MAMA MELISSE: The Mama Hot Sauce – 200g

A hundred years of Sri Lankan chilli, bottled in Frankston

Melisse Fernando grew up on the spice island of Ceylon and carried her family's hot sauce recipe to Australia — one the family traces back more than a century. She brewed it a few times a year for family and friends, word got out, and the batches had to get bigger. This is that sauce: fresh Australian bird's-eye chillies, ginger and garlic, and not one thing on the label that needs an apology.

The flavour

It opens sweet and aromatic — raw sugar and ginger up front, far more Sri Lankan kitchen than American hot sauce shelf. Garlic and vinegar sharpen the middle, then the chilli lands properly: a clean, fresh heat that builds across the tongue and then lets go instead of sitting there burning. Six out of ten, and every bit of it flavour first.

How to cook with it

• Toss wings in it straight out of the fryer — the residual heat thins it just enough to coat every crevice.
• Stir a couple of spoonfuls through pulled pork after you shred it, so the chilli stays fresh instead of cooking flat.
• Whisk it into Kewpie mayo or sour cream for a dipping sauce that will vanish before the chips do.
• Brush it onto chicken or lamb skewers in the last two minutes over coals — any earlier and the raw sugar catches.
• Rogue move: a spoonful over fried eggs on toast, then get on with your day.

In the bottle

A deep, glossy red-orange with real chilli visible through it, not a smooth pourable syrup — 26% chillies means you can see the work. It pours thick enough to sit on a slice of pizza without sliding off, and it comes in a 200g glass bottle that looks like it belongs on the table rather than in the cupboard.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Chillies (26%), Raw Sugar, Vinegar, Garlic, Ginger, Salt, Canola Oil, Acidity Regulator (270).

Dietary: Gluten free. Suitable for vegans and vegetarians. No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. May contain traces of nuts — always check the physical label.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Officer, I've never seen that bottle before in my life. Fresh chilli, ginger and garlic — it leads, so let the rest play backup: dust the wings with Coast N Smoke Winki-POP Dust, glaze them with Fancy Hanks Original, then hit the plate with this at the end. Heat is a finisher, not a marinade — add it off the grill so the chilli stays bright.

FAQ

How hot is it, really? Six out of ten. Fresh bird's-eye chilli heat that builds and then backs off — hot enough to notice, mild enough to keep eating.

Is it gluten free? Yes. Mama Melisse is gluten free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians. It may contain traces of nuts — always check the physical label.

Has it actually won anything? Australian Sauce of the Year and Australia's Best Hot Sauce at the Australian BBQ Awards at Meatstock in 2024, plus Best Hot Sauce at the 2025 Herb & Chilli Festival.

Where is it made? Frankston, Victoria — from a Sri Lankan family recipe more than 100 years old.

What can I do with it besides pour it on? Mix it through mayo, sour cream, yoghurt or cream cheese, stir it into stir-fries and slow cooks, or use it as a late glaze on wings and ribs.