.

7. Our final tie was between two "regulars" on our list, which also happen to be "old timers" in the ever-changing world of hot sauces and condiments: Matouk's Flambeau Sauce, which is hands-down one of the hottest non-extract sauces on the market but also delivers phenomenally tasty and well-balanced flavors from aged scotch bonnet peppers pureed with West Indian seasonings for an unusually thick, rich texture; and Scorned Woman Hot Sauce, a classic all-purpose savory vinegar pepper sauce made with a variety of hot chilies plus black pepper.

8. Busha Browne's Pukka Sauce dropped one spot from its March finish but continued its history of popularity among people who like to splash some hot sauce on many different kinds of savory food. Savory, tangy and spicy without being overpowering, Pukka Sauce will add zip to everything from scrambled eggs & hash browns to burgers, subs, pizza, wings, nachos, spaghetti, chili, stews, casseroles, stir-fry dishes and more.

9. Ass Kickin' Chile Lime Microwave Popcorn made its best-seller debut this past month with a very respectable ninth place finish. This spicy southwestern style popcorn delivers zesty citrus flavor with just the right amount of sassy chile pepper spice. Chile Lime Popcorn is perfect for snacking along with a frosty margarita or cold beer, as well as with your favorite soda or summery iced tea.

10. Jim's Own BBQ Sauces, Rubs & Chili Mix made it back onto our list of top-selling products. These North Carolina barbecue sauces and versatile dry rubs come in a variety of flavors ranging from traditional Piedmont-style (western NC) tomato-vinegar BBQ sauces in Mild and Hot to South Carolina-inspired mustard barbecue sauce, all-American Smokey sauce and several different barbecue spice blends influenced by Mexican, South African and American cuisines. Jim's Own also makes a hearty, all-natural chili mix (shown on the left) and offers a wide selection of gift baskets and gift sets for any occasion, plus t-shirts with their "best dressed pig" logo and sturdy, roomy two-pocket BBQ grill aprons for the backyard chef.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Top 10 Carolina Sauce Company Products for March

We're back at the RV-Que after a week in Montana, and I've finally had a chance to tally the numbers for March in order to compile the month's list of Top 10 Best-Selling Products at Carolina Sauce. We had a surprising number of newcomers and long-awaited returns to the list, which was dominated by hot sauce since the barbecue season hasn't yet begun in many parts of the country (and it's been an unusually long, cold and snowy winter for many). The following are the top-selling sauces and seasonings for the month of March:

1. Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce is back on top after finishing in second place the previous month. This vinegar barbecue sauce from eastern NC is the real deal, made with no tomatoes or thickeners for that true-to-breed thinness and tangy-spicy (but not hot) flavor that just begs to be poured over smoked pulled pork. Wells also serves as a marinade for chicken, especially if you add a little oil to help seal in the juices.

2. Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce: Up from a fourth-place finish in February, this bright and sunny papaya-infused hot sauce from Trinidad & Tobago gets its moderate heat from scotch bonnet peppers, its zesty tang from mustard (like many Caribbean hot sauces do), and its delightfully fruity but not overwhelming sweetness from sun-ripened tropical papaya. Ideal for seafood and chicken, it's also delicious with vegetarian dishes and grilled anything.

3. Matouk's Calypso Hot Sauce: Slipping from first in February, Calypso Sauce is similar in many ways to Matouk's West Indian, but with a more pronounced peppery heat and without the prominence of papaya because the scotch bonnet chiles take center stage in this medium-hot sauce. You still get the jaunty mustard tang and luxuriously thick, rich texture that's standard in all of Matouk's hot sauce. Not too strong for fish, chicken or vegetables, Calypso Sauce is fantastic with all sorts of meats and grilled fare, as well as with rice & beans, stews and other hearty fare.

4. Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce: Returning to our top-ten list and our most popular classic scotch bonnet pepper sauce of all time, this is an honest to goodness single-chili hot sauce that shows off the true flavor and fire of the powerful scotch bonnet pepper without any distracting spices, fruits or other additives. If you are fond of scotch bonnets and want a classic, all-purpose savory hot sauce for everyday use at the table and in the kitchen, this is an excellent choice.

5. El Yucateco XXX Hot Kutbil-ik Mayan Hot Sauce: Quite possibly breaking into the top 10 best-sellers for the very first time, this genuine Mexican hot sauce claims to be based on an ancient Mayan recipe that's been passed down from generation to generation. It is quite HOT even for a habanero pepper sauce, but it doesn't have that artificial flavor or unnaturally painful burn of extract-enhanced sauces -- which means it's a favorite of chiliheads who want to taste their food amidst the powerful heat. It's a natural with any Mexican food of course, as well as with Tex-Mex and Southwestern dishes.

6. We had a tie for sixth place in March between Walkerswood Mild Jerk Seasoning, which is the "kindler, gentler" version of Walkerswood's traditional Jamaican jerk seasoning paste (you get all of the same aromatic, exotic Jamaican flavor but without the fearsome heat), and Gator Hammock Hot Gator Sauce, a "foodie favorite" from Florida with its artful blend of spicy peppers and specially selected seasonings, holding steady in 6th place for the second consecutive month.

7. Another tie, this time for the seventh slot, featured Busha Browne's Pukka Sauce, a colonial-style (not a jerk sauce) all-purpose Jamaican hot sauce dropping one slot from February on our best-seller list, and Endorphin Rush Hot Sauce, an extremely hot extract-spiked sauce that actually delivers good flavor in addition to powerful heat because it's made with a rich tomato, molasses & soy sauce base. Endorphin Rush made a long-awaited return to our top ten list after a protracted absence.

