A good hot sauce can work wonders on a bland dish. In Malaysia, there are a variety of hot sauces for you to choose from, locally and internationally made. Here are 20 you should check out.

1. Suki Sauce: Thailand

The Suki sauce is the perfect companion for the Thai-style Sukiyaki (a Japanese dish of stew or soup); a favourite among the locals. Undeniably spicy, the sauce has many layers to its flavour. This sauce is also a favourite addition when eating Thai spring rolls.

2. Huy Fong Sriracha: Los Angeles California

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The billion dollar brand (Huy Foong) has a surprisingly humble beginning; a man’s quest to find the perfect sauce to go with his Vietnamese pho (noodle soup). It strikes the perfect balance between spicy and sweet, mild even, to those sensitive to heat. In the west, it is eaten with shrimp cocktails and used as toppings for hamburgers.

3. Tabasco: Avery Island, Louisiana

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The result of three perfectly balanced ingredients (aged cayenne peppers, vinegar, and salt); the sauce has remained true to its taste for six generations. You can find this at any grocery store in Malaysia, as even the locals have grown fond of its familiar taste.

4. Maggi Masala Chilli Sauce: South-East Asia

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A pride of all Malaysians, Maggi’s Masala Chilli sauce is made with fresh local chillies combined with tomatoes, vinegar and spices. It has a distinct sweetness to it and builds up heat over time. Eaten as a condiment to many fried food, it will leave a lasting sweet heat in your mouth all day.

5. Nandos Extra Hot Peri Peri: Portuguese

It is no secret that the Nandos Extra Hot Peri-Peri sauce is such a big hit in Malaysia: It is made of the bird’s eyes chillies, notorious for its intense tongue blazing heat in spite of its small size. There is no questioning the sauce’s versatility, injecting flavour to many dishes.

6. The Sambal: South-East Asia

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The sambal is not just a sauce; it is an integral component to many South-East Asian Cuisine. The typical Sambal is made of a mixture of dried and fresh chillies, garlic, onion, and the infamously pungent shrimp paste, which is the key ingredient that sets the Sambal apart from all the other hot sauces.

7. Puteri Chilli Sauce: Malaysia

A brand of hot sauce maintained by a local family business for over twenty years, Puteri Chilli Sauce is favoured and trusted by the locals. Made only from the freshest, locally produced, raw ingredients, it comes with a distinctively Malaysian packaging.

8. Kimball Chili Sauce: Malaysia

Kimball’s Chilli Sauce is another favourite chilli sauce in Malaysia. Its pleasant balance between sweet and sour have Malaysians choosing this sauce to dip their keropok lekors, cucur udangs and other local snacks in.

9. Kampung Koh Koki Chili Sauce

With bird’s eyes chillies imported from China and India as its primary ingredients, this is not the sauce for those who prefer only mild condiments with their food. You will know its potency as soon as it touches your tongue. It will add that extra kick to dumplings and many other Chinese cuisines.

10. Taste Me Chili Pepper Sauce

The go-to sauce that not only serves well as a condiment, but could also be used to marinate any type of meat. The sweet and peppery flavour of the chillies in the sauce will inject intense flavour into any meat the sauce marinates.

11. Linghams Sauce Chilli

This is a chilli sauce you can, apparently, use on your pasta. It says so on the label. It also says (on the label) that you can use it to marinate chicken, steak, lamb, and more.

12. Thai Heritage Sweet Chili Sauce

This is a chilli sauce with a list of Thai aromatic spices too comprehensive to list. Its complex flavours make it a perfect saviour to any bland dish. The sauce is highly recommended with a hot batch of spring rolls and Thai fish cakes.

13. Heinz Chili Sauce: International

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The sauce that has been making meals more interesting since 1869 is now upping its game by introducing new flavours to its tried-and-trusted original recipe. With choices like Smokey Chipotle, Tangy Jalapeno, and Peppery Habanero, Heinz now offers versatile flavours to accompany any dishes around the world.

14. Laoganma Chili Oil: China

Originating from a remote province of China, this chilli oil sacrifices heat, to boost flavour. Its authentic flavours are the result of a blend of aromatic oils, infused into the chillies and peanuts used to make the sauce.

15. Chili Crab Sauce: Singapore

Love Singapore’s infamous Chili Crab dish? Well, now you can have the sauce at home! Now sold in a jar or packet, this Chili Crab Sauce will help you create Singapore’s crab dish at home, with no fuss at all.

16. Tempoyak Cili (Sambal Tempoyak): Malaysia

Tempoyak Cili is more of a paste than a sauce. It may not look very appetizing nor does it smell great, but it could possibly win your heart, if you can bear the pungent aroma. The locals eat it with raw salads or ulam, as they call them.

17. Garlic Chilli Sauce

You will be pleasantly greeted with the sight of pepper seeds and pulps as you open this jar. This Garlic Chilli Sauce is more than just a condiment, it is the perfect marinate for meats (if you plan to barbeque) and for making stir-fries. Your dish will have a slight tang of vinegar with an unmistakable garlic kick.

18. Louisiana Hot Sauce

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Blended from sun-ripened and aged cayenne peppers, this sauce is actually made in Louisiana and is certified as a Cajun hot sauce, unlike many of its imitators. If you see a Louisiana Hot Sauce bottle with the word ‘ORIGINAL’ written across it, look no further; you’ve found the right one.

19. La Costena Hot Salsa Dip

This hot sauce is slightly milder in heat with a lingering sweet aftertaste, thanks to its tangy tomatillo and fresh cilantro blend. This sauce is perfect when eaten with nachos and chips.

20. Trappey’s Indi-Pep West Indian Style Pepper Sauce

The blend of red jalapenos, red cayenne and red tabasco is the result of this concoction. You will surely note a hint of Louisiana spices, garlic and onion in it.

Read This: Get to Know These Malaysian Condiments to Spice Up Your Meal

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