FANCY HANKS: Jalapeno & Peach Hot Sauce – 200ml

The middle child that quietly runs the family

Green jalapeño at 24% against sweet peach at 13%, sitting exactly where most people actually want their hot sauce to live — enough heat to know it's there, enough fruit to keep eating it. Fancy Hank's serve it with their Andouille pork sausage, and once you've had that combination the bottle stops being optional.

The flavour

Peach and pear juice land first, sweet and soft, then green jalapeño cuts in with that grassy, fresh-chilli bite that dried chilli never manages. Onion, garlic and a little tomato build a savoury floor underneath, and white vinegar keeps the whole thing bright. The heat arrives late, sits in the middle of the tongue and clears cleanly.

How to cook with it

• Split a fat pork sausage down the middle, char the cut face on the grill and spoon this straight into the split.
• Toss it through grilled chicken thighs with a squeeze of lime while they're resting.
• Use it as the only thing on a fish taco besides slaw — the peach does the job a mango salsa would.
• Warm it gently and pour over a wheel of baked brie. Watch it disappear in ninety seconds.
• Shake it into a pan of fried potatoes at the last second so it glazes rather than steams.

In the bottle

Murky green-gold, medium bodied, with visible flecks of chilli through it. It pours in a proper stream rather than a splash — easier to control over a plate.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: White Vinegar, Green Jalapeno Chilli (24%), Peaches (13%) [Peaches (60%), reconstituted pear juice (39%), Food Acid (330) Antioxidant (300)], Onion, Water, Garlic, Sugar, Salt, Tomato, Xanthum Gum (415).

Dietary: Vegan. Preservative free. No gluten. Always check the physical label.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Peach and jalapeño is the pairing everyone claims to have invented, and this is the bottle that actually earns it. Rub the ribs with Rum and Que Rib Rocker, cook them out, and hit the slices with a pinch of Tasman Smoked Sea Salt before this goes anywhere near them. Salt first, sauce second — do it the other way and you'll taste neither.

FAQ

How hot is it?
Medium — 2 out of 4 on the Fancy Hank's scale. It sits between the cayenne and watermelon and the habanero and carrot.

Is it sweet?
Yes, but balanced. Peach and pear juice up front, then green jalapeño cutting through it.

What has it won?
A Bronze Medal at the 2018 Australian Food Awards.

What's it best on?
Pork. Fancy Hank's serve it with their Andouille sausage, and it's excellent on grilled chicken and fish tacos.

Is it Australian made?
Yes — made in Australia from 76% or more Australian ingredients.