Ingredients: Filtered Water, Cilantro, Apple Cider Vinegar, Habanero Peppers, Salt, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Ginger, Olive Oil, Garlic Powder, Xanthan Gum
Label: “I had to drink my grandma under the table to nab this one. A 1/5 of tequilla later, this cilantro habanero sauce is finally mine. Thanks Saphta. Be creative and try it on everything. GB.”
Appearance: Beautiful color! The bits of cilantro stand out well in this sauce. This sauce would look great when plating a nice cut of fish or chicken – the green certainly stands out nicely against a white plate!
Smell: Very lemony. There’s a light touch of cilantro and quite a bit of hab smell, but the lemon overwhelms it. The vinegar doesn’t really come through at all.
Taste: This sauce has a really good citrus flavor, though it seems a bit strong at first. The hab flavor works wonderfully well as a counterpoint with the lighter citrus/cilantro. The lemon is the first thing you taste, followed quickly by a bit of smoke from the hab. The full hab flavor catches up with you by the fourth bite or so, and it sticks with you long after the citrus fades, probably about 15 minutes or so. The vinegar doesn’t really play a role, probably because of the tartness of the lemon.
After trying it on the requisite Wheat Thin, I decided that the fruity flavor would do wonders for a nice fish fillet. Luckily, I had picked up some tilapia fillets on my way home! I broiled a couple of the fillets, and enjoyed buttered rice (to help cleanse the palate between bites). A perfect pairing!
Conclusion: Green Bandit Cilantro Habanero is a wonderful hot sauce! The fire isn’t too hot for noobs to enjoy; well-weathered Chiliheads may want to augment it a bit with an additive (hab powder, maybe?) The subtleness of the habanero in this sauce sets it apart from the others. This sauce works wonderfully with fish, and would most likely accent chicken and/or pork well, too. Give a high-five to Saphta for me, GB!
4.5 out of 5