By Bec Renton
If, like me, you consider yourself a little bit of a connoisseur when it comes to hot sauce, and you have an appreciation for a well-balanced sauce, phenomenal flavour pairing, and the right amount of heat, let me introduce you to an absolute master of chilli sauce production – Hot Chilli Mama.
I first came across Hot Chilli Mama at the Williamstown Farmers Market, and I must say I am delighted that they are regulars there, as it allows me to replenish my stock of sauce.
The owner of Hot Chilli Mama (Sue) is a knowledge machine when it comes to chillies, being that her company grows, harvests and manufacture’s the chilli’s and sauces all on her farm in Deans Marsh. Sue and her family, through the love of chillies and desire to teach their kids about setting up a small business, established Hot Chilli Mama in 2017, and the business has blossomed since then. Sue grows a huge variety of chillies, from the mild sweet juicy Santa Fe to the moderately hot Peruvian Aji Amarillo and Mexican Firecracker Piquin, to the scorching Trinidad Scorpion – Chocolate Moruga, and over the years has fine-tuned and mastered the pairing of flavours and heat when producing their many different sauces.
Some of my favourites include their Aji Limon and Lime hot sauce, which absolutely blew my mind in the best possible way. This sauce, although not their hottest, was (to me at least), the absolute perfect pairing of heat to flavour. The chilli used in this sauce is called an Aji Limon (or lemon drop pepper) which has hints of lemon and a real summery tone to it. The flavouring is absolutely perfect for summer salads, as it has a bright freshness to it. It also paired perfectly with my son’s fried chicken, so I have to say the bottle did not last long.
Another of their collection that hits the absolute spot is their Jalapeno Coriander Lime and Tequila, as like the Aji, this sauce is incredibly fresh and pairs with summer cuisine perfectly, whilst also packing a lovely little punch with the tequila.
There are also milder everyday sauces that harness those traditional smokey and chipotle flavours, as well as those daring hot sauces (Carolina reaper) based for those who like to test their merit against the Scoville scale!
So if you feel like connecting with a chilli lover and trying some awesome new hot sauce flavours that trump supermarket sauces by a long shot, whilst also getting to check out other super delicious produce at the Farmers Market, definitely head down to the Williamstown Farmers Market next time it is on.
The sauces are also found at @hot_chilli_mama or www.hotchillimama.com.au
