Latest news with #condiments
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
12 best hot sauces, tried and tested to spice up your life
Hot sauce is no longer just a simple heat booster. It's become a pantry staple, a gourmet condiment and, for many, a daily essential. Whether you're a casual splash-on-the-eggs kind of person or like to test the limits of your taste buds, there's never been a better time to explore what the hot sauce world has to offer. In this roundup, I've tested a variety of hot sauces, from cult favourites like Da Bomb Beyond Insanity – known for its intense heat – to more balanced and versatile classics like Cholula, sacrificing my own taste buds so you can find the best hot sauce to satisfy every mood. I've dug deep to find some more unique options too, including flavours like dill pickle and truffle. Each sauce was evaluated on spice level, taste, versatility, and packaging practicality. The best hot sauces add complexity to food without being overpowering, offering a perfect balance of heat and flavour that complements rather than masks your meal. Whether you want a mild everyday drizzle or a fiery challenge for your taste buds, this guide will help you find the perfect bottle to spice up your kitchen. How we tested To find the best hot sauces, I tracked down a mix of popular favourites and hidden gems, aiming to cover a range of heat levels and flavour profiles for every palate. I put each sauce through its paces, not just as a finishing touch, but as a key ingredient in cooking, too. From spicy noodles and stir-fries to grilled chicken and scrambled eggs, nearly every meal in recent months has been generously seasoned with one of these sauces. I focused on hot sauces that truly enhanced dishes without overwhelming them, while still delivering a satisfying kick worthy of the name. Beyond flavour and heat, I assessed the quality of ingredients, price points, and even packaging, because there's nothing worse than a slippery bottle causing a mild lunch to turn lethal. Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Every product featured in IndyBest reviews has been thoroughly tried and tested, with only the very best making the final cut. I focus on quality and value for money, so you can be confident you're getting real bang for your buck. Since 2023, I've been reviewing products for The Independent, covering everything from seasonal food favourites like the best hot cross buns to viral treats like pistachio chocolates. I'm passionate about clean, high-quality ingredients and love discovering unique flavours that stand out from the crowd. Above all, I only recommend genuinely delicious products. The best hot sauces for 2025 are:
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Soy sauce maker Foshan Haitian's shares gain 4.7% in Hong Kong debut
SYDNEY, June 19 (Reuters) - China's top soy sauce maker Foshan Haitian rose as much as 4.7% on Thursday on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after the company raised $1.3 billion in a listing. Foshan Haitian sold 279 million shares at HK$36.30 ($4.62) each, the top of the price range flagged to investors ahead of the book build last week. The shares climbed to as much as HK$38 early on Thursday, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI), opens new tab was down 0.36%. It is the most actively traded stock by turnover on the Hong Kong exchange on Thursday. Foshan Haitian increased the number of shares on sale during the book build due to strong demand from investors. The retail tranche of the deal was oversubscribed nearly 920 times while the institutional portion was 23 times covered, according to Foshan Haitian's regulatory filings. Foshan Haitian said it plans to use the proceeds from the listing to make new products and strengthen its overseas supply chain, among other initiatives. The company said it has maintained its position as China's largest condiment producer by volume for 27 consecutive years, with a market share twice that of its nearest competitor. Its soy sauce and oyster sauce products hold the top spot in market share, according to its prospectus. ($1 = 7.8497 Hong Kong dollars)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Soy sauce maker Foshan Haitian's shares gain 4.7% in Hong Kong debut
By Scott Murdoch and Donny Kwok SYDNEY (Reuters) -China's top soy sauce maker Foshan Haitian rose as much as 4.7% on Thursday on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after the company raised $1.3 billion in a listing. Foshan Haitian sold 279 million shares at HK$36.30 ($4.62) each, the top of the price range flagged to investors ahead of the book build last week. The shares climbed to as much as HK$38 early on Thursday, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was down 0.36%. It is the most actively traded stock by turnover on the Hong Kong exchange on Thursday. Foshan Haitian increased the number of shares on sale during the book build due to strong demand from investors. The retail tranche of the deal was oversubscribed nearly 920 times while the institutional portion was 23 times covered, according to Foshan Haitian's regulatory filings. Foshan Haitian said it plans to use the proceeds from the listing to make new products and strengthen its overseas supply chain, among other initiatives. The company said it has maintained its position as China's largest condiment producer by volume for 27 consecutive years, with a market share twice that of its nearest competitor. Its soy sauce and oyster sauce products hold the top spot in market share, according to its prospectus. ($1 = 7.8497 Hong Kong dollars)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