8. Matouk's Flambeau Sauce also returned to the top 10 in March. This is probably the hottest non-extract scotch bonnet pepper hot sauce you can buy, but it's not just about the incendiary heat level. Made with aged select scotch bonnet pepper mash as its primary ingredient, Matouk's continues its commitment to great-tasting, thick hot sauces by blending this mash with Caribbean spices and mustard for a phenomenally fiery yet flavorful super-hot sauce that will complement hearty, savory food while lighting up your mouth.

9. Our final tie of the month was between two newcomers to our best-sellers, namely Pappy's XXX White Lightnin' BBQ Sauce, featuring a spicy-hot, whiskey-laced, southern-style tomato-vinegar flavor that complements ribs, burgers, brisket, pork chops, venison, chicken & more, and Dave's Gourmet Insanity Spice, a crazy-hot blend of super-hot red savina habanero peppers that have been dried, ground and then combined with a dash (or more) of pepper extract for an extremely concentrated and seriously HOT heat that you can spoon into recipes or sprinkle cautiously over served food that could use a fiery jolt.

10. Dog-Gone BBQ & Hot Sauces complete our list of last month's best-selling products. Created by a kind-hearted gourmet with a soft spot in his heart for homeless dogs and cats, 100% of all after-tax profit from the sale of these flavorful hot sauces and barbecue sauce is donated to animal shelters and rescue groups. The hot sauces come in the following inspired flavors: garlicky Chipotle, fiery-sweet Pineapple Honey, and the smooth & fruity Honey Rum. The bold, rich Dog-Gone BBQ Sauce delivers sweet, smoky & slightly spicy flavor in a zesty tomato base. Help save a homeless animal while enjoying great food when you buy Dog-Gone BBQ Sauce and Hot Sauces!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

February's Best-Selling Sauces & Products

February was a surprisingly busy month at Carolina Sauce Company, with an unusually large number of online orders for this time of year -- and this is a good thing for a small family business! Although in some years past there had been no point in tallying up the best-selling sauces for what's typically one of the slowest months of the year, this February we had a sufficiently high number of orders to generate a statistically significant list of best-sellers for the month. So, here goes:

1. Matouk's Calypso Hot Sauce: This brightly flavorful and fiery hot sauce captures the essence of Caribbean sun and fun. Powerful scotch bonnet peppers, succulent papaya, savory West Indian mustard and island spices deliver festive flavor and heat in a thickly textured sauce that will cling to your food and make your mouth sing. Made in Trinidad & Tobago in the West Indies, Matouk's Calypso is one of our most popular hot sauces and was the top-selling hot sauce for the month of February.

2. Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce is made in eastern North Carolina in the traditional fashion for this part of the state: tart vinegar, zesty spices and absolutely no tomatoes, for a thin, super-tangy sauce that's meant to be splashed liberally on slow-smoked, hand-pulled pork barbecue. If you want to experience authentic Carolina barbecue the way the locals do, this is the sauce you need. You can also use Wells BBQ Sauce as a marinade for chicken and meats, or as a seasoning sauce for collards or green beans, especially if you add a little oil to balance out the vinegar. Wells Hog Heaven is not only our best-selling barbeque sauce (and our second-best selling sauce last month), but it's also our overall best-selling product of all time at the Carolina Sauces online store.

3. Blair's Death Rain Jolokia Pepper Potato Chips are kettle-cooked slices of crispy, crunchy, FIERY-HOT potato to satisfy the cravings of serious fire-eaters and lovers of spicy snacks. Quite possibly the hottest potato chips on the market, you'll definitely want to have a well-chilled, heat-quenching beverage nearby or a cool, creamy dip in which to dunk these Death Rain potato chips seasoned with dried jolokia (ghost pepper) and other savory, spicy seasonings.

4. Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce: Similar to Matouk's Calypso but with a slightly milder heat and a delightfully brighter, fruitier flavor from luscious tropical papayas, this hot sauce is deeply satisfying in terms of rich island flavor, food-coating thickness & texture, and cheerful color. Excellent with poultry, seafood, vegetables & rice dishes, it's also quite good with anything you grill including sausages, burgers and more.

5. *TIE* JohnBoy & Billy's Hot & Spicy Grillin' Sauce *and* Busha Browne's Pukka Hot Pepper Sauce shared the 5th place position on last month's best-seller list. The Grillin' Sauce features a tangy blend of vinegar, tomatoes & mustard with a pretty decent kick from hot peppers & zesty spices. If you enjoy hot & spicy barbecue sauces for your grilled or smoked meats and chicken, JohnBoy & Billy's Hot Grillin' Sauce is for you. Also for fans of heat that tastes great is Pukka Sauce from Jamaica, a colonial-style all-purpose hot pepper sauce that packs a good punch but won't destroy your taste buds. Pukka Sauce is equally good at the table on served food or as an ingredient in any recipe calling for hot sauce.

6. Gator Hammock Hot Gator Sauce is a favorite of Floridians and is rapidly growing in popularity throughout the United States and even abroad. Featuring a special blend of cayenne, habanero, scotch bonnet & jalapeno peppers in an all-natural, garlicky, savory-tangy spiced vinegar base, it's the go-to hot sauce for foodies who appreciate heat and for hot-sauce lovers who appreciate a well-balanced, great-tasting hot sauce.

