NOMAD CHILLI CO: Tamarind Gold Fermented Hot Sauce – 148ml

Nomad's most-decorated bottle

Tamarind Gold is the crew's top seller and their most awarded sauce — double gold at the 2024 Tasmanian and Melbourne Royal food awards, plus a Sydney Royal silver. It takes the signature fermented chilli blend and folds in rich, sticky tamarind for a sweet-sour hit unlike anything else on the shelf.

The flavour

Sweet and tangy up front from tamarind and mango, then the signature habanero-guajillo-pasilla blend builds a warm, smoky middle. It finishes with a moreish sweet-and-sour twang and a medium heat — think a smarter, deeper answer to sriracha or buffalo sauce.

How to cook with it

• Glaze pork belly or ribs in the last few minutes of the cook.
• Toss through a beef or chicken stir-fry for instant tang.
• Spoon over tacos, bao or rice bowls.
• Use as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, dumplings or wings.
• Whisk into a dressing with oil and lime for slaws and grain bowls.

In the bottle

A glossy amber-gold sauce, pourable but with body — thick enough to glaze, loose enough to dip. Fermentation rounds out the tamarind's natural sourness.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Tomato, onion, tamarind, habanero, guajillo, pasilla, mango, carrot, chipotle, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sea salt, black pepper, xanthan gum.

Dietary: No gluten-containing ingredients listed (gluten friendly). Naturally fermented, no artificial preservatives as described by the maker. Allergens and full statement — always check the physical label.

Questions answered

How hot is Tamarind Gold? It's a balanced medium 6/10 — the sweet-sour tamarind leads and a habanero warmth follows, so heat and flavour share the spotlight.

Is Tamarind Gold gluten free? It contains no gluten-containing ingredients listed, making it gluten friendly. Always check the physical label if you have a severe allergy.

What do you use Tamarind Gold on? It shines on pork, in stir-fries, over tacos and as a dipping sauce — anywhere you'd reach for sriracha but want more depth.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

The Smuggler's swiped a lot of jars in his time; this gold one he keeps. Rub a rack of ribs with BBQ Mafia The Squealer Pork Rub, mop them late with Boomas Boomtang BBQ Sauce, then serve the Tamarind Gold on the side for dipping. Brush the sauce thin in the last fifteen minutes so it glazes instead of burns.