I compared Heinz mayo with supermarket versions (my favourite might surprise you)
Condiments are a great addition to many dishes, and choosing which one to pair with your food can take a second or two, but for me, mayonnaise is usually a good option. Whether I'm having a burger and chips or enjoying a salad, I find myself reaching for the mayo, and sometimes I'll be a little bit more adventurous and have an extra sauce with it too. As someone who doesn't like spicy food, mayo has been the solution when I've needed something to cool it down. While I always find myself reaching for cheaper mayo, specifically Aldi's own brand, I thought it would be interesting to see if I am missing out on anything by not paying for the usually more expensive big-name brands. I compared four different mayonnaises (Image: Newsquest) The prices and bottle sizes are accurate at the time of writing, but may change. First of all, I gave Hellmann's mayonnaise a try. It was one my family had in the cupboard, but it can be bought in Aldi for £2.49 for a 430ml bottle. My first thoughts were that the bottle was difficult to squeeze, and it takes a bit of time to actually get some mayo on your plate. The flavour was quite strong and I'd say it had a bit of a sharpness to it, which isn't really what I'm looking for when eating mayonnaise. It's not one of my favourites – you can see my overall thoughts below. Next up was Sainsbury's own brand, and my first impression was poor since the mayonnaise seemed to be separated in the bottle. I decided to give the bottle a shake, but when it didn't make things any better, I thought I needed to give it a real chance and do the taste test. The taste of this mayonnaise reminded me of the one that is sometimes offered at takeaways or at takeaway trucks. While it tasted a bit like salad cream (weird, I know), this mayonnaise had a strong flavour but was nicer than the Hellmann's version. It was easy to squeeze out of the bottle too, so that's a bonus! I then tried Heinz mayonnaise, which was on offer with a Nectar card, so the £2.20 bottle cost £1.10 instead. This mayonnaise had quite a sharp taste, and I'd even say it got the tastebuds tingling, which I'm not sure I want when opting for a bit of mayo. The Heinz bottle felt like it was made from a thicker plastic, but easy to squeeze, and I was surprised to see the mayonnaise comes out from a smaller opening, so it may take you longer to get the desired amount of mayo. Thinking about it, this is probably not the worst idea since we've probably all had a sauce explosion and ruined our dinner at some point. At the same price as Sainsbury's, this Aldi mayonnaise has a much more subtle flavour than the rest, but it does the job – when I want mayo, this is the kind of mayo I'm looking for. Aldi's mayonnaise did have some flavour, of course, and it was to my taste. The bottle was decent enough too, and easy to get out of the bottle. Recommended reading: I compared Heinz tomato sauce with supermarket versions (this is the one to avoid) Co-op offers members 25 per cent off their shop after cyber attack - how to claim 'Amazing' Cadbury chocolate bar is 'closest you'll get' to discontinued treat Which mayonnaise won the taste test? My favourite mayonnaise still remains as Aldi after the taste test since it does the job for me. I wouldn't be against having any of the others again, but none of them wowed me enough to make me permanently change from my usual Aldi mayo. Having said that, if I wanted a mayo with a bit more flavour, Sainsbury's would be my pick.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Molly Baz's Ayoh! Sauces Enter Whole Foods Market For Its First National Retail Partner
Ayoh! Foods cofounder chef Molly Baz Ayoh! Foods Seven short months of globbing onto countless sandwiches, and now one of the most notable CPG launches of the past year is making its strongest squeeze yet. Ayoh! Foods, the flavor-focused condiment company from chef Molly Baz, enters Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. '[Ayoh!] is a colossal project,' Baz tells me. 'I am so grateful that people are chasing the product, recognizing its quality, and helping us get there so quickly.' Ayoh! Foods also reveals that it has raised a $4.5 million seed round, $3.3 million of which is new cash, led by Imaginary Ventures. In addition to its Dill Pickle, Hot Giardinayo and Tango Dijonayo varieties, Ayoh! will launch its flavored products on Whole Foods shelves with an exclusive flavor to the natural grocer, a brand new umami-rich flavor. 'I saw a white space in the marketplace,' Baz adds. 'I am committed to solving problems in the food industry and delivering deliciousness at all costs.' Molly Baz Ayoh! Foods Sandwich Shop To Countertop Jeff Mauro better make some room on the throne, because Baz keeps a close eye on each and every sandwich accoutrement possible. The venture for her particularly started during the pandemic. 