Ghost peppers (otherwise known as Bhut Jolokia or Naga Jolokia) are some of the hottest peppers in the world. And a ghost pepper hot sauce? Well you can bet that’s going to follow suit. They are popular choices for their intense heat, but underlying that is a pretty flavorful pepper. So you may be picking up a bottle of ghost pepper hot sauce on a dare (or as a collector’s item), just don’t be surprised if you start using it more than you imagined. Remember, though, a little goes a long way when it comes to these extreme hot sauces. Approach with respect and dilute in foods as necessary.
Below are five of the best options you’ll find out there. Each has a distinction all its own and a load of positive reviews. Check them out.
Dave’s Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce
A mega-popular choice from one of the biggest brands in the market
Dave’s makes some of the absolute best hot sauces on the market, and its gourmet ghost pepper sauce is definitely no exception to this rule. It’s of course insanely hot. Again, not for the timid is any ghost pepper hot sauce. There’s a really tasty tang to this sauce that’s the precursor to intensity of the ghost kicking in. Think of it like the tang you’d get from a habanero pepper. It’s a rather slow heat – meaning it’ll start off as all is ok, and then build over time. So know that going in. Just a dab of Dave’s concoction is enough.
Mad Dog 357 Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
The ghost mixing with some of its neighbors.
Mad Dog 357’s ghost pepper sauce of course has the Bhut Jolokia as the star, but it’s got some supporting chilies in there too, notably the habanero and the piri-piri (malagueta) pepper. And that definitely adds some complexity to this vinegar-based mix. There’s a sweetness to this hot pepper sauce, nearly like a barbecue flavor. But again, that sweetness contains an incredible bite. This is a Mad Dog concoction after all.
Melinda’s Naga Jolokia
A tasty mix with fruits from South America and the Caribbean.
There’s definitely an island flavor that comes along with this popular Melinda’s hot sauce. It contains, not only the spicy ghost pepper, but papaya, passion fruit, and lime juice – giving it a distinct taste, almost like something you’d expect from a Scotch bonnet pepper. And there’s a surprise in here too. Carrot is one of the ingredients which adds a subtle earthy flavor to the recipe.
The Ghost Hot Sauce
A bit of a collector’s hot sauce playing on the name.
You like how “ghost pepper” sounds just as much as you like the taste? Then you’ll definitely love this label that plays up the cool factor of this pepper name. It’s a great choice to showcase among a hot sauce collection. It, too, uses papaya, passion fruit, and carrots as ingredients to the sauce, giving it a fruity sweetness and tang. Very tasty.
Tropical Pepper Company Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce
Slightly less hot than the rest.
If you’re a little scared off by the potential near 1 million Scoville unit power of the ghost pepper, but you still want to give it a go, the Tropical Pepper Company’s option is a good fit. It’s not quite as hot as Dave’s ghost pepper hot sauce, but please remember – it’s still very, very hot. This is not the family-friendly Tabasco we are talking about here. And the taste is still exceptional.
Honestly, I’ve not tried them all. I have several bottles of Tropical Pepper Company Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce however. It is excellent. Super hot, but still manageable in small doses with an excellent fruity flavor reminiscent of Tabasco due to the vinegar content. MUCH hotter though.