Heat Hot Sauce Shop – Dragon’s Breath Umami Seasoning

Bitter: ✰✰✰✰✰

Salty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Sour: ✰✰✰✰✰

Sweet: ⭐✰✰✰✰

Umami: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Heat: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Quick Flavor Notes: Smoky, earthy, garlicky, cheesy, umami

Texture: Fine powder

Recommended: Yes

Ingredients: Yeast, Dragon’s Breath Chile Powder, Sea Salt, Yeast Extract, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Shiitake Mushroom Powder, Ground Rice Hulls

Having previously enjoyed the Heat Hot Sauce Habanero Umami Seasoning I knew I had to order their new Dragon’s Breath variety when it launched. Dragon’s Breath chiles, so named because it was originally cultivated by a Welsh farmer and Wales has a dragon on their flag, have become quite popular lately. With scoville ratings measured higher than the Carolina Reaper these are obviously super hot chiles so I was expecting a big jump in heat from their habanero variety.

The ingredients for the Dragon’s Breath Umami seasoning are the same as for the Habanero Umami Seasoning other than substituting the Dragon’s Breath chiles for the habaneros. It still relies on the magic of nutritional yeast, shiitake mushrooms, and garlic to provide that deep savory umami punch, just now with considerably more heat. As soon as you peel back the safety seal you can smell the super hot chile aroma drifting out from the bottle. Dragon’s Breath chiles have an aroma that reminds me of Carolina Reapers and Trinidad Scorpion peppers.

When it comes to the taste I found that, at least in this dried form, the Dragon’s Breath chiles have a very different flavor from the chiles they smell like. There’s a pronounced smokiness and earthiness to them, much more similar to ghost peppers or Pepper X than to the brighter reapers or scorpions. The heat level is intense – this is a dried super-hot after all, so that capsaicin is concentrated in the powder, but the flavor of both the chile and the supporting ingredients is wonderful. The burn reminds me more of ghost peppers and Pepper X as well, there’s some intensity up front but it also builds and builds over time. The cheesy flavor of the nutritional yeast, the smoky earthy flavor of the peppers, the earthy flavor of the shiitake mushrooms, and the pungency of the garlic all blend wonderfully in this seasoning.

I’ve been using my grill often in recent months as the weather has been so nice and have really taken to experimenting with different grilled vegetables. Some, like corn and leeks, have been resounding successes. Others, like zucchini, not so much. Heat Hot Sauce Dragon’s Breath Umami Seasoning is a great option for adding some flavor and heat to the grilled vegetables. I especially like it with corn and some yellow squash. I also enjoyed a light dusting on a toasted bagel with some butter in the morning and just like the habanero version it’s great for adding depth and oomph to soups, stews, and chili.

I’m happy to recommend Heat Hot Sauce Dragon’s Breath Umami Seasoning. If you’re looking for something that gives a ton of flavor and a ton of heat to your food it’s one to check out.