'I became very sandwich obsessed,' she says. On her social media accounts, she's practically made condiments her entire personality, even starting a sandwich podcast where she would dissect the necessary minutia of the likes of tuna melts, BLTs and PB&Js. Ayoh! Hot Giardinayo sando sauce Ayoh! Foods From a Philly cheesesteak to a Chicago hoagie to a reuben at a New York deli, there's personal pride in each corner of the country that makes people feel at home with their sandwich of choice. Ayoh! capitalizes on that. 'I'm a huge fan of Chicago style giardiniera,' Baz says about her inspiration behind her punchy pepper Hot Giardinayo sauce. 'When I stir this giardiniera into the mayo, all of a sudden the mayo becomes so much more dynamic.' Ayoh! is a practical extension of those beloved staples. 'We're really trying to bring that sandwich shop to countertop moment at home,' says Ayoh! Foods cofounder and CEO David McCormick. That intention that the brand was founded on is working in real time. Baz has found that Ayoh! customers are not only using it in their homemade sandwiches, but they're bringing their deli-bought sandwiches home so that they can specifically squeeze Ayoh! onto it. 'For me,' she says, 'that's the ultimate success story of Ayoh!' Not Just Another Celebrity Brand Her pulsecheck that there was a vacuum specifically in 'dialed up, super bold-flavored, textured sando sauces,' as Baz puts it, seems to have been accurate, because consumers from the coasts to middle America are making it a staple in their homes. 'We sold out four months worth of inventory in two weeks,' says McCormick. 'It was almost 100,000 pounds of Mayo.' More than 170,000 bottles of Ayoh! have been sold since launch. Ayoh! Tangy Dijonayo sando sauce Ayoh! Foods And Ayoh! has proven that it's not some coastal craze. 'Early indicators when we launched showed there's plenty of momentum in the Midwest…that's really important to us,' McCormick says. 'We'll win the day if we can actually be just as popular in Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee. The great thing is there's a lot of affinity for mayo throughout the US.' That's something rarely seen in celebrity brands, but Baz and McCormick have managed to unlock genuine authenticity. 'Nobody sat down in a room and looked at categories and thought about the gaps…Molly was like, 'some people I know make boring sandwiches.' It's just that easy.' Ayoh's timely resonance also allowed the brand to raise a relatively quick seed round, the capital of which will go towards expanding the Ayoh! team, broadening brand presence, and facilitating wider distribution. '[Imaginary Ventures has] Flavor And Format While Ayoh! sells an original mayo, it will not be present on Whole Foods shelves, which already has a substantial assortment of original mayos. The flavors are at the core of the brand, and as Whole Foods Market's category merchant for shelf-stable condiments Juliana Bandin tells me, the retailer does not see any direct competitors. 'It fills a need for our shelves,' she says. [Flavored mayo] 'We are seeing double-digit growth since our most recent reset in March,' she adds. 'Brand launches like Ayoh! are going to help us continue the momentum.' That momentum includes a brand new flavor in the Ayoh! lineup, which Baz calls a sweet and salty 'umami bomb.' It will be exclusive to Whole Foods through September. Ayoh! Dill Pickle Mayo sando sauce Ayoh! Foods Between the squeezable, convenient format and flavors like Dill Pickle, Baz and McCormick have created a product that glides with the pace of culture. '[The Dill Pickle flavor] has this paradoxical moment of something that's so funky and strange, but also so certainly has clout and its own cult following,' McCormick says. 'We don't take ourselves too seriously.' Whole Foods Market has a keen finger on that same pulse, and it resonated with the grocer too–format now becoming a priority for the products they start to carry. 'I don't think the jar would have done it justice,' Bandin says. '[Whole Foods is] seeing growth substantially in dipping sauces…Going forward, that's going to be really big, but again that is for squeeze bottles. It all kind of ties back together to that same trend' Ayoh!'s presence thus far has been limited to d2c, Amazon, and several hundred independent grocers. 'D2C has been tremendous,' McCormick says. 'We sold out four months worth of inventory in two weeks. It was almost 100,000 pounds of mayo…people will buy mayo online, much to my surprise,' McCormick says. The strategy here was to first activate Baz's fanbase before those who may not know her would discover it during a grocery outing. It's a homecoming of sorts for McCormick as well; he started his career at Whole Foods at the store level and worked his way up to become Grocery Director in the Rocky Mountain region. 'I couldn't think of a more meaningful, fun place to bring that completely full circle,' he says. He and Baz even met through a mutual friend from Whole Foods before starting Ayoh! together. The line of sando sauces is just the first of many that Ayoh! plans to penetrate the breadth of grocery stores with. 'Right now, Ayoh! is synonymous with our mayonnaises, but I think that there's a really bright, big ecosystem of food products that we build,' Baz says. 'I'm hoping that Ayoh's future looks like Heinz or Kraft Foods.'