7. Busha Browne's Authentic Jerk Seasoning comes in a deceptively small jar that holds a highly concentrated, intensely flavorful and aromatic blend of traditional Jamaican jerk spices and herbs. A little goes a long way both in terms of flavor and heat, and connoisseurs of Jamaican cuisine will be pleased when served jerked meat, poultry or seafood prepared with Busha Browne's special "wet rub" seasoning paste.

8. Walkerswood Traditional Jerk Seasoning, Hot & Spicy is another genuine Jamaican jerk seasoning that delivers superb flavor and authentic heat in a highly concentrated package. Each brand uses its own specially-developed combination and ratio of spices, herbs, scotch bonnet peppers and savory ingredients like garlic and scallions, with Walkerswood adding a bit of sugar unlike Busha Browne. Some people prefer one over the other; I like them both. You can use them the same way in the same recipes, so if you're a fan of jerk cooking, I recommend you get a jar of each and do a side-by-side taste test comparison to see which you prefer.

9. Jim's Own BBQ Sauce, Rubs & Gifts: For over a decade, this family-owned and operated small business has been making award-winning North Carolina barbecue sauces that add delicious tangy-sweet flavor to everything from pulled pork to marinated & grilled chicken, vegetables and even shrimp & fish. Jim's Own now also makes Mustard and Smokey BBQ sauces as well as a variety of zesty, savory BBQ rubs and a new hearty, wholesome chili mix that takes virtually all the work out of making homemade chili. Jim's Own also offers a special selection of gift baskets and other gift items suitable for any occasion. It's no wonder Jim's Own products are regularly among our best-selling sauces, seasonings and gifts for barbecue enthusiasts.

10. Bacon Gift Baskets & Bundles are always welcome with baconistas and other people passionate about the best part of the pig. From gourmet and flavored bacon to traditional and nitrite-free cuts, bacon-flavored foods, bacon cookbooks and even bacon-themed novelties like bacon-scented cologne & candles, bacon-flavored lip balm, bacon plush toys and t-shirts proclaiming one's love for bacon, you'll find them all at our partner Bacon Freak.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Best-Selling Smoker Woods & BBQ Grill Accessories for 2013

The calendar might still say winter and the thermometer reading may be hovering around freezing, but that doesn't stop hard-core BBQ enthusiasts from firing up their grills and barbecue smokers. For those of you who aren't cooking outdoors until the weather warms up, now is the time to check on the condition of your grilling & BBQ tools and accessories, and to stock up on wood chips, grilling planks and other supplies you'll need for barbecue season.

Before you spend any money, however, I recommend you start by checking out the top 5 best-selling grill accessories and smoker supplies for 2013 at the Carolina Sauce Company:

1. Grill Pro Mesquite Wood Chips are properly aged chips of genuine mesquite wood, the smoker wood of choice when you want to give your smoked brisket, beef ribs, chicken or other meats that authentic, robust southwestern flavor. When only Texas style barbecue will do, or when you want to experience the "big daddy" of smoked flavor, choose mesquite! Mesquite chips are also great for grilling hamburgers, lamb, pork and even venison - just be careful not to overdo it with milder meats and poultry, because mesquite smoke is strong stuff. Grill Pro Mesquite Chips come in resealable bags holding 170 cubic inches of real mesquite wood chips.

2. Grill Pro Cherry Smoker Chips will infuse your meats and poultry with delightfully bright, fruity notes of real cherry wood. Fruit woods like cherry are often the pro's choice with venison and other game meats, and cherry wood chips also add wonderfully mellow, medium-smoke flavor to pork loin, ribs, chicken, lamb and anything else you choose to grill or smoke. As with the mesquite wood chips, Grill Pro Cherry Wood Chips come in resealable bags holding 170 cubic inches of real cherry wood.


3. Assorted Grilling Planks 4-Pack: Plank grilling is a simple and convenient way to add subtle wood flavor to fish and seafood, chicken, leaner meats, and vegetables. Very popular in the Pacific Northwest (e.g., cedar plank grilled salmon), cooking on wood planks is catching on throughout the country as a healthier cooking method (you use less oil or fat) -- which no doubt explains why this four-pack of assorted wooden planks for grilling was our 3rd-best selling BBQ accessory. The pack comes with four 14" x 5.5" planks, one each of Cedar, Alder, Maple & Hickory, plus instructions and recipes.

4. Smokehouse Alder Grilling Planks:  Grilling on a plank of alder wood imparts your food with a magnificent combination of robust but not overpowering smoke flavor plus light and mellow notes of vanilla that add a subtle natural sweetness. These planks are made from 100% natural Pacific Northwest Alder wood, which is hard to find in other parts of the country. Alder wood is ideal for poultry and game birds, pork (leaner cuts like loin), vegetables and fish.

