Datil Pepper BBQ Sauce, by Dat’s Nice
After last week’s break to check out a totally different product, I’m back to reviewing items from the Dat’s Nice lineup that comes straight out of St. Augustine, Florida. As you’ll recall from previous reviews, Dat’s Nice makes datil-themed products, meaning they’re typically working with habanero-esque levels of heat. So far, it seems like these peppers are flexible little guys, and work well in a wide variety of peppery situations and products. Hopefully, that trend continues for the subject of tonight’s review, where we will look at Dat’s Nice’s BBQ Sauce.
Todd Wilbur’s Top Secret Recipes – Hell Flakes
May is a really busy month for me, what with finals, inputting grades, and attending various awards ceremonies and two(!) separate graduations. Every. Single. Year. That’s why it’s nice to take some time to shake things up with a new product. If you’ve been following the Fiery Friday column, you’ll know that I’ve been focusing on a particular line of hot sauces. Not tonight! For this review, I’m switching gears and checking out a spice blend, something I have not done in a while. This particular blend is called Hell Flakes, and I’m always amused when I come across a product whose name references that eternal inferno. Sadly, most don’t live up to the namesake (unless we’re asking Dante Alighieri), but I’m hoping that this product succeeds in sending me to Hell.
Dat’s Nice – St. Augustine Datil Pepper Mango Salsa
While I can’t say that I can think of any salsa that represents Florida on its own, the idea of a mango salsa based on the Datil Chile Pepper certainly comes quite close. With Florida’s proximity and influences from the various Caribbean isles, the use of mangoes seems like it would have a natural pathway in to the cuisine. The Datil chile, for those that are not aware, are grown extensively in Florida, and as far as flavor goes, they are close to the habanero, but have a flavor described more as fruity and sweet than the habanero, which is known more for it’s citrus-like flavor. Bringing that in to work with the mango could work well, and while I don’t have many assumptions at this point, I do like where the labeling is going, as there is an overwater dock with several bay-side type businesses, ranging from a fish and tackle shop, to various seafood eateries, and of course, and place to get a cold beer. They even keep it fairly humble, but confident, quoting that “It’s not the original… It’s not world famous… It’s just awesome!!!”. Hopefully at the end of this I’ll be able to call this a wonderful addition to some seafood, and then wander off with the jar to get some fish and drink a few cold ones.
Palmetto Pepper Potions- Daily Red
I have had many trips to the Palmetto state; you may know it as South Carolina. If anyone is wondering South Carolina got the nickname the Palmetto State, it’s because it refers to the state tree the Sabal Palmetto. Anyway, I was actually born in Charleston. I visited the city and the state on many occasions. This of course was way before my spicy beginnings. My wife and I noticed, on our last trip there in January, that it had been 11-12 years since we last visited. Since I felt like the city had changed I was hoping to find a nice spicy sauce. I happen to notice this particular sauce in many of the locations I walked into. Although I passed on it initially, this sauce did catch my eye.
