Ferm Foundations – Pun Croc

Bitter: ⭐⭐✰✰✰

Salty: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Sweet: ⭐⭐✰✰✰

Umami: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Heat: ⭐⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Quick Flavor Notes: Tangy, rich, bright, umami, funky

Texture: Medium thick and somewhat chunky

Recommended: Yes

Ingredients: Distilled Vinegar, Habanero, Garlic, Carrot, Ginger, Guajillo, Miso, Salt

I’ve been a fan of Ferm Foundations sauces since the moment I tasted my first sauce from them, their Serrano Mustard Hot Sauce. Since then I’ve loved their Lemon Serrano and Guajillo Habanero hot sauces as well as their Manchester Kimchi which they sadly no longer sell online. The Manchester, PA based hot sauce maker does exactly what their name implies and ferments all of their sauces for that special extra depth of flavor and lactic funk you can only get through that process. Pun Croc is one of their newest sauces and features a label design that’s a departure from their previous circus-tent look.

I would be remiss if I didn’t speak more about the label. I love a good pun, and this one is a visual one as well as one that lampshades itself. Pun Crock, Punk Rock, and the Croc is dressed as a Punk Rocker, get it? It made me giggle at least. Ingredients-wise this sauce is actually very similar to their Guajillo Habanero sauce. It omits the red bell pepper, adds ginger and miso, and ups the garlic quantity. It’s actually an interesting blend because you have something that’s almost a Caribbean style sauce with the habaneros, carrots, and garlic, then there’s the guajillos which are typically found in Mexican style sauces, and finally an Asian twist with the ginger and the miso. The texture of Pun Croc is pleasantly chunky and on the thicker side. The aroma is very fresh, there’s some habanero and vinegar to the nose but overall it smells very clean.

When it comes to flavor Ferm Foundations Pun Croc is tangy at the forefront but also very rich tasting. There’s a good blend of vinegar and lactic brine to the tang so that it doesn’t read as super vinegary. The guajillos bring a lot of their flavor to the party – a little smoky, rich, raisin-y, and fruity in a dark way. Brighter heat and some fruity notes from the habaneros compliment the darker guajillo flavor. The ginger is fairly forward as well with it’s characteristic spicy peppery bite. What’s really interesting is how the miso and carrots interact. There’s a gentle sweetness that comes in after the initial wave of peppers and ginger that’s mixed with an umami funk. It’s a complex sauce in that it starts off a bit Mexican or Caribbean and finishes Asian, and also because it hits a lot of different flavor ‘notes’ with what I’d consider bass in the guajillos and miso with that dark rich flavor, midrange with the habaneros, and treble with the zingy ginger.

I found this sauce to work very well with a pretty wide variety of foods. The ginger and miso elements make it serve well with Asian dishes, and I enjoyed this to add some extra zing to some Korean cold noodles as well as to kick up some Shin Ramyun. At the same time this works just as well with western cuisine and it’s a great sandwich sauce as well as surprisingly great in breakfast burritos. I got a good deal on some pork belly slices at Costco and decided to marinate some in miso and some in doenjang before grilling, which I found out too late leads to the marinades burning and charring. Nevertheless I found this sauce to go great with the parts I was able to scrape the char off from.

I’m happy to recommend Ferm Foundations Pun Croc. I loved their Guajillo Habanero and I feel this sauce takes that theme and improves on it. If you’re looking for a sauce that’s a great example of east meets west, this is one is a must try. Pun Crock is also all natural with no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or thickeners.