5. GrillGrates are an award-winning, raised-ridge, nonstick interlocking grilling surface that fits on virtually any grill for picture-perfect, tastebud-tantalizing grilled food every time. GrillGrates amplify any heat source to facilitate infrared grilling, block flare-ups while retaining juices, even out grilling temperatures to prevent hot spots, and give you those attractive sear marks that are otherwise elusive for most grillers except the pros. They make an ideal Father's Day gift or any other occasion gift for anyone who loves to cook on their BBQ grill. Find the right GrillGrate for your grill when you click here.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Best-Selling Meats & Cheese at Carolina Sauce Co. for 2013

Sure, our name might be Carolina Sauce Company, but we're not just another seller of zesty sauces and condiments: We also offer a delectable selection of unusual, hard-to-find and full-flavored meats and cheeses ranging from specialty bacon and spicy beef jerky to imported cheeses and peppery cheese dips. Here are our top-selling meat and cheese products for 2013:

1. Crazy Jerry's Hot 'n Chili Cheese Dip is a velvety blend of creamy cheeses with just enough fiery chili peppers, savory spices and ripe tomatoes to deliver a big, bold flavor that will have you coming back for more. Perfect for dipping all sorts of chips, crackers, pretzels, carrots, celery sticks or even bread cubes, you can also pour this hot and spicy restaurant-style chile cheese dip over nachos, burritos, tacos and even breakfast eggs, hash brown potatoes and sausage. Try it on hot dogs and hamburgers as a cheesy topping with a peppery kick!

2. Bone Suckin' Beef Jerky is a high-quality, all-natural, high-protein snack made from real American beef and boasting the flavors of one of America's most popular barbecue sauces, Bone Suckin' Sauce. A favorite among hikers, back-packers, athletes, students, and anyone looking for a healthy, satisfying snack that's lightweight, nutritious and full of rich flavor, the mouthwatering savory-sweet flavor of this beef jerky is incomparable. It's a great item to include in care packages, Christmas stockings and gift baskets, and to keep in your pantry or desk drawer for those times when you don't have time to prepare a midday meal or go out to lunch, or you just need a handy pick-me-up.

3. Bacon & Bacon Gifts: Through our wonderful partner Bacon Freak, we're thrilled to be able to offer a huge variety of bacon ranging from traditional cuts to gourmet, flavored, and nitrite-free bacon, plus a mind-boggling array of bacon gifts including bacon gift boxes, bacon bundles, bacon-themed novelties, bacon-scented cologne and toiletries, bacon t-shirts and other apparel, bacon cookbooks, and pretty much anything else bacon-y that you can imagine.

4. Blair's XXX Sudden Death Beef Jerky is for serious chileheads with a penchant for meat, and for adventurous carnivores who get a thrill out of fiery foods. Protein-rich dried beef is generously seasoned with super-hot peppers including red habaneros, cayennes and the ultra-hot Red Savina. But that's not all: savory herbs and spices add complementary "steakhouse rub" flavor for a deliciously devilish snack that will satisfy your taste buds as well as your craving for fiery heat.

5. Blair's Original Death Beef Jerky is similar in flavor to Sudden Death Beef Jerky, but not nearly as hot, which broadens its appeal and makes it more practical as a backpacking, camping or hiking snack when water and liquids might be at a premium. If you enjoy hot and spicy snacks and are ready to feel alive, treat yourself to a bag of this spicy, savory-sweet and protein-packed meaty snack. One bite and you'll wish you had gotten more -- so plan ahead and order several bags while they're on sale at the Carolina Sauces online store!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Top 10 Best-Selling Marinades & Dressings for 2013

Well-made, high-quality marinades, dressings, cooking sauces and other specialty sauces like steak or brisket sauces are a convenient way to add gourmet or home-made flavor to meals with little effort or expense. The Carolina Sauce Company offers a wide variety of such sauces, dressings and marinades, all at reasonable prices and in a range of heat levels and array of American and international flavors. The following list has the top ten best-selling marinades, dressings and specialty sauces for 2013:

1. Walkerswood Spicy Jamaican Jerk Marinade is one of Jamaica's most famous exports. This authentic jerk marinade complements and tenderizes all types of red meats and poultry, infusing them with the zesty, exotic and spicy flavors of Jamaica. You can also use it to marinate fish, shellfish and vegetables prior to cooking or grilling. For red meat and poultry, marinate in your refrigerator for several hours or overnight. For seafood and vegetables, up to an hour of refrigerated marinating will suffice.

2. Busha Browne's Spicy Hot Pepper Sherry is an old-fashioned concoction of real sherry in which chili peppers have been steeped to infuse the sherry with peppery heat. This pepper sherry is perfect for making Bull Shots (a hot and boozy beef bouillon drink that will warm you up on winter evening), Bloody Marys and other savory cocktails, or for adding depth to soups, stews, marinades for meats, homemade brown sauces and more.

3. Ole Ray's Blackberry Wine Cooking Sauce is a magnificently mouthwatering gourmet sauce that is sure to impress family and guests, and have them wondering when you found the time to attend culinary school. Wonderful with all sorts of beef and pork cuts, it's also a natural with venison, wild boar, game birds and the like. Delightful as a rib glaze when applied during the final few minutes of smoking or grilling, you can also marinate, grill, baste and sauce with it in the kitchen, at the grill and at the table sauce.

4. Walkerswood One Stop Savory Sauce is like a traditional American steak sauce, but with a refreshingly different, spicy, lightly fruity tropical twist. Bananas and mangoes team up with the usual raisins to add body and brightness, while nutmeg, thyme and Jamaican allspice pair up with tamarind, scallions and other similar ingredients regularly found in steak sauce. The result is a deep, multidimensional and appealingly complex richness that complements steaks, roasts, pork loin, beef brisket, rotisserie chicken, venison tenderloin and other hearty fare as well a breakfast favorites like eggs, potatoes and sausage.

