Nothing wakes up your taste buds like biting into a fiery jalapeņo--or maybe it takes the mighty habaņero to get you sweating.  Whatever heats you up, check out the Web for hot sauces and salsas that will make your blood boil and your taste buds burn. Since my personal favorite is anything I can dunk a chip into, I went exploring primarily for salsa. Along the way I discovered a world of spicy sites featuring foods and sauces so hot, just looking at them was enough to make me reach for the milk carton.  (As every hot head knows, milk puts out the fire better than water ever could.)

Welcome to the pleasuredome
Hot Stuff of Saratoga feels like a chilehead's pleasuredome. The site goes beyond salsa and hot sauce, into clothing, chat rooms, recipes, and more. The phenomenal selection of salsas nearly guarantees you'll find something appealing, whether you're the timid type (try a fruit salsa like Goldwater's Paradise Pineapple) or out to punish yourself (Dave's Insanity Salsa ranks the hottest of the hot.). The site rates each product's spice level on a scale of one to five, so you'll have an idea of whether you can handle the heat. And, to wash it all down in a blaze of glory, make yourself a martini and drop in a couple of Crazy Jerry's Lizard Eyes (olives stuffed with jalapeņos or habaņeros). Ordering is a breeze: on each page, you have the option to put items into your virtual shopping cart.

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From the familiar to the fantastic
Cibolo Junction Food and Spice Company features "spirited foods from the great Southwest," ranging from salsas to bread mixes. Choosing from the small but varied salsa selection presents anomalies like Mango Papaya Salsa and familiarities like Traditional Southwest Style Salsa in mild, medium, or hot. The site itself reminds me of a specialty food shop--a little more subdued than some of the other hot food sites, but then Cibolo Junction caters to both retail and wholesale customers. Visit the "Spices from A to Z" page and get an idea of what adds spice to your favorite hot food. The only drawback to this site: it's not based on the "shopping cart" model, so the massive order form may be tough to wade through. 

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Simply salsa
The Salsa Factory is all about simplicity. Easy navigation, a small product line, and a straightforward order form make this a site any new Web cruiser will feel comfortable using. Boxes and baskets with a variety of salsas and chips would make great gifts for your favorite spicy snack lover. Most interesting item on the site: Garlic Sensational, a roasted garlic condiment that sounds good enough to eat on just about anything. This site also lacks the "shopping cart" feature, but the order form is fairly short and straightforward.

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For chileheads...
There's no salsa at Gib's Bottled Hell site, but I couldn't leave this one out. It's a haven for hot sauce junkies and a good-looking site as well. To get the full experience, choose to run the Java version of the site. Along with sauces like Bottled Hell and Hellbaņero Fire, you'll find Heavenly Heat Habaņero Honey Mustard and Hellapeno Pepper Jelly, plenty of gift baskets, T-shirts, and hats. How can you pass up a site that suggests you "give 'em hell" as a gift? Ordering here is simple--each product page gives you the option to add a little slice of hell to your shopping basket.

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Molly Dempsey was last seen soaking her head in a tub of milk.