by T. Forbes
If your condiment collection in your fridge door is looking a little one-note, it’s time for an upgrade. From a Caribbean pepper sauce steeped in family tradition to an award-winning tamarind BBQ sauce, these four are an easy way to bring serious flavor to your next meal.
WIPS Yellow Scotch Bonnet
shopwips.com — $15.00
Woman- and minority-owned West Indies Peppa Sauce created this hot sauce based on generations of family recipe know-how. The Yellow Scotch Bonnet variety keeps things clean and bright, but while it has roughly habanero-level heat, the cucumber and vinegar keep it tangy rather than punishing. Drizzle it over just about everything or use it as a marinade base.
OohNami! Sweet Heat Mustard Sauce
oohnami.com — $15.99
Part of OohNami’s borderless, Asian-inspired sauce lineup, this one layers a sweet Thai chili base with hot Chinese mustard, soy, and roasted sesame oil for a sauce that hits sweet first and then delivers a sharp, nose-tingling pop. It gives a moderate, building heat rather than an instant blast. It’s the only vegan sauce in OohNami’s collection and doubles as a glaze for beef and pork or a dip for chips and veggies.
Tamarind Heads BBQ Sauce
tamarindheads.com — $12.99
Tamarind Heads already has the hardware to back up the hype; it won a Specialty Food Association sofi Award for Best BBQ Sauce in a blind taste test. Instead of the usual tomato-and-vinegar formula, their sauce is build on a tamarind base with just six ingredients (including red chili powder, organic brown sugar, and sesame oil), landing somewhere between tangy, smoky, and sweet with a gentle kick of heat.
Fresh Zen Foods Garlic Scallion Sauce
freshzenfoods.com — $15.00
A garlicky twist on classic ginger scallion sauce, this delicious sauce from Fresh Zen Foods adds an extra layer of savory depth to vegetables, noodles or your favorite protein. The founder grew up watching her parents make sauces from scratch in New York’s Chinatown, and that clean, homemade sensibility carries through here.