What Hot Sauce Does Idaho Enjoy Most on National Hot Sauce Day?

Sometimes food is a bit dry. Other times it is a tad bland. When given the option, how many Idahoans who eat reach for a hot sauce? If they choose to challenge their gastrointestinal tract, which sauce is most popular in Idaho?

How is Pepper Heat Measured?

Not all hot sauce is created equal. There are hot sauces made using different peppers. Some have a different heat quality. These are measured in Scoville for spice level. Peppers are graded in Scoville Heat Units (SHU) as mild (50-2,500 SHU), medium (2,500-30,000), hot (30,000-100,000), or extra hot (100,000-300,000). If anything hotter is desired, it is extreme or super hot.

What is the Difference Between Peppers for Sauces?

• Jalapeno and Poblano - happy tasty with a little kick at the mild 2,000-5,000 SHU comfort zone.
• Serrano and Yellow Wax - pleasant spice with a bang for your buck at 5,000-15,000.
• Tabasco, Cayenne, and Pequin - peppers provide a little kick and hit in the medium/hot range at 30,000-50,000 SHU.
• Habanero - may be a bit too hard for a novice in the extra hot category at 100,000-300,000 SHU.

Anything more than that is inhuman and not worth putting on food barring a lost bet for fantasy sports.

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Which Sauce Does Idaho Reach For Most?

Idaho seems to agree with Montana, Minnesota, and Utah in its hot sauce. Cholula uses arbol and piquin peppers. It hits an SHU of 3,600. That’s enough to moisten the food you eat with a little zing on top.

Who knows why Texas favors Louisiana Hot Sause instead of Texas Pete, which is most popularly ordered through Instacart on the East Coast. Frank’s is favored in the Northeast and Alaska with an unsurprising SHU of 450. You know how those Frank’s Red Hot people are, or you do NOW. California prefers Tapatio with a 3,000 SHU vs. Idaho at 3,600. ‘Nough said.