5. Bone Suckin' Yaki Sauce is a North Carolina original that blends Asian teriyaki sauce with tangy tomato-vinegar barbecue sauce for a fantastic fusion of flavors that brings out the best in anything you marinate, baste, grill or cook in it. It's finger-lickin' good on chicken, ribs, shrimp and veggies, and you can use it for stir-fry dishes, as a steak sauce, in ground beef dishes or burgers, and more. Your imagination is the only limit!

6. Ole Ray's Steak & Brisket Sauce delivers the flavors of Texas barbecue to your table whenever you're craving them. Although it was created specifically to complement and enhance the flavor of slow-smoked beef brisket, this sauce is also excellent with London broil, pot roast, pork loin, venison, and other similar red meats. You can even dress up your burgers or meatloaf with it, or dip your french fries and other finger food in it instead of ketchup.

7. Tobago Keys Peruvian Gold Grilling Sauce is a sweet and sassy mustard sauce with tropical hot peppers and savory spices for a rich Caribbean flavor that will enhance everything from pork and beef to chicken, seafood, vegetables and even rice & beans. You can marinate with it, bake and broil with it, splash it on sauteed or grilled veggies, brush on kabobs or ribs during the last few minutes of grilling, and play with it in the kitchen, too.

8. Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon Original Steak Sauce is a classic American steakhouse style sauce that's spiked with a healthy splash of real Jim Beam bourbon whiskey from Kentucky. The bourbon adds deep notes of caramel and wood for a rich roundness of bold yet mellow flavor that brings out the best in any type of steak, from the most expensive cuts to the most affordable. Turn an ordinary hamburger into a $12 steakburger simply by dressing it up with this gourmet condiment. Or add it to ground beef recipes including meatloaf, sloppy joes, sliders, and more.

9. Pickapeppa Brown Sauce is another traditional Caribbean brown sauce like our fourth-place sauce, but with a little more tang, a little less heat, and greater depth of deep, dark, savory flavors. Mangoes add a hint of subtle tropical flavor for a subdued exotic elegance that will impress even the most discerning, well-traveled palates while also pleasing simpler tastes and youthful palates. Enjoy it the same way you'd use any other steak sauce or meat condiment, as well as in place of ketchup for dipping onion rings or fries or dressing up burgers or scrambled eggs.

10. Tobago Keys Coral Ridge Seafood Sauce is a zesty tropical alternative to tartar sauce for fish, shrimp and other seafood. Creamy but not heavy, with a good amount of habanero heat without being overpoweringly hot, and pleasingly tangy-savory but not tart, this mayonnaise-based sauce is wonderful with seafood prepared any way: breaded and fried, broiled, sauteed, baked, grilled, poached, etc. Try it on fish tacos, on salmon burgers or stirred into tuna salad and other mayo-based salads for a delightful change of pace!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Top 10 Best-Selling BBQ Rubs & Seasonings for 2013

Whether you're smoking a rack of Memphis style dry ribs or a Texas brisket, grilling some chicken or putting a roast in the oven, seasoning a steak or adding a dash of savory flavor to French fries, spicing up a stew or sprinkling a touch of zestiness on vegetables.... our list of best-selling rubs and seasonings is a great place to find the right spice blend to wake up your food and tantalize your taste buds. Just click on any product name below to place your order on the Carolina Sauces website or for more information about that product:

1. Bone Suckin' Rib Rub is our best-selling barbecue dry rub, and it's proudly made in North Carolina using only the finest natural ingredients. It's gluten-free, has no MSG, and it's Kosher, too! But just as importantly, it tastes great with a sassy, slightly spicy balance of savory and sweet notes from brown sugar, paprika, garlic, onion, chiles and more.

2. Bad Byron's Butt Rub is a Texas style BBQ rub that's savory, not sweet (it's sugar-free and has no carbohydrates). Equally delicious on any cut of beef or pork, it's an excellent choice when smoking low and slow, or when grilling on high heat, because it won't burn like sugary rubs will. Butt Rub is also great with chicken, shrimp, vegetables and fish. If you can't get enough of Bad Byron's, you'll be thrilled to know that we also offer this zesty dry rub in 24oz containers.

3. Dave's Chile Today Hot Smoked Habanero Powder is fiery-hot and richly earthy with deep, smoky flavor like chipotle but with the stronger heat and unmistakably bright, citrus-like notes that are common to habanero peppers. You can use this ground habanero powder in any recipe calling for a ground dried chili powder if you want to bump up the heat level and add a touch of smokiness.

4. Stubb's BBQ Spice Rub is made in Texas by one of the most famous names in Texas barbecue. Enticingly savory with just the right balance of peppery heat and earthy smoke, it's all-natural and has no sugar. Ideal for all types of beef including brisket, ribs, roasts, steaks and burgers, it also pairs well with poultry, pork and game meats like venison.

5. Habanero Seasoning From Hell is a seriously hot and fiendishly flavorful blend of habaneros and other fiery chilies, plus a secret blend of savory spices along with garlic and onion. This dry rub and all-purpose seasoning stands out from the crowd not only because of its heat and flavor, but because it has no sugar and also no salt! If you're on a low-sodium or salt-restricted diet and need a no-sodium seasoning blend for barbecue and other cooking or for use at the table, this is the one for you (assuming you enjoy hot and spicy foods).

6. Dave's Chile Today Extra Hot Habanero Powder: When ordinary red pepper or cayenne are simply not hot enough, this super-hot ground habanero powder is what you need. Select habanero peppers are picked at their peak of tropical flavor and heat, carefully dried to preserve their characteristic bright flavor, and then ground into a fine powder that you can use in any way you'd use a ground chili -- but with the caution and respect that habanero peppers warrant. This is pure, unadulterated dried ground habanero without any fillers, additives or other spices or seasonings (no salt or sugar, either).

