Let's Talk Sauce: Willi's Chili Hot Sauce Review

For my friends, it comes as precisely no surprise that I have what I might call a "thing" for spicy foods (others would say obsession, but tomatoes, tomahtoes).  In Germany, spicy foods aren't as ubiquitous as they can be in some places in the U.S., so I'm always on the hunt for a good hot sauce.  Willi's Chili is one that I've seen around for years, since I was an Austauschstudent in Leipzig, and if seemed about time I found out what the fuss was about.

Willi's Chili hot sauce is on par with Tabasco, with a Scoville scale rating of about 2500.  It's a vinegar and salt based sauce, though with a thicker consistency than would normally be expected for this style of sauce.  As a result, despite it's relatively low heat, it has a bit more staying powder than many thinner sauces, and would be better suited for adding to sandwiches, burgers, or burritos, than shaking over the top of a dish.  The sauce does have a particularly strong vinegar flavor as well though, which needs to be taken into account if it's being added to foods that are already quite acidic, as cumulatively, the net acidity can be much more than anticipated.

Totally subjective heat ranking from a pepperhead:  2/10

Recommendation:  Replace your Tabasco, then figure out a good way to have a chili shaped bottle stand up on your shelf!