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The Snack Attack: El Yucateco Might Just End Your Quest For The Perfect Hot Sauce [TASTE TEST]

I am always on the quest for the perfect hot sauce. So many people stop with Tabasco and Frank's without realizing there's a whole unexplored world of hot sauces out there. Nothing against those brands, I just like a little more variety -- and heat -- in my life. 

Enter El Yucateco. Available nationwide at select Walmart and Target stores (as well as Amazon.com), El Yucateco offers seven different types of hot sauces that are perfect for all types of food.

A representative offered to send me some samples of El Yucateco's "spicy goodness" and it was an offer I just couldn't pass up. I had never heard of El Yucateco before and now it is something that will ALWAYS be in my household. And I'm not just saying that, I truly mean it.

From mild to wild, the variety of flavors and degrees of spiciness are incredible. El Yucateco isn't like other sauces that burn your mouth and leave no flavor behind. You can really taste the peppers and spices in each sauce. Not a huge fan of spicy foods? They have a sauce for you. Have an iron tongue that seems to withstand any amount of heat? Yes, they have a sauce for you, too -- and one for everyone else in between.

I suggest you try one, or all seven, of these sauces and who knows, maybe you'll find that El Yucateco is the one hot sauce you can't live without.

El Yucateco Jalapeno Sauce

El Yucateco Jalapeno Sauce
El Yucateco Jalapeno Sauce (Credit: CBSDetroit.com)

-- 1,270 on the Scoville Scale
Made from fresh green jalapeno peppers, this is a milder sauce that is great for those who don't eat a lot of spicy foods

If you like putting jalapenos on everything but hate cutting them up or think the pickled peppers that come in a jar aren't spicy enough, then you need this hot sauce. Or maybe you like the flavor of jalapeno but don't like the texture and crunchiness of a pepper -- this sauce is perfect. It tastes like freshly sliced jalapenos without all the fuss of preparing them.

El Yucateco Chipotle Sauce

El Yucateco Chipotle Sauce
El Yucateco Chipotle Sauce (Credit: CBSDetroit.com)

-- 3,400 on the Scoville Scale
Made from naturally smoked chipotle peppers to produce a sour-sweet and smoky flavor

I always say that chipotle reminds me of a Mexican barbecue sauce, and that's kind of the best way to summarize this sauce. It's slightly sweet and tangy with the smoky richness of chipotle peppers -- which are smoke-dried jalapenos -- and just the right amount of spice.

El Yucateco Caribbean Habanero Sauce

El Yucateco Caribbean Habanero Sauce
El Yucateco Caribbean Habanero Sauce (Credit: CBSDetroit.com)

-- 5,400 on the Scoville Scale
A blend of yellow habanero peppers and fresh carrots, this sauce is slightly sweet and carries a mild heat

This sauce is the best of both worlds, spicy and sweet. It's not so much about the heat as it is the flavor with this sauce. And the taste is authentic -- it's just like the kind I had in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The fruity notes of carrots and habaneros blend perfectly with island spices to create a complex flavor profile like no other.

El Yucateco Red Chile Habanero Sauce

El Yucateco Red ChilieHabanero Sauce
El Yucateco Red Chile Habanero Sauce (Credit: CBSDetroit.com)

-- 5,790 on the Scoville Scale
This award-winning flavor is a mix of fresh red habanero peppers, tomatoes and select spices and seasonings

This might sound a little confusing but roll with me here -- this sauce has the flavor of habanero peppers without all the spiciness of a fresh habanero pepper. It kind of tastes the way a habanero pepper smells. Hopefully you know what I mean. This sauce tastes amazing on tacos and can turn an ordinary spaghetti dinner into a fiesta on a plate.

El Yucateco Green Chile Habanero Sauce

El Yucateco Green Chile Habanero Sauce
El Yucateco Green Chile Habanero Sauce (Credit: CBSDetroit.com)

-- 9,000 on the Scoville Scale
Made with fresh green habanero peppers, garlic and select spices, this special mix of ingredients give a homey and fresh flavor to dishes

I always assumed green habanero peppers weren't as spicy as the red ones but boy was I wrong. This green chile sauce is hot, hot, hot -- but not enough to stop you from coming back for more. The flavors are so fresh, it's like these peppers were picked, sauced and delivered to my door all one same day.

El Yucateco Black Label Reserve Habanero Sauce

El Yucateco Black Label Reserve Habanero Sauce
El Yucateco Black Label Reserve Habanero Sauce (Credit: CBSDetroit.com)

-- 9,285 on the Scoville Scale
A dark, smoky habanero sauce with a medium heat level and a uniquely deep smoky flavor

I never thought of marinating a steak in hot sauce...until now. The deep, roasted flavor of the habanero pepper in this sauce pairs perfectly with beef. This Black Label definitely belongs next to A1 in your refrigerator. It can also take an ordinary Taco Tuesday and make it feel like you're eating tacos from a street cart along the beach.

El Yucateco XXX Hot Kutbil-ik Habanero Sauce

El Yucateco XXX Hot Kutbil-ik Habanero Sauce
El Yucateco XXX Hot Kutbil-ik Habanero Sauce (Credit: CBSDetroit.com)

-- 11,600 on the Scoville Scale
A rescued recipe from the culinary customs of the Mayan civilization, "Kutbil-ik" means "Crushed chili"

Holy hotness. This sauce is unlike any other I've ever tasted. It has the largest percentage of raw material in its category: about 90 percent habanero pepper. That's insane! The heat really sneaks up on you, though, and then it lingers for long lasting spiciness. Proceed with caution!

The Snack Attack is a feature on CBSDetroit.com that centers around all things food. Know of a new snack we should attack? Send an email and we'll be sure to add it to the list.

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