Is there a quintessential Italian hot sauce?
Seasoned Advice Asked by gator on January 17, 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
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.
Correct answer by S. Tollefsen on January 17, 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 January 17, 2021
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 January 17, 2021
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