On Feb 18, 6:36 pm, Chemiker > wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:19:32 -0500, Tracy > wrote:
> >bulka wrote:
> >> On Feb 18, 1:04 pm, "Lisa Ann" > wrote:
>
> >>> Lots of Frank's Hot Sauce
> >>> Lots of Tabasco Sauce
>
> >> Hmm. Frank's AND Tabasco? I thought hot sauces were mostly
> >> interchangable. I take that back. I used to like Sriracha, until
> >> just now when I looked at the ingredients of a big new bottle.
> >> Yikes. Guess I'm back to a simple vinegar/pepper like Louisiana.
>
> >> Bulka
>
> >Frank's and Tabasco are definitely not the same. To me - Frank's has a
> >vinegary taste along with the heat. Tabasco is just heat. IMHO.
>
> Um, I thought this was common knowledge. Tabasco is fermented
> like Polish pickles; the acid a derived from malo-lactic fermentation,
> not vinegar. Most cayenne sauces are macerations of pepper in vinegar,
> hence their "vinegary" taste. Two different breeds of cat. THe Tabasco
> plant is in my neighborhood (about a 2 hour drive). They pack the
> pepper mash in oak barrels with salt (Avery Island is NOT an offshore
> Island. It is a hill over a salt dome. At one time they mined their
> own salt to ferment the peppers. :Like Kim-chi"). Other cayenne
> sauces are simply flavored vinegar. If you can handle it, you will
> find that Tabasco has a wonderful flavor, and is not just "heat".
>
> HTH,
>
> Alex
>
> BTW: Hot sauces like Cholula and TapaTio do not use the same
> peppers as the Louisiana sauces, hence they go better with
> Mexican food, while the Louisiana types... well, you get the picture.

Cool. I really had no idea. I'll do some taste-testing and
researachg. Thank you.

B