Why Hot Sauce Might Be Your Missing Ingredient

Acidity is integral to explosive flavor. If food were music, acidity would be...the high notes? I don't know. The point is that it is necessary for depth. For balance. For brightness. Without it, flavors get muddy.

Think about your favorite dishes.

• Fried chicken sandwich? Acidity is in the pickles or coleslaw (not to mention any sauce).
• Pizza? Tomatoes are inherently acidic. 
• Tacos?  "Un taco sin salsa, no es taco", which roughly translates: "a taco without salsa is not a taco". Salsa brings much needed acidity, whether that's through tomatillos, tomatoes, or lime juice.
  

Hopefully you're getting my point here.

Which brings me to my next one: hot sauce is the most convenient and delicious acidity you could ask for. It's bottled up for you, ready to break forth in saucy song. It's bursting with flavor. And it brings another dimension to your dish through heat/spice.

This is why hot sauce might be your missing ingredient. Next time your dish feels flat, needs a pop of freshness, or needs more balance, reach for that saucy treblemaker.