Not too long along I reviewed Datil Sensation’s Datilicious Salsa – a salsa I felt that, if you can tolerate a slight burn from the highly underrated datil chiles, is a good change of pace from your commonplace salsas, especially if most of what you purchase are large, nationally-known brands. Here comes more from the Datilicious brand: a spicy mustard called Mania X-Hot Mustard and a pair of fiery ketchups called Indian Summer Hot Ketchup and Tears X-Hot Ketchup.
Mania X-Hot Mustard
Ingredients: Mustard (Distilled Vinegar, Water, Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Spice, Natural Flavors, Garlic), Sweet Onions, Canola, Oil, Bell peppers, Brown Sugar, Distilled Vinegar, Molasses, Honey, Datil Peppers
Mania X-Hot Mustard looks like most standard mustards with a dark yellow color and thick consistency. When I first smelled it, it seemed very promising with a commanding datil scent and hints of mustard seed, honey, brown sugar and turmeric. But looks and aroma can often be deceiving…
I’ll have to admit – I may not be the right one to review this mustard, as a diehard mustard fan I am not. I can take your garden variety plain yellow mustards. I even love complex, challenging, sweet mustards that are able to balance a sharp bite, and notable tang, and a great honey-induced taste that is perfect for slathering on a deli sandwich.
Datil Sensation Mania X-Hot Mustard is neither a plain nor a honey mustard. It, despite its lengthy ingredient list, tastes like nothing but scorching datil peppers mixed with prepared mustard. You may like this kind of flavor, but I wasn’t too keen to it.
It’s got a good kick present, with a levels of 3 out of a heat scale of 1 to 5 brought on by the datils. The heat is nearly immediate and doesn’t stick around too long.
Overall Taste: 1.5 out of 4.
The course, almost “chunky” texture of all three was very pleasing. Clockwise from top: Mania X-Hot Mustard, Tears X-Hot Ketchup, and Indian Summer Hot Ketchup
Indian Summer Hot Ketchup
Ingredients: Ketchup (Tomato Concentrate, Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Garlic Powder), Sweet Onions, Distilled Vinegar, Canola Oil, Bell Peppers, Brown Sugar, Molasses, Datil Peppers, Honey
Indian Summer is a thick n’ pulpy brownish/reddish liquid, similar to a Heinz or a Hunts ketchup but less pasty. Aroma-wise, it’s sweet, oniony and odd concoction made very distinctive from the presence of datil peppers. The flavor is both tomato-centric but it allows the supporting ingredients to shine through. Because of this, it might be difficult to classify if I were given Indian Summer in a blind taste test. In ways it’s a ketchup, some ways a runny salsa, and in other ways it almost approaches barbecue sauce territory. As much as I shutter at the concept of putting ketchup on steaks and fillets, I think Indian Summer would be dazzling on grilled meat. A little experimentation would be necessarily to weed out what types and cuts of meat this would work best on for you.
Indian Summer Hot Ketchup does possess a small dose of heat, but most chileheads could handle it with no problem. On a scale of 1 to 5, this would rate a 1.5.
Overall Taste: 3 out of 4.
Tears X-Hot Ketchup
Ingredients: Ketchup (Tomato Concentrate, Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Garlic Powder), Sweet Onions, Distilled Vinegar, Canola Oil, Bell Peppers, Brown Sugar, Molasses, Datil Peppers, Honey
The ingredients list was identical to the less spicy Indian Summer Ketchup. The tears X-Hot Ketchup both looks and tastes considerably different. It smells more like a tart, sweet pepper sauce than anything tomato-based. Besides the (presumably) extra amount of datil peppers in the recipe, was there anything in greater or lesser amounts? More vinegar, perhaps? The datil-heavy mixture creates a thick and chunky consistency that really appeals to me.
The most dominant taste is the chiles. There’s also a small flavor contingency of tomato ketchup, onions and vinegar. For all that, it’s the datils that truly steal the show.
This stuff isn’t too bad. The way the ingredients are used, I see this more of a hot sauce than a ketchup. I don’t see it replacing anything I use on a regular basis, but it could be decent as a burger topper.
Heat-fiends may love this. The burn is quick yet potent, clocking in at around 3 out of 5 on a hotness scale. Like the mustard above, the flamage does not linger.
Overall Taste: 2.5 out of 4.
In Conclusion:
The Indian Summer Hot Ketchup would be the pick of the bunch for me, something I could imagine wanting to add to my rotation of hot sauces. The Tears Ketchup is so-so and I can either take it or leave it, but Mania X-Hot Mustard is simply not my speed.
Like the Datilicious Salsa, you must submit a snail mail order at the information provided at http://datilsensation.com.