7. Bone Suckin' HOT Seasoning Rub is the spicier, hotter version of our top-selling BBQ rub. Made with the same combination of savory and sweet all-natural ingredients, the only thing different is the heat level, which is hot by North Carolina standards but probably more of a medium-hot using a more general heat scale. And just like the original, this hotter dry rub delivers big, bold, food-friendly flavor that complements all sorts of meats and poultry as well as heartier varieties of seafood (e.g., tuna, salmon, mackerel, shrimp) and vegetables.

8. Ghost Dust Pure Ground Naga Jolokia Powder is for experienced, hard-core chiliheads and fiery-foods fanatics who consider the mighty habanero a mere hot pepper for ordinary people. As the name states, this is 100% pure dried ground ghost pepper powder (the ghost pepper is also called the naga jolokia or bhut jolokia pepper, as all serious heat-eaters know). Use with discretion and extreme caution, and in very small quantities.

9. Gator Hammock Gator Sprinkle is made in Florida using locally grown hot peppers and a zesty blend of complementary spices plus just the right amount of salt for a moderately spicy (but not flaming hot) and pleasantly savory all-purpose rub. Use it to season everything from chicken and red meat to shrimp and fish, plus rice dishes, vegetables, popcorn, French fries, and even the flour or breading you use for making fried chicken or fried fish.

10. Mary's Gourmet Cherry Rub is new to our annual best-sellers list but is well-known among barbecue and grilling enthusiasts. A delectably sweet, medium heat BBQ rub that's made with real cherry flavor, natural smoke, brown sugar, savory spices and other all-natural ingredients, it's delightful on anything you grill, smoke, roast, slow-cook, bake or barbecue.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Top 10 Best-Selling Jamaican Jerks & Curry Sauces for 2013

If you enjoy the distinctive, exotic and fiery flavors of Jamaican jerk cooking and Caribbean style curry, the following list of best-selling sauces and seasonings is a great place for you to find some intriguing new sauces to try -- or just click on any product name to restock on an old favorite or two (they're all currently on sale, by the way.

1. Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Hot & Spicy (10oz) is by far the top selling Jamaican jerk product we carry, no doubt because it's made in Jamaica using a time-tested traditional recipe and the finest local, all-natural ingredients. Slather it on meats, poultry or seafood and marinate in your fridge for a few hours or overnight (but no more than an hour for seafood), then grill, broil, bake, roast or cook on the stove to experience genuine Jamaican cooking at home.

2. Walkerswood Seriously Hot Jonkanoo Sauce is named after a popular street festival held in Jamaica, and its feisty, jaunty spices and peppers capture the puckish playfulness and enticing sensory experience of this Caribbean carnival. This is a classic Jamaican hot pepper sauce reminiscent of the flavorful and fiery hot sauces found on dinner tables at homes and in restaurants throughout the island.

3. Walkerswood Spicy Jamaican Jerk Marinade takes all the work out of cooking Jamaican recipes calling for jerk spicing. Simply pour this spicy, tangy and authentic jerk marinade over meat, chicken, seafood or vegetables, then marinate in your refrigerator (no more than one hour for fish or seafood, up to overnight for meats & poultry) and cook any way you like. It's a favorite of folk who like to use their smoker or BBQ grill and want to enjoy the flavors of Jamaica in a penetrating, tenderizing marinade.

4. Walkerswood Mild Jamaican Jerk Seasoning: As the name suggests, this is the milder, less peppery version of our top-selling jerk seasoning. But don't worry, the richly aromatic flavors are just as intense as with the hot & spicy version; it's simply much tamer on the heat scale. This jerk paste or wet rub is a favorite of people who appreciate Jamaican cuisine but have a low tolerance for spicy heat. It's also a great way to introduce the flavors of Jamaican jerk to kids or anyone unfamiliar with this cuisine.

5. Busha Browne's Authentic Jerk Seasoning: Don't be deceived by the dainty little jar -- it contains an intensely concentrated and deliciously complex authentic jerk seasoning made in Jamaica by one of the best-known brands. A little goes a very long way with this wet rub, and it will penetrate meat, poultry or seafood to infuse it with magnificent Jamaican flavor. Not quite as hot as our number 1 jerk product, it's also more savory and sugar-free, making it ideal for low-carb diets and anyone watching their sugar intake.

6. Busha Browne's Spicy Jerk Sauce is a zesty table sauce that conveniently lets you add a splash of Jamaican flavor and heat at the table or in recipes. Some people even like using it in their Bloody Marys or tomato juice! Made with raw cane sugar and tomatoes, its mellow sweetness nicely balances the savory herbs and spices as well as the peppery heat for a delightfully tasty, medium-heat sauce that will complement virtually anything except dessert.

7. Walkerswood Jerk BBQ Sauce is unlike any other barbecue sauce I've ever tried, with a spunky peppery heat and a cheerful touch of tropical flavor from bananas (yes, bananas are the main ingredient!). No, this Jamaican BBQ sauce doesn't taste like bananas -- the fruit adds natural sweetness and thickness of body without overwhelming the other ingredients and flavors, for an overall taste that's clearly barbecue sauce but with a pleasantly sweet and slightly exotic flavor that hints at its Jamaican roots. Slather it on during the final few minutes of grilling or smoking, and use it in meatloaf or on burgers as you would any BBQ sauce.

