Butterfly Bakery of Vermont – Maple Sparkle Sriracha Genersaucity Hot Sauce

Bitter: ⭐✰✰✰✰

Salty: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Sour: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Sweet: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Umami: ⭐✰✰✰✰

Heat: ⭐⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Quick Flavor Notes: Maple, fruity ripe jalapeno, garlic, sweet

Texture: Medium, smooth, sparkly

Recommended: Yes

Ingredients: Vermont red jalapenos, organic distilled white vinegar, Vermont garlic scapes, Choice Maple organic Vermont maple syrup, salt, edible glitter (mica-based pearlescent, dextrose).

Since it’s pride month I felt it was only natural to review Butterfly Bakery of Vermont’s recurring micro-batch hot sauce that celebrates and supports the LGBTQ community, their Maple Sparkle Sriracha Genersaucity Hot Sauce. Especially these days with many marginalized groups coming under attack I find it admirable that Butterfly Bakery of Vermont has their Genersaucity program which devotes a percentage of the profits from certain sauces to good causes. In this case 25% of the sales from Maple Sparkle Sriracha are donated to the Pride Center of Vermont with their mission to celebrate, educate, and advocate for LGBTQ Vermonters.

When it comes to ingredients this is not dissimilar from a classic sriracha which typically uses red jalapenos, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and salt. In this case the garlic cloves are replaced by garlic scapes, as they often are in Butterfly Bakery of Vermont sauces, and which have a milder garlic flavor with a hint of onion. The sugar used in many srirachas is replaced by maple syrup, very fitting for Vermont. The most unique element, and what creates the fabulous sparkles, is edible glitter. Edible glitter is made from mica, an indigestible mineral that will pass safely through your system, food colorings, and sugars, so thankfully no microplastics here. If you’d love to try this sauce but have reservations about eating glitter Butterfly Bakery of Vermont does make their Maple Sugar Shack Sriracha which is essentially the same sauce without the glitter. This sauce has a medium consistency with a smooth and glittery texture and an aroma that has hints of sweetness, peppers, and garlic.

They say we eat with our eyes first and Butterfly Bakery of Vermont Maple Sparkle Sriracha Genersaucity Hot Sauce is undeniably visually unique. The juicy red jalapenos and tangy vinegar hit first while the maple syrup provides a solid yet not overpowering background sweetness. The garlic flavor from the garlic scapes is less aggressive than in a sriracha like Huy Fong but the garlic scapes also bring something of a sweet onion flavor to the table for an extra dimension of taste. Like all Butterfly Bakery of Vermont sauces this does taste amazingly fresh and you can tell it was made with high quality ingredients. This would qualify as a sweet heat sauce for me, not quite dessert sauce territory (though I did try that) but much more of a sweet element than just a hint. The glitter doesn’t have any flavor that I can tell. Maple Sparkle Sriracha is a mild sauce as is expected from something jalapeno based, maybe just a smidge hotter than your typical Louisiana style sauce.

With how sparkly this sauce is (and it’s very sparkly) I had to make sparkly sriracha wings first. To my great amusement even when coating chicken wings the sparkles really stand out. The sauce tastes great on chicken as well though the visual impact was really the special element here – I’m going to have to recreate them for a party snack in the future, I’m thinking of calling them “unicorn wings” or “phoenix wings”. With the sweetness of this I tried it on some vanilla ice cream, and again the sparkles were engaging, though I think this one straddles the savory/sweet line a bit too close to the middle to be a dessert sauce (though I did finish the bowl with enjoyment, I don’t mine vinegar on ice cream). Since sriracha is often a table condiment in pho restaurants I also tried this in a bowl of instant pho and it works well, the sweetness playing against the anise flavors in the pho broth for a nice change of pace from Korean or Japanese style instant noodles.

I’m happy to give Butterfly Bakery of Vermont Maple Sparkle Sriracha Genersaucity Hot Sauce my recommendation. It’s not only a very tasty sauce it’s also for a good cause, and the sparkles really to liven up food, whether it be for a family dinner or for an office party or pot-luck where you want your dish to really stand out.