Melinda’s – Naga Jolokia Pepper Sauce
Bitter: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Salty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰
Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Sweet: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Umami: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Heat: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Earthy, Fruity, astringent, tangy
Texture: Medium with some small pepper and vegetable bits
Recommended: Yes
Ingredients: Naga Jolokia pepper mash (water, Naga Jolokia pepper), white vinegar, Habanero pepper mash, carrot, salt, onion, lime juice, garlic, citric acid, xanthan gum
This past Christmas my sister gifted me the Melinda’s Spicy Book, apparently a Wal-Mart exclusive five-pack of various Melinda’s sauces in a gift box. Melinda’s does have a bit of a controversial reputation in the hot sauce enthusiast community. Part of that is their history with Marie Sharp’s, but for me the bigger issue has always been their tendency to throw a ton of different sauces against the wall with quality results all over the map. I will admit that even though their hit-miss ratio is bad, they do have some quality sauces that I’ve tried, and since this was a gift I’m going to give them all a go. To start things off I went for the hottest sauce in this package, the Naga Jolokia Pepper Sauce.
Originating in the far-eastern panhandle of India (that odd little bit sandwiched between Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China) the ghost pepper goes by many names. In Assam it’s known as the Bhut Jolokia and there seems to be some disagreement amongst linguists whether the Bhut originally referred to Bhutan meaning Bhutanese Pepper and was later corrupted to a homonym meaning ghost, or if it always meant ghost. It’s also known as the poison chili, the cobra chili, the mystery chili, and other names throughout India. Nagaland is another Indian state in that little spit of land with Assam where these peppers are also grown, giving the name Naga Jolokia, or the chili of the Naga people as well.
Since Melinda’s makes both a Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper sauce and this Naga Jolokia sauce I’m not sure if there’s a difference in flavor due to terroir between Assam and Nagaland or if it’s all just marketing, and I don’t have a bottle of their Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper sauce handy for a side by side comparison. I did check and the ingredients on the bottle of this Naga Jolokia from the Spicy Book are the same as the ones listed on Melinda’s website (and for that matter the same as their Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper sauce other than the pepper name). This sauce also incorporates habanero peppers and the common aromatics of garlic and onion plus carrots, another common hot sauce ingredient often used for bulk and some sweetness. Melinda’s Naga Jolokia Pepper Sauce does have a more natural consistency than most Melinda’s sauces I’ve had, with real pepper and vegetable bits inside and a medium consistency. Both the Naga Jolokia peppers and the habaneros come through well in the aroma plus some hints of the garlic and onion.
The combination of the Naga Jolokia and habanero peppers is at the forefront of the flavor profile. The two peppers are complimentary – you get the earthy, smoky, and slightly astringent flavor of the Naga Jolokia and the brighter fruitier flavor of the habanero which creates a full range of chile flavor. The quick onset heat of the habanero and the slower-build heat of the Naga Jolokia are also complimentary. The other thing that I noticed immediately is that this sauce is quite salty. Most craft hot sauces seem to hover in the 30-50mg of sodium per teaspoon range, this hits at 135mg per teaspoon, much more similar to Louisiana style sauces. Thankfully there’s a good amount of vinegar here which helps add tang to counteract the saltiness and surprisingly the lime juice also comes through which adds a touch of freshness. This sauce is pepper dominant in terms of flavor, but the onions and garlic sit at the back of the flavor profile and add depth. I didn’t get much carrot sweetness which I’m fine with, this sauce hits me as almost entirely savory. Speaking of hits, the heat level of this sauce hits much lower than other ghost pepper sauces I’ve tried. For someone new to super-hots this would be a great introduction to the flavor of ghost peppers without completely blowing them out, and for those with more tolerance the heat level is still pleasant and good for those days or meals when you don’t want a major burn.
Since Melinda’s Naga Jolokia Pepper Sauce has peppers as the primary flavor it’s quite flexible when it comes to pairing. I enjoyed this on tacos, chicken strips and wings, on a Cuban sandwich, and in a breakfast burrito. The only challenge when it came to pairing with this sauce is the salt level which made some salty foods too salty with the addition of this sauce. A place this did work surprisingly well however was with tomato-based pasta, a notoriously difficult pairing for most hot sauces.
I will recommend Melinda’s Naga Jolokia Pepper Sauce. The texture is more natural than other Melinda’s sauces I’ve tried, the flavor is good, and the heat level is approachable even for those without a major tolerance built yet. The only downside is the sodium level.