8. Walkerswood Zesty Caribbean One Stop Savory Sauce is a traditional Caribbean brown sauce that's quite similar to a classic American steak sauce, but with more of a peppery kick and a hint of tropical fruit flavor. Use it on everything you'd use a steak sauce on, including steaks, burgers, pork chops, brisket, roasts and other red meats.... but it's also superb with grilled or roasted chicken, as well as with shrimp, fish, vegetables, rice & beans, and in soups, stews and casseroles.

9. Walkerswood Las'Lick Jerk Sauce is a moderately spicy (mild-medium), savory-sweet all-purpose table sauce to enjoy on any dish that could use some Jamaican flair. Similar to our 6th place sauce, it's a little bit sweeter and finishes with the familiar warm flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg. It's a lovely, lightly exotic counterpoint to the robust flavors of grilled or smoked meats, roast chicken or turkey, hearty red beans & rice, meat patties, fried fish or shrimp, and other substantial comfort foods.

10. Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning, 9.25 lb tub:  This is the "food service" size of our top-selling jerk product (the mild version is not available in this large container). But it's not just for restaurants or caterers -- it's a great way to save money when you're planning a large get-together, tailgate party, cookout or the like. And it's also an excellent choice for any family that cooks Jamaican favorites on a regular basis, because it's got such a long shelf life even after the tub is opened.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Top 10 Best-Selling Salsa, Wing Sauce & Condiments for 2013

Salsa, mustard and wing sauce, oh my! Plus ketchup and steak sauce, too! If you enjoy high-quality, great-tasting zesty condiments to liven up your burgers, hot dogs, wings, nachos, steaks, eggs, sausages and more, it's time to try one or more of our best-selling condiments from the Carolina Sauce Company:

1. Gator Hammock Swamp Mustard comes to us from Florida and gets its feisty tang from locally grown hot peppers. Seductively sassy with a mellow tropical sweetness from juicy ripe guavas, this mustard will make your taste buds sing whether you eat it with brats or kielbasa, burgers or hot dogs, ham sandwiches or turkey clubs, salt-sprinkled pretzels or breaded chicken tenders.

2. Bone Suckin' Sweet Hot Mustard is pourable and dippable but still thick enough to spread on sandwich bread. Made in North Carolina using only natural ingredients, it's pleasantly peppery without burning, and gently sweet without cloying. You can also use it for basting ribs and roasts, and add it to recipes like potato salad, egg salad and the like.

3. Pain is Good Honey Habanero Screaming Wing Sauce is a relative newcomer to the Carolina Sauces online store, and yet it was our best-selling hot wing sauce last year. From the makers of the world-famous Pain Is Good Hot Sauces, this fiery-sweet chicken wing sauce delivers big-time in the flavor and heat departments. All-natural and made with olive oil instead of butter or margarine, it will satisfy wing lovers who are ready to move beyond standard Buffalo sauces.

4. Melinda's Black Pepper Ketchup is a far cry from the mass-produced, super-sweet, one-dimensional kid stuff sold in supermarkets. Using only the finest all-natural ingredients and absolutely NO high fructose corn syrup, this superb ketchup boasts true tomato flavor with just the right balance of natural sweetness and savory spice with a pleasantly piquant bite. Take your hamburgers, scrambled eggs, French fries and other old favorites to new heights when you dress them up with this spicy gourmet ketchup.

5. Anchor Bar Original Buffalo Wing Sauce is THE hot wing sauce that began the chicken wing craze some decades ago at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Medium in heat with that trademark cayenne tang and buttery mouthfeel, this one is the real deal and a favorite of purists when it comes to genuine buffalo wings and buffalo shrimp.

6. Naga Jolokia 10 Hot Wing Sauce raises the stakes when it comes to ultra-hot "suicide wings" made in the Buffalo style. The searing heat comes from the legendary ghost pepper (also called the naga or bhut jolokia chili). But this wing sauce also tastes good, thanks to a rich and zesty blend of tomatoes and specially selected spices. It's made with real butter, too.

7. Walkerswood One Stop Savory Sauce is reminiscent of classic American steak sauces, but with a delightful tropical twist. Bananas and mangoes join the usual tamarind and raisins found in ordinary steak sauces, while nutmeg, allspice and thyme add a touch of Jamaican flair to the basic blend of spices and savory ingredients used in regular steak sauces. The end result is a multidimensional, food-friendly condiment that any steak, burger, roast, chop or other hearty meat would be proud to wear.

8. Dave's Insanity Ghost Pepper Salsa is the latest iteration of Insanity Salsa from Dave's Gourmet, and this time he's taken the heat to new levels of madness with the addition of ridiculously hot ghost peppers. If you are brave enough -- and have a sufficiently strong stomach -- to eat this super-hot salsa, you will be pleasantly surprised to discover that it actually tastes good and is not just about the burn, which builds slowly but steadily with every bite. Other than the heat level, it's a classic tomato salsa that pairs naturally with chips, tacos, nachos, burritos, enchiladas and everything else you like to dress up with hot salsa.

9. Ass Kickin' Habanero Mustard is a southwestern style mustard with a hefty habanero kick. Whole mustard seeds are ground together with horseradish for a powerful sinus-clearing punch, but don't worry, there's a touch of honey to soften the blow and bring everything together into a top-class zesty mustard for everyday use.

