Mexico Lindo Salsa Picante Negra XXXtra Hot Sauce Review

Mexico Lindo Salsa Picante Negra XXXtra Hot 

Here we have another entry, of which there have been quite a few this year, into the Mexican-style category from a sauce company I’ve found overall to be pretty enjoyable and impressive. This time out, they’re answering the question of what if we made a sauce heavy on the umami side and indeed, with msg and what seems a lot like soy sauce, in the mix, there is no shortage of that aspect. That, along with a bit of a lean towards the astringent side, makes for a pretty curious and interesting taste adventure, as this is very much a Mexican style sauce.

I find this sauce fascinating, and overall, really like what they’re doing, as it is fairly unusual, yet still retains a lot of the “classic” characteristics that one might expect from a Mexican-style sauce. There are hints of the warmth and comforting richness that tends to be stock in trade for that style, yet it very clearly is wanting to make its own flavor path and be its own distinctive sauce. In this, it succeeds pretty wildly. It is also a tad thick and sludgy, which can lead to these nifty little umami pockets if it doesn’t spread out on the food, which are their own treat.

It’s a bit amazing to me how they’re able to wander as much as they do, yet retain the core identity and this is definitely one of my more happier finds this year, and is yet another I literally stumbled across on a grocery store shelf. With Chiltepin being the prime heat driver, this is not, despite the suggestion in the sauce’s name and on the label, particularly hot, but it is a fairly nice, low-key and satisfying smolder. I could do with more heat, but that doesn’t seem what they were really going for here. This is very much a Mexican-style sauce, so usage here is definitely better off with that style, or related, of foods and flavors. It would also do pretty well in ramen, I’d imagine, and is flavorful enough that one could definitely have a good time experimenting.

Bottom line: Another hitter from a sauce company that I will always check out to see what new entries they have to offer, an effort which, like it is here, tends to be rewarding.

Breakdown:

            Heat level: 1
            Flavor: 9
            Flexibility: 6
            Enjoyment to dollar factor: 10

Overall: 7