Actually Food – Habanero Horseradish Hot Sauce

Bitter: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Salty: ⭐⭐✰✰✰

Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Sweet: ⭐✰✰✰✰

Umami: ⭐⭐✰✰✰

Heat: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Quick Flavor Notes: Horseradish, lemon, vegetal, astringent

Texture: Thin and mostly smooth

Recommended: Yes

Ingredients: Habaneros, Lemon Juice, Vinegar, Water, Garlic, Fresh Horseradish, Spices

I first heard about Actually Food from a post on Reddit extoling the virtues of their very hot Primotalii Ultra hot sauce. When I looked at their website I knew I’d have to order some of their sauces. Not only did they have some delicious looking flavor combinations, they also mentioned how they produce all sauces in very small batches using only fresh ingredients and fresh squeezed juices. That kind of attention to detail and dedication to quality is something I’ll always support. Since I still have a little under half of a bottle of Primo Peppers Swampadelic left and I try not to have more than one ultra hot sauce open at a time I decided to forego opening the Primotalii Ultra first and instead go with one of their milder options – their Habanero Horseradish.

The ingredients of Habanero Horseradish are straightforward. Starting out with the habanero peppers (I’m guessing orange habaneros by the color of the sauce) and moving on to the acidic components of lemon juice and vinegar. Lemon juice isn’t as common in hot sauces as lime or other fruit juices, but it’s a classic pairing with horseradish so seems appropriate here. Garlic and the aforementioned horseradish round things out. This sauce is thin in consistency (and indeed comes with an orifice reducer which I removed) but you can see some bits of pepper and vegetable inside. This sauce does separate very easily sitting on the counter before opening, a testament to them not using any emulsifiers or other unnecessary ingredients. It reincorporates easily with a quick shake. The aroma smells fresh and clean.

I personally love horseradish. I even buy cocktail sauce from St. Elmo’s online to get that incredible horseradish hit. While I’ve had other hot sauces that contain horseradish in the past, but only Lucky Dog Chrome really comes close to the horseradish hit that Actually Food Habanero Horseradish brings to the table. The lemon juice really works well with that horseradish as well, giving this sauce a bit of a puckering sourness to combine with that quick-burn nasal clearing horseradish flavor. Orange habaneros usually aren’t my favorites – I find them to be harsher and a bit astringent compared to the fruitier and sweeter red habanero – but they work here in combination with the other strong flavors. This is an aggressive sauce, not so much in heat as it’s solidly lower-medium in those terms, but in strong bold powerful flavors. There’s bitterness, sourness, nasal burn, quick heat from the habaneros, and very bright. At the same time there is that garlic and some spices, I’m sure there’s black pepper in there but I’m not sure of the others, do give it some grounding. It’s also very fresh tasting. I think the best way I could describe it is as ‘bracing’.

Their website suggests trying it on a cheesesteak, and never one to turn down an excuse to stop by Jersey Mike’s on the way home, I did just that. This is an amazing sauce for a cheesesteak, or any rich sandwich for that matter (I also tried it on a homemade Italian hoagie). The brightness, sourness, and horseradish all play very well with fatty meats and bread. With horseradish and lemon I assumed this would be good for seafood as well, and though I’m not confident in my ability to shuck oysters at home, I did get some takeout Oysters Rockefeller and found it a great pairing there. This also works very well in chicken soup – adding the acidity and vibrancy to take a boring bowl into something great.

I’m happy to recommend Actually Food Habanero Horseradish Hot Sauce. Not only is it made with all natural ingredients in small batches, it’s actually delicious. If you love horseradish and want to try a sauce that will give you that type of heat as well as the heat from the habaneros this is a must-try. This sauce is all natural with no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or thickeners.