Product Name: Wicked Cactus Sauce Ghost of the Samurai
Style: Asian
Manufacturer: Wicked Cactus Sauce
Country of Origin: USA
Website: http://wickedcactussauce.com
Ingredients: Teriyaki Sauce, Rice Wine Vinegar, Honey, Ginger, Ghost Pepper Powder, and Garlic
Label/Packaging: Label is a little dull. Kind of grey and drab. I would think something about a samurai would be darker more menacing. I do dig the using of crayon drawings for the label, but maybe incorporate them into the theme.
Appearance/Aroma: The appearance of this sauce is nice. It is a deep dark brown and reminds me of teriyaki sauce. When I open the bottle that is exactly what I smell. Soy and ginger dominate. I do not smell the peppers, perhaps that is because of the use of powder rather than fresh pods.
I have recently gotten more and more into Asian cooking and sauces. This is one of the newer sauce companies out there. Will theirs measure up? Read on to find out.
Body of Review:
As I mentioned in the teaser, I really enjoy Asian sauces and food. I am hoping for this sauce to be good. Upon first taste, I get the saltiness of the soy, the garlic, ginger and the vinegar. It is not bad. I am not in love, but not bad. There is something missing. I like my teriyaki sauces to be sweet. I know this is not a teriyaki per se, but it could use a little more sweetness to balance it out. Maybe just changing the red wine vinegar to rice wine vinegar, or adding some pineapple juice to it. The flavors that are there are very authentic Asian flavors though. As I am typing this the juices are flowing. I mean I am sweating. There is a very sneaky back end heat to this. It is not prominent up front, but it builds and builds. It has left me with a hot spot on the tip of my tongue. The sauce has a nice pourable consistency. It is a little thin to use for a stir fry, but maybe with some corn starch it would work. Speaking of which, let's make some food and see how it works.
Heat Level: 7
Applications: The first thing I try with any Asian sauce is ramen. If it works with ramen it is a keeper for me. This sauce is very good with ramen. It just needed some food to really shine. Next I tried it in a marinade for some Korean BBQ short ribs. Another win. I didn't try this, but I bet it would be great in a dipping sauce for sushi as well.
Appearance Score: 4.5
Aroma Score: 4
Taste Score: 4
Mouthfeel Score: 4
Heat Accuracy Score: 4
Overall Score: 4.1
Notes: As I mentioned, it could use a little more sweetness to balance it out. Overall, it is a niche sauce, and it does work with Asian food, so that is a win.
Style: Asian
Manufacturer: Wicked Cactus Sauce
Country of Origin: USA
Website: http://wickedcactussauce.com
Ingredients: Teriyaki Sauce, Rice Wine Vinegar, Honey, Ginger, Ghost Pepper Powder, and Garlic
Label/Packaging: Label is a little dull. Kind of grey and drab. I would think something about a samurai would be darker more menacing. I do dig the using of crayon drawings for the label, but maybe incorporate them into the theme.
Appearance/Aroma: The appearance of this sauce is nice. It is a deep dark brown and reminds me of teriyaki sauce. When I open the bottle that is exactly what I smell. Soy and ginger dominate. I do not smell the peppers, perhaps that is because of the use of powder rather than fresh pods.
I have recently gotten more and more into Asian cooking and sauces. This is one of the newer sauce companies out there. Will theirs measure up? Read on to find out.
Body of Review:
As I mentioned in the teaser, I really enjoy Asian sauces and food. I am hoping for this sauce to be good. Upon first taste, I get the saltiness of the soy, the garlic, ginger and the vinegar. It is not bad. I am not in love, but not bad. There is something missing. I like my teriyaki sauces to be sweet. I know this is not a teriyaki per se, but it could use a little more sweetness to balance it out. Maybe just changing the red wine vinegar to rice wine vinegar, or adding some pineapple juice to it. The flavors that are there are very authentic Asian flavors though. As I am typing this the juices are flowing. I mean I am sweating. There is a very sneaky back end heat to this. It is not prominent up front, but it builds and builds. It has left me with a hot spot on the tip of my tongue. The sauce has a nice pourable consistency. It is a little thin to use for a stir fry, but maybe with some corn starch it would work. Speaking of which, let's make some food and see how it works.
Heat Level: 7
Applications: The first thing I try with any Asian sauce is ramen. If it works with ramen it is a keeper for me. This sauce is very good with ramen. It just needed some food to really shine. Next I tried it in a marinade for some Korean BBQ short ribs. Another win. I didn't try this, but I bet it would be great in a dipping sauce for sushi as well.
Appearance Score: 4.5
Aroma Score: 4
Taste Score: 4
Mouthfeel Score: 4
Heat Accuracy Score: 4
Overall Score: 4.1
Notes: As I mentioned, it could use a little more sweetness to balance it out. Overall, it is a niche sauce, and it does work with Asian food, so that is a win.