10. TIE Peppers Original Blue Crab Salsa and Key West Key Lime Salsa: One of my favorite salsas from a jar is the original Blue Crab Salsa from Peppers. It's a traditional tomato, pepper & onion salsa that's medium in heat and has real Maryland blue crab meat mixed in! Sounds weird? It isn't. It's phenomenally good if you like crab, and is wonderful straight from the jar, with chips, on nachos, in quesadillas or over seafood enchiladas, and even as an alternative to traditional tomato sauce for pasta. Another unusual but delectable salsa is Key West Key Lime Salsa, with a bright citrusy flavor from real Key lime juice. Zesty, sassy and lightly sweet with just the right amount of jalapeno heat, it's refreshing like a warm tropical breeze at the beach -- and it pairs beautifully with salty chips, chicken nachos and more.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Top 10 Best-Selling NC Products for 2013

As our company name suggests, North Carolina products have always been an important part of our business and we are proud to be able to offer a diverse selection of barbecue sauces, rubs, condiments and gifts from the Old North State. The following are the best-selling North Carolina products for all of last year at the Carolina Sauce Company:

1. Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce is not only our best-selling product made in NC, but it's also the best-selling barbecue sauce and top-selling product of all time across all categories at the Carolina Sauces online store. This is a thin and tangy vinegar BBQ sauce from the eastern part of NC, which means it's best enjoyed with pulled pork barbecue or as a marinade for chicken.

2. JohnBoy & Billy's Hot & Spicy Grillin' Sauce is a "hybrid" Carolina barbecue sauce in that it combines vinegar (eastern NC), tomatoes (western NC) and mustard (coastal & "down east" NC) with sugar, spices and hot peppers for a delightfully devilish and fantastically flavorful all-purpose grilling sauce for pork, beef, chicken, seafood or vegetables.

3. Bone Suckin' Rib Rub is made by the same folks who brought us the world-famous Bone Suckin' Sauce, and it features that familiar sweet, savory & sassy flavor profile that's bone-suckin' good. Pat it on roasts, loins, chops, butts, briskets, ribs, chicken, shrimp, and other meats, poultry or seafood, then smoke, grill, roast or bake. Or, sprinkle it on vegetables before or after cooking, or use it as a seasoning for popcorn, french fries, breakfast potatoes or other savory fare.

4. Wells All-Purpose Ribs & Chicken Sauce is the thicker, mellower, tomato-rich sibling of our best-selling NC sauce. Wells came up with this unique slathering and dipping sauce in response to requests from customers who wanted a more substantial sauce to enjoy with ribs, brisket, burgers, chicken, shrimp, and even french fries, onion rings, tater tots, fried seafood, jalapeno poppers, chicken strips and other similar finger food.

5. Bone Suckin' Sauce (original): This is North Carolina's best-known sauce, and it's sold in over 60 countries around the world. All-natural and gluten-free, it is full of tangy-sweet tomato-vinegar flavor with a touch of zippy spice. Made in the western NC aka Lexington style, it's just as good with pulled or chopped pork BBQ as it is with barbecue chicken, grilled shrimp and/or veggie kabobs, and other traditional grilled or smoked fare.

6. Bone Suckin' Mustard is a tangy, spicy and pleasantly sweet mustard with a perky, peppery kick. It's great for dipping, pouring, spreading, and slathering. Bone Suckin' Sweet Hot Mustard is especially nice with ham, ribs, sausages of all types including brats & kielbasa & hot dogs, and also with chips & pretzels, raw vegetables, chicken wings or strips, and anywhere or any way you'd use mustard.

7. JohnBoy & Billy's Original Grillin' Sauce: This is the original, milder version of our second-place sauce, with the same rich mustard-tomato-vinegar-spice flavor but without the heat of spicy chili peppers. Perfect for the whole family, with enough sass to satisfy bolder diners yet mellow enough for more sensitive palates. This is an excellent all-purpose barbecue & grilling sauce for marinating, basting, slathering, mopping, dipping or saucing at the table.

8. Bone Suckin' Thicker BBQ Sauce starts off with the same great-tasting recipe and wholesome, all-natural quality ingredients used in the original Bone Suckin' Sauce, but its thicker, more substantial body means that it will stick to ribs, wings, drumsticks, kabobs and other foods instead of running off like a thinner, more vinegary sauce. The thicker texture also makes it excellent as a burger condiment.

9. NC BBQ Sauce Gift Set, Mild: This very popular barbecue sauce gift comes with three of our most popular, mild North Carolina BBQ sauces including Wells Hog Heaven, the original Bone Suckin' Sauce, and the original JohnBoy & Billy's Grillin' Sauce (representing the distinct eastern, western and coastal Carolina barbecue sauce styles). The gift set also includes a package of meaty, high-protein Bone Suckin' Beef Jerky, made with real American beef that's seasoned with that famous Bone Suckin' flavor.

10. Jim's Own BBQ Sauces, Rubs & Gifts: Hailing from the Triangle area of NC, Jim's Own has been making award-winning barbecue sauces for over a decade, spanning traditional vinegar-tomato Lexington style sauces to tangy Mustard sauce and sweet & spicy Smokey sauce, plus a variety of zesty all-purpose seasoning rubs and a hearty, wholesome chili mix that takes the work out of making homemade chili. Jim's Own also sells gift baskets and gift sets featuring different selections of their products, as well as sturdy two-pocket grilling aprons and 100% cotton t-shirts emblazoned with Jim's Own eye-catching logo.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria