“I like it, but I don’t want to eat it”

[Mosca]

The sriracha topic brought this up, and I didn’t want to side track that; but I think this is interesting.

There are some condiments that I like the taste of, but I don’t like to use. And I’m not sure there is a word for it, or even a set of words. The only way I can describe it is, “It tastes too much like itself.” Examples are: Sriracha. Pickapeppa. Chili crisp. Ghost Island Karma sauce. Pumpkin pie spice. I like all of these; they’re really good. But I don’t like to use them, because they make everything taste like sriracha, or Pickapeppa, or pumpkin pie.

I know: “Just use less”. But none of these really work that way. They’re supposed to take over. I can put a couple drops of ghost pepper hot sauce on a burger and get a nice pop of capsaicin along with a good burger. But if I hit it with a little Pickapeppa, I’m chewing on Pickapeppa. There’s no such thing as Pickapeppa (or sriracha) “in the background”.

Im not a hater; I like sriracha, Pickapeppa, chili crisp, all that stuff. But the bottles sit on the door of my refrigerator mostly full; I’ll buy one to see what the fuss is about, try it a few times, and then soon choose away from it, and a week later it’s forgotten about; not actively avoided, but just forgotten about. And a few months after that I notice it again, and then I think, “…Nah.”

Edit: Worcestershire. Or any steak sauce, really. They’re all good, but when you use it, you aren’t eating steak any more; you’re chewing steak sauce. I use Worcestershire to make other things, but I don’t use Worcestershire.

[Huskee]

I'm with you, I get it. I don't hate W-sauce or A1 but I rarely use them. Same with liquid smoke.

Y'all might hate me for saying this, but for me the biggest thing that fits this is bacon. I like it. Nuthin wrong with bacon. To me though it is most definitely a breakfast food. I'm absolutely not in on the trend of putting bacon on everything because it makes everything taste like, well, bacon. I don't even like bacon cheeseburgers. Why do I want my burger tasting like breakfast? Or my smoked pork loin wrapped in more smoked pork? Pass, thanks.

[FireMan]

Actually it did sound like naked bacon.

[DavidNorcross]

Huskee are you ok? I am a little worried about you my friend. If there is anything we can do for you please let us know.

[Huskee]

DavidNorcross Tee hee. I knew some would think I'm a nut job, lol.

[Andrrr]

I’m with ya on the sriracha and I don’t think I can put my feelings about it into words any better than you did. I’ve got a bottle in my fridge that angrily looks at me while all my other hot sauces go up to bat.

[Skinsfan1311]

I couldn't agree more! With stuff like Pickapeppa, original Tabasco, Sriracha, I tend towards using them as condiments, rather than recipe ingredients.

[Draznnl]

Agree. But sometimes you just have to find the object something works well with. For example, the only thing I ever use A-1 for is to dunk french fries when the mood strikes me. But I haven't found that yet for sriracha or Worcestershire, for example.

[ssandy_561]

A-1 mixed with Mayo is one of my favorite french fry dipping sauces

[ssandy_561]

Sriracha mixed with Mayo is great as a french fry dipping sauce also

[shify]

Here's my hot take... I feel that way about ketchup (although I don't particularly like it).

It has a such a strong flavor as a condiment that everything with ketchup just tastes like ketchup. I don't want my burger, my fries, etc. to taste like ketchup. I can't think of an instance outside of the rare occasions I make homemade bbq sauce or cocktail sauce that I've actually used ketchup myself. Frankly, if it wasn't for my kids, I likely wouldn't even have any in my house.

[FireMan]

Wait a minute here, ketchup is a whole nuther story, cuz cat soup is just sugar sauce that is dyed red by tomato.

[SheilaAnn]

Mosca careful now…. 🤣🤣🤣🌭🌭🌭

[mnavarre]

Yep, Ketchup is an ingredient, not a condiment. Absolutely gross.

[Alan Brice]

I have not done the sriracha/ghost purple pepper death sauce. I like some flavor for things that have become mundane. Only recently tried the tajin on some dry roast peanuts. Not overpowering, quite a nice change. I will prob use that more.
The whole bacon around a filet is to also add some flavor. Fat equals flavor and I do not know many who would put a dollop of butter on their steak while cooking it. I am sure 99.9% of the fine folks here would have that in their arsenal.
Foods and condiments have gotten such a bad wrap, whole milk for instance. Skim milk as an example is crud. Watered down almost there but totally missing the mark. I feel the same about light beer. "I will drink a watered down version of something I used to enjoy before the advertising execs got ahold of it, and suffer poor taste but still be over weight." NOT!
Diet soda is the same. Since Tab in the 60/70's all soda drinkers get from fake sugar is fatter thinking they are doing something that will help them lose weight.
Kim will not eat fat from briskie or a pork loin and everything she buys is "fat free". I try to get her to understand fat lubes our cartilage and helps the joints move smoothly not to mention the resilience it gives our tendons. The fat (flavor) that has been removed is replaced with salt or a variation of same. Chips will be the death of all who indulge.
Always been a Bud drinker prob always will, if I continue to drink beer. Not sure where I was going with this, just my 2 cents.

