Hot Sauces That Really Bring the Heat

Hot Sauces That Really Bring the Heat

As consumers continue to seek out additional avenues for layering flavor into their culinary creations, the Woodstock^® brand has introduced a new line of bold hot sauces, featuring some of the hottest pepper flavors on the planet and now available nationwide.

These globally inspired Non-GMO Project Verified® sauces are sourced from Costa Rica, manufactured in a carbon neutral facility, and contain no added sugar.

“Shelf stable hot sauces have grown over 30 percent in category dollar sales over the past year with the dramatic rise of at-home food occasions, a trend that we’ve seen continue into 2021. The growth of the category has redefined what it means to be a hot sauce enthusiast to now include health-focused Millennial consumers looking for an extra kick to enhance their meals,” said Amanda Helming, chief marketing officer at UNFI and Woodstock.

The line of hot sauces includes four fiery flavors:

Scotch Bonnet (1,790 Scoville units with fruity, lightly acidic, and slight garlic tasting notes)
Habanero Pepper (7,900 Scoville units with sweet and sour, fruity, and slight onion tasting notes)
Ghost Pepper (33,000 Scoville units with acidic, salty, fruity, and slight garlic tasting notes)
Scorpion Pepper (57,000 Scoville units with acidic, salty, very fruity, and extra hot tasting notes)

The Scoville Scale and Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) were named for scientist Wilbur Scoville in 1912 for measuring a chili pepper’s pungency and heat. For comparison purposes, most sweet bell peppers measure zero SHU.

“The new Woodstock hot sauces were created with balance in mind, delivering the craveable heat with subtle tasting notes that transform a variety of items from eggs to tacos and salad dressings,” said Helming.

Hot sauce continues to be ranked in the top 25 of all flavors among consumers and though it is popular across all age groups, it is most popular with Millennials. With a 6.5% CAGR forecast, the hot sauce category is expected to grow to $3.77 billion globally by 2026.