hot sauce

If you love piling the spice on heavy, chances are you're already aware of the flavorful wonders of hot sauce — we're big fans of Sriracha and Tabasco over here. But hot sauce offers more than a little kick to your senses, it can actually be a tasty resource for successful weight loss. Here are four reasons to get spicy.

1. It doesn't pack on the calories: While certain condiments offer plentiful flavor, hot sauce does the same at a fraction of the calories. It varies from brand to brand, but most hot sauces only weigh in at approximately six calories per tablespoon.
2. It kicks up your metabolism: Hot sauce offers a boost of vitamin C and capsaicin, a compound found in hot peppers that is responsible for the serious heat. But even better than sheer flavor factor, vitamin C and capsaicin have both been shown to assist in revving up your metabolism.

Keep reading for two more reasons to enjoy hot sauce ASAP.

Sugar cookies and peppermint bark are a dime a dozen during the holiday season, but this year, we've been bringing you some deliciously out-of-the-box edible gift ideas with our fourth annual 12 Days of Edible Gifts series. Haven't had time to whip up one of our easy, tasty ideas yet? If you've got 15 minutes and a handful of fiery peppers, we've got your answer: homemade hot sauce.

This recipe is so easy it almost can't be called a recipe, but your lucky recipients don't have to know that. It's also completely customizable: use whichever peppers you prefer (or whichever are easiest to get your hands on). Last year, I used a combination of green jalapeños and habaneros; the result was tangy, herbaceous, and blazing hot. This year's batch was made with ripe red jalapeños and red serranos, and while it still packs some heat, it's much milder and sweeter.

If you can't bear to give away all the fruits of your labor, you're in luck: the vinegar that rises to the top of the hot sauce as it cures can be skimmed off, bottled separately, and kept for yourself as a homemade Tabasco substitute.

Get ready to spice up your life — and get the recipe — after the break.

Considering their extensive use of all kinds of chiles, Latinos really know their hot sauces. Since I stock my fridge with several kinds of hot sauce (each one has a different use!), when it comes to Mexican cuisine, I have one brand I can't get enough of: Valentina salsa picante. This slightly smoky, thick, and spicy sauce is wonderful on everything from eggs to tacos.

How about you? What's your favorite kind of Mexican hot sauce? Tapatio? Cholula?

When it comes to Super Bowl foods — nachos, wings, dips — there's one common denominator: hot sauce. The wonderfully addictive red liquid burns your lips and sends you running for a beer.

I'm a huge fan of hot sauce, and while I think certain dishes require specific brands (I like Tapatio with Mexican food and Crystal in Buffalo dip), there's one brand that's my default: Sriracha.

I guess you could say it's my preferred brand of hot sauce. It tastes good in everything! What's your favorite hot sauce and why?

Source: Flickr User kim siciliano salem