El Yucateco – XXXtra Hot Sauce Salsa Picante Kutbil-ik De Chile Habanero

The name on this sauce is a mouthfull, though colloquially it’s usually referred to as XXX Hot, Mayan Style, or XXX Mayan (which sounds like something that could possibly be the title of an adult movie). Regardless of the nomenclature, this has long been the standout of the El Yucateco line for me, and one of the sauces I’ve always kept on hand (along with a number of spares) as Mexican food just isn’t the same for me without it.

While the El Yucateco company is now a worldwide powerhouse when it comes to Mexican style habanero sauces, it started way back in 1968 with the founder selling homemade sauces out of his home. This sauce is more homestyle than many of their others which is part of why I prefer it. According to their website “Kutbil-ik” means “Crushed chiles” in the Mayan language.

This sauce is a bit thicker and has some itty-bitty pepper chunks but it’s not what I’d call a chunky or crushed sauce. For me the real magic of this sauce is that they fire roast the habaneros a bit first, which adds a great depth of flavor and just a small bit of smoky taste that perfectly compliments the bright flavor of the habanero pepper (their other fire roasted option, the Black Label Reserve, has a much smokier flavor and is far too far in that direction for my tastes). Aside from the Habaneros, which are the first ingredient in the sauce as they should be, there is just tomato and onion to help round out the flavor, two ingredients I can welcome in any hot sauce. The overall taste of this is robust, savory, a tiny bit smoky, with a nice little hit of heat and tanginess. You do taste the flavor of the habanero pepper, and while there’s enough vinegar to keep it from tasting dull, it’s not a vinegar forward sauce.

Natural pairings for this are with Mexican food, and I can’t have nachos from my favorite Mexican place without a healthy dose of this sauce on top. It’s also a great addition to tacos, burritos, rice and beans, or anything else that you’d like to kick up.

This sauce is easily found in almost any Mexican grocery store, and increasingly in regular supermarkets as well. It’s inexpensive and delicious, so I heartily recommend picking a bottle up so that you can try it for yourself.

Ingredients: Habanero Pepper, Water, Tomato, Salt, Onion, pH Control Agent (Acetic Acid (vinegar)), Canola Oil, Spices, Acidulant (Citric Acid), Stabilizer (Xanthan Gum), and Sodium Benzoate as a preservative.

Heat Level: 4/10. This is a solid medium heat sauce, enough to tingle the tongue and maybe even given a little burn to those without much tolerance yet.