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Is there a quintessential Italian hot sauce?

Seasoned Advice Asked on November 3, 2021

Fill in the blank: Franks is to America what Cholula is to Mexico what Sriracha is to Vietnam what ______ is to Italy.

One of my recipes which is a spin on Orichiette with Rapini, calls for hot sauce. I usually use Sriracha since it tastes good but I do find it’s a clash of flavors sometimes. I’d like to replace it with an alternative that’s representative of Italy. I have no experience with Italian hot sauces, what are the popular ones?

I know "sauce" has an additional meaning when it comes to Italian cuisine: I’m not looking for arrabiata or red sauce or anything like that. I mean something that comes in a bottle, perhaps crushed peppers and chilis with vinegar.

3 Answers

I have family both in the very north and the very south of Italy.

In the north, spicy food is not super common but there is usually a jar of dried chilies in olive oil somewhere in the kitchen and they are available in restaurants.

In the south there is always either fresh/dried/in-olive-oil/powdered chilies on the table (at home and in restaurants).

But I don't recall seeing a bottle of "hot sauce" anywhere (except maybe some tabasco).

Answered by ThePainfull on November 3, 2021

Bottled hot sauce is not much in demand in Italy. I'm in central Italy, but I think in the south where spicy food is popular, chili is added fresh or dried to a dish rather than through a bottled sauce. I did find one example from Delizie di Calabria which is a common brand: http://www.deliziedicalabria.it/notizie/145-nd-sauce-la-salsa-piccante-senza-compromessi but I wouldn't call it typical. In my local supermarket (Tuscany) the only hot sauce available is Tabasco! Again, I welcome anyone from the south to correct me if I'm mistaken, but hot sauce is definitely not a thing here.Sauce shelf, Carrefour Market, Lucca

Answered by S. Tollefsen on November 3, 2021

The only one I know of is the Calabrese Spread/Sauce.

Whenever I see spicy food in Italy they mostly use hot chili.

Other than that, oil flavored with spicy chili.

Answered by Max on November 3, 2021

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