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The beloved Tabasco sauce is a distinct blend of vinegar, red peppers, salt, and vinegar. People often opt for Tabasco over tomato ketchup or mustard sauce, drawn to its fiery heat and unique flavour profile. Aged for up to three years in oak barrels, this iconic blend boasts a taste unlike any other hot sauce. Developed by McIlhenny in the late 1860s, the original recipe incorporates capsicum frutescens seeds from Mexico or Central America. From fried rice to Bloody Marys, Tabasco adds depth to a variety of dishes. It is popularly used in delicacies like pizza, chicken wings, hash browns, Bloody Marys, and breakfast skillets. So, let's take a look at some facts about this popular fiery sauce.
Fact 1: The First Tabasco Was Created In 1868
In 1868, Edmund McIlhenny began manufacturing Tabasco sauce on Avery Island in Louisiana. The sauce is still made in the same place as it was in the 1800s. Furthermore, the procedure is essentially unchanged; the facilities have, of course, been updated throughout time.
Fact 2: Tabasco Is A Brand, Not A Generic Name
Tabasco is, in reality, the brand name of an American-made product, a particularly unique red pepper sauce manufactured by the McIlhenny Co. in Louisiana.
Fact 3: It Only Has Three Ingredients
It may surprise you that Tabasco has only three components, as it has always done. The recipe's ingredients, Tabasco peppers, salt, and high-quality vinegar, have remained unchanged for 150 years.
Fact 4: The Sauce Was Originally Packed In Cologne Bottles
When entrepreneurial businessman Edmund McIlhenny initially wanted to manufacture his popular sauce, he chose an old cologne bottle since it was the most fitting vessel. Though his friends and family didn't appear to mind any lingering traces of alcohol or smell, it's probably for the best that McIlhenny thought to purchase a supply of brand-new "cologne bottles" before pouring the sauce into commercial distribution.
Fact 5: The Bottle Serves A Purpose
Edmund McIlhenny's 19th-century clients were unaccustomed to the concept of "hot sauce," therefore they were unduly lavish with their use. After blistering their tongues, they complained that the substance was "too hot." McIlhenny then added a sprinkler-style top to the bottles, forcing customers to use less (and cease whining to him about it).
Fact 6: The Sauce Was Named After A Chilli Variety
The sauce is named after the chilli type that produces it, Capsicum frutescens, often known as the tabasco pepper. McIlhenny was given seeds from this pepper, which he planted on Avery Island to grow and make Tabasco spicy sauce. It is thought that the seeds came from Mexico or Central America.
Fact 7: The Queen Of England Loved It
Who knew Queen Elizabeth liked crumpets with a little kick? The Queen of England granted Tabasco a Royal Warrant in 2009 after determining that the American spicy sauce was used frequently enough within the boundaries of Buckingham Palace to merit the honour.
Fact 8: It Is Quite Popular Among Astronauts And Armies
It was flown up with astronauts in the 1970s to add spice and flavour to bland, freeze-dried astronaut meals, and it has been included in the US Army's MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat) since the 1980s. It has even served on Air Force One.
Fact 9: It Contains Zero Calories
Tabasco is certified Kosher, Halal, and gluten-free. Each teaspoon of Tabasco has 0 calories, fat, carbs, and protein. It contains 35 mg (1% DV) of sodium.
Fact 10: There Are Other Tabasco Products
With popcorn, steak sauce, mayo, mustard, pickles, Spam, Slim Jims, chilli, chocolate, and more, the McIlhenny Company has undoubtedly managed to incorporate their famed condiment into anything. They also have Tabasco-flavoured ice cream at the Tabasco Country Store on Avery Island.