[mrichie1229]

I agree with pumpkin pie spice (which I only use to make pumpkin pies). I also try to avoid adding cloves or nutmeg to other cooking/baking dishes because of its overpowering nature. If I do use it, it is at half or a quarter of what the recipe calls for.

[Mosca]

I like it, but I’ll choose any other pie when presented with either/or.

[Murdy]

Another one, for me, that behaves similarly to bacon is green pepper. I like green pepper in some things, but out of place, it takes over and changes whatever it's added to. I can't stand it in meatloaf as that's all I taste, but if I'm in the mood, it's good on pizza, as long as there are some other strong tastes to stand up to it.

[Mosca]

Most people don’t like it at all in spaghetti sauce. But I grew up with my mom making it that way, and when it’s missing I think something’s… well, missing.

[Murdy]

Mosca -- I doubt I'd like green pepper in spaghetti, and definitely not in lasagna, but I like stuffed peppers, which aren't that far away in terms of taste profiles.

[Bkhuna]

I have an aversion to green bell peppers. I use poblano's instead.

[jfmorris]

I can't say anything about Pickapeppa, as I never heard of it, but I love sriracha, but mostly on things I want to be spicier. Like pizza, as an alternate to red pepper flakes. I had some on some eggs this morning, mostly to give the eggs some flavor. I like to mix a little with my ketchup for burgers and fries - but not used straight. Just looking for a bit of a kick - not to take away the taste of the burger. The sriracha I like best is Tabasco brand, and I use it like I would Tabasco or another hot sauce - it's just thicker is the main thing, to me anyway.

I enjoy hot sauces, but not ones that overwhelm me with capsaicin - Pepper X is not my friend! . I want the flavor over the heat I guess in some sense.

You can have ALL my pumpkin spice. I hate the stuff. I hate anything made with it. I hate pumpkin (or sweet potato) pie. Worst thing ever - beer ruined with pumpkin spice in the recipe...

[Murdy]

Pickapeppa is like a cross between a pepper sauce and Worcester. I love it on pizza, eggs, or in a Bloody Mary.

[Oak Smoke]

Wow what a great topic Mosca . I simply don’t allow 57 sauce in my house. If someone ask for it I can say I don’t have any. I buy really nice steaks. If I go to the trouble and expense of putting a very good steak in front of someone I don’t want to see it covered with 57 sauce. I do keep Worcestershire sauce in the fridge. I use it and Wishbone Italian dressing to sauté mushrooms. I also keep a bottle of Tiger sauce on hand. I use it when cooking ribs once in a while just for a little flavor boost. There are several things I used to keep that I don’t anymore because when I go through the fridge I find them unopened and expired.

[Murdy]

I love 57, but like Jimmy, it like it on my cheeseburgers, not steak.

[Bkhuna]

I like a bit of 57 on a hamburger. It's also good to dip steak fries in. That's about all it get's used for.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

I Hear what you are saying....ersp with W-sauce.....i have learned to use them sparingly when cooking.

I do like Siracha as a condiment on a couple of things though

[fzxdoc]

That's my problem with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Takes over and runs the show so much that I can't even taste the flavor of the other peppers in the dish I'm preparing.

Most Mexican dishes or salsas I make have 3-5 different peppers in them, and if chipotle elbows its way in, that's it. It becomes a chipotle-flavored dish. Even if I reduce the amount of chipotle, I find the flavor overwhelming.

Solution: let chipotle play by itself in a pepper-spiced dish. That way I know what I'm getting.

Kathryn

[Mosca]

Yep, that’s another one. Chipotle peppers in adobo. Even a teaspoon of the adobo in a big pot of chili takes over completely. Fine, if that’s what you want, but there’s no subtlety to it at all.

[Bkhuna]

The sriracha topic brought this up, and I didn’t want to side track that; but I think this is interesting.

There are some condiments that I like the taste of, but I don’t like to use. And I’m not sure there is a word for it, or even a set of words. The only way I can describe it is, “It tastes too much like itself.” Examples are: Sriracha. Pickapeppa. Chili crisp. Ghost Island Karma sauce. Pumpkin pie spice. I like all of these; they’re really good. But I don’t like to use them, because they make everything taste like sriracha, or Pickapeppa, or pumpkin pie.

I know: “Just use less”. But none of these really work that way. They’re supposed to take over. I can put a couple drops of ghost pepper hot sauce on a burger and get a nice pop of capsaicin along with a good burger. But if I hit it with a little Pickapeppa, I’m chewing on Pickapeppa. There’s no such thing as Pickapeppa (or sriracha) “in the background”.

Im not a hater; I like sriracha, Pickapeppa, chili crisp, all that stuff. But the bottles sit on the door of my refrigerator mostly full; I’ll buy one to see what the fuss is about, try it a few times, and then soon choose away from it, and a week later it’s forgotten about; not actively avoided, but just forgotten about. And a few months after that I notice it again, and then I think, “…Nah.”

Edit: Worcestershire. Or any steak sauce, really. They’re all good, but when you use it, you aren’t eating steak any more; you’re chewing steak sauce. I use Worcestershire to make other things, but I don’t use Worcestershire.

What kind of chili crisp?

[Mosca]

Huy Fong. Understand: it’s delicious. The part that’s a disconnect is that I don’t want to use it on anything. I tried it for a couple weeks on different things, and lost interest.