Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon / Taste Real Chicago
Spicy foods aren’t for everyone. But if you wound up on this article, then they’re clearly for you and you only want the best. We tried a bunch of hot sauces, pepper-laden condiments, and fiery frozen foods and snacks in 2024, but two stood out way above the rest. Here are the two best spicy foods we tried. Upgrade your condiment shelf with both of them, ASAP.
We tried a lot of hot sauces in 2024, but Zabs Datil Pepper Hot Sauce stood out above the rest as something special. Datil pepper sauce is a Florida staple—perfect for seafood—but this one is made by Los Angeles-based Zab’s. According to Florida expat managing editor Gwynedd Stuart, this sauce is mustardy (kinda like Carolina BBQ sauce) with a slow burn that keeps you coming back for more. If you’re looking to expand your hot sauce collection, start with this one.
As we found out in our search for the best giardiniera, there’s not a lot of jarred stuff out there (at least, not outside of the greater Chicagoland area). But that doesn’t make this stuff any less delicious. We tried three heat levels of J.P. Graziano Giardiniera and the hot one was the best bar far. It’s seriously hot. Like, really spicy, thanks to the mix of serrano peppers and red peppers, which mingle with green olives, carrots, and tiny cauliflower florets. Obviously this would be great on an Italian beef sandwich, but don’t let your imagination end there. Use this stuff on a burger or a hot dog or stir it in with tuna and mayo for a killer, spicy tuna salad. Even if you can’t handle heat, we think you should try it. The suffering is worth it.
We ate our way through hundreds of products this year to find the best. Now it’s time to honor the best of the best.
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Justine Sterling is the editor-in-chief of Sporked. She has been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and is an avid at-home cook and snacker. Don’t worry, she’s not a food snob. Sure, she loves a fresh-shucked oyster. But she also will leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and loves a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!