Crystal Hot Sauce Louisiana's Pure Hot Sauce - 12 oz (Pack of 3)

I first tried a few drops of this cheap, supermarket hot sauce on some fried eggs. Wow. I thought I was eating the freshest, most savory eggs I'd ever tried. Nope, it turns out that's just the hot sauce-- the eggs were pretty ordinary without it.Suddenly I understood why every single restaurant, bar, food stand, and takeout window in New Orleans has a bottle of this generic-looking stuff right next to the salt and pepper. And people down there put it on EVERYTHING. Eggs, sandwiches, barbecue, burgers, soup, seafood, fried food, pizza, you name it.Which brings us to the sauce itself, which is quite different from your Sriracha or your Frank's or Tabasco or Cholula or your colorfully-named super-hot artisanal sauce. First off, Crystal has only three ingredients: Aged Cayenne Peppers, Vinegar, and Salt. The flavor of the sauce is really just the bright, ripe, lively flavor of pureed cayenne peppers, with a little extra zing and richness from the vinegar and salt. The heat is pretty mild, and the flavor is much more subtle than most familiar hot-sauce brands.I sometimes find myself using Crystal for it's flavor-enhancement, and then using some other hot sauce for more intensity of heat.It's hard to describe exactly what Crystal does to savory foods. It plays a role kind of similar to black pepper, just bringing a depth, ripeness, and complexity, with a little bit of intensity. Maybe it's easier to describe what it doesn't do:- It doesn't make everything taste like Buffalo Wings (Frank's, Texas Pete).- It does NOT taste like hot and spicy vinegar (Tabasco, Louisiana's more-famous but inferior ambassador)- It does not have the garlicky, dominating, flavor-hijacking intensity of Sriracha.- It does not taste anything at all like ketchup. No sweet and pasty flavor.Everyone owes it to themselves to try this sauce at least once, especially on fried eggs. Even if you don't like spicy foods.

I have a collection of around 40-50 hot sauces. I love trying new flavors and different variations on timeless recipes.I had somehow never tried Crystal until I ordered it recently-- and I can now say this is easily one of my favorite hot sauces. It's very similar to a Franks Red Hot or other Louisiana style hot sauces-- but there's something about the pepper blend in here that's amazing. I would definitely recommend.I got the three bottle package last week and I'm already most of the way through one of the bottles. I've had it (and shared it) on chicken, pizza, eggs and hash browns, and even put some in a salad to spice it up a little. Give it a try!

Very cheap for what you get so definite five-star value. I was a bit worried ordering hot sauce in glass bottles after reading the reviews about bad packing jobs causing the item to break. However, for my package, it was one of the best packing jobs I've seen and they came in pristine condition!

very good sauce, but it was a leaky when I received the package. Next time, I would just go look for it at the store.

I grew up in the Florida panhandle, where this sauce rules. Wouldn't think of putting anything else on a fresh oyster. Not too hot and packed with flavor. Alas, now that I'm a New Englander, I have to order it via mail, where it's quite a bit more expensive than it is at the Piggly Wiggly or Winn Dixie:)

It's the best Louisiana style hot sauce I've ever tasted. And I've tried most of them. If you want authentic Louisiana style flavor for your dishes, give this one a try.

The items came quickly, and were well packaged. The sauce is delicious. However, two of the three bottles are covered in sticky residue and the labels have moisture damage. Appears they may have been part of a case with a broken bottle. Very disappointed given these were supposed to be new. I had planned to give as gifts, but that is out now. I wouldn't even want to put them on a table during a meal.

I've never liked hot sauce, it always seemed bitter to me. However, last week while at my nephew's, he cooked some shredded pork and said I should try it and boy oh boy, a new fan was born! I just ordered 3 bottles and will keep ordering!!