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Please welcome Ethan to the HSB with his first review! Nando’s eXtra Hot has been my favorite Nando’s sauce for quite some time (with the exception of the limited edition Bottled Fire) and I’m glad to see someone new enjoyed the sauce as well. Welcome to the HSB Ethan!
I’ll admit it: I’m not a fan of peri-peri peppers. I’ve tried various peri-peri sauces, and have even grown a few varieties of bird’s-eye peppers in my own garden. While the peri-peri’s heat may compare to some habanero pods, I just don’t like the flavor as much. To make things worse, peri-peri sauces taste “mustardy” and I don’t like mustard.
So why did I pick Nando’s eXtra-hot Peri-peri Sauce for my first review? For starters, I didn’t want to kick things off by reviewing a sauce that I already loved (or hated). I wanted to try something fresh and new. Second, while I had sampled some of Nando’s products before, I had never really given them a fair try. I wanted to cook a meal specifically aimed at this sauce and give it every chance to shine. I flipped through some cooking magazines and found an easy recipe simply titled “Grilled Fish.” Someone worked long and hard on that one. But the recipe sounded like the perfect opportunity to crack open a new bottle of Nando’s and dig in.
Ingredients: Water, Vinegar, Salt, Lemon Puree, Serrano Peppers, Onion Puree, African Bird’s Eye Peppers (Peri-peri Peppers), Sunflower Oil, Cayenne Pepper, Xanthan Gum, Paprika, Garlic, Propylene Glycol Alginate
The Nando’s packaging looks first-rate, with a clean label and nice fonts. I’m not so sure it would stand out on a grocery store shelf, but it’s not gimmicky which earns it a few points in my book. The sauce itself has a very nice consistency, pouring easily and staying put on the food. Bits of peppers, seeds, and other ingredients are clearly visible giving the sauce a very pleasing appearance. It smells absolutely delicious, almost begging me to drink straight from the bottle! On the HSB heat scale, I’d call this a 5: a nice, comfortable medium. The flavors blended well with the lime juice and onions on the fish. Rather than overpower or ruin the flavor of the fish, the sauce improved it. This sauce is sweet, with a hint of lemon and garlic. Just like the label implies, Nando’s Peri-peri sauces definitely go best on chicken and fish. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this a “Specific Application Sauce,” but I don’t see myself getting too adventurous with it.
Overall, I like it more than I like the other peri-peri sauces I’ve tried, but that’s not saying much. I won’t be eating it straight from the bottle (although the aroma tempts me!) but I’ll probably break it open again the next time I grill. If you’re like me and prefer the flavors of other pepper varieties I don’t think you’ll miss much by skipping this one, but if you like peri-peri peppers this is definitely a sauce worth trying.
Imported By: Nando’s Chickenland, Inc
1041 West 18th Street
Suite A205
Costa Mesa CA 92627
800.625.2657
Chilehead Comments:
Posted by: Ethan - Categories: Uncategorized
Permalink: Review: Nando’s eXtra-hot Peri-peri Sauce
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14 Comments »
Nice review Ethan! Welcome aboard!!!
There are so many great Nandos’ sauces! Plus Clive is soooooooo……wait, I’ll shut up. lol
Nice first review Ethan!
Nice job Ethan!
Welcome Ethan, thank you for the review!
nice review. very nice.
This sauce is sweet, with a hint of lemon and garlic
Lemon, that’s all she wrote for me on this one. that’s the only detractor I’ve found with the Nando’s products, all the one’s Ive tried have that distinct lemon flavor. Just doesn’t sit well with my pallette. Guess this one’s not for me. I’m sure it’s a great sauce otherwise, nando’s products were highly recommended to me by several people, I just can’t handle the lemon in it.
Nice review Ethan. Thanks for mentioning the “hint of lemon”, you saved me another disappointment.
We agree - great review with lots of good info. Has anyone tried any of the Galito’s peri peri sauces? We love them but would like to know how they compare with Nando’s. We don’t have Nando’s north of the border.
Dave and Anna on 7/23/2007 at 6:28 pm said:
We agree - great review with lots of good info. Has anyone tried any of the Galito’s peri peri sauces? We love them but would like to know how they compare with Nando’s. We don’t have Nando’s north of the border.
I haven’t tried Galito’s, but I know you can get the Hatari Bros. peri-peri sauce from Uncle Big. Similar flavor, but not quite as sweet.
Dave and Anna on 7/23/2007 at 6:28 pm said:
We agree - great review with lots of good info. Has anyone tried any of the Galito’s peri peri sauces? We love them but would like to know how they compare with Nando’s. We don’t have Nando’s north of the border.
Nando’s is available at Sobey’s out west.
Ethan said: “Overall, I like it more than I like the other peri-peri sauces I’ve tried, but that’s not saying much.”
I think you’ve been trying the wrong Peri Peri sauces buddy. Hatari’s entire line of Peri Peri sauces are the best in Canada (award winning), and honestly some of the best I’ve tasted from around the world.
Nando’s is very well marketed and they have great visibility, which makes people think they are the go to Peri Peri sauce. Kind of like Tabasco in that regard.
Nando’s is good, don’t get me wrong, some of customers are huge fans, but the line is not a personal favorite of mine. I’m not trying to hate on Nando’s here, it’s just not my cup of tea.
I had a bad experience with their Garlic Peri Peri it, well, it made me sick to my pants. Rancid bottle I find out later. Having never tried it before, I didn’t know what it should smell and taste like. So I’m jaded.
So Ethan, if you’d like to try the Hatari line, let me know. We’ll hook you up.
Dave and Anna on 7/23/2007 at 6:28 pm said:
We agree - great review with lots of good info. Has anyone tried any of the Galito’s peri peri sauces? We love them but would like to know how they compare with Nando’s. We don’t have Nando’s north of the border.
Like Uncle Big Said they have them in Sobey here in Ontario as well, the most at the Park Lawn Store, oh and Big, your sauce is a killer 
Sporto on 7/23/2007 at 7:35 pm said:
Like Uncle Big Said they have them in Sobey here in Ontario as well, the most at the Park Lawn Store, oh and Big, your sauce is a killer
I didn’t know for sure if Nando’s was out east as well, good to know.
My sauce? Killer? The heck you say!! I’m glad you like it.
For our fans in Canada, we will ship products to Canada for you to enjoy. Contact me at michele@nandosperiperi.com and I will arrange for you to get your fill of your favorite Nando’s sauce.
I apologize for the experience you had with your first taste of Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce. Please email me your address and phone number so I can send you out a few bottles of Nando’s Peri Peri sauce free of charge. We would love the opportunity to change your mind and hopefully win you as a fan of Nando’s.
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I love using this stuff to make a pizza 1/2 Nando’s 1/2 pizza Sauce