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.
Our rating:![4 peppers](../../../images/edtPepper4.gif)
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.
Our rating: ![3.5 peppers](../../../images/edtPepper3.gif)
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.
Our rating:
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.
Our rating:
![Molly Dempsey](../../../images/edtMolly.gif)
Molly
Dempsey was last seen soaking her head in a tub of
milk.
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Rating system These sites are rated on the hot pepper system, on
a scale of one to four peppers. Ratings are
based on appearance, organization, ease of use,
information, and whatever else we think is
important.
![4 peppers](../../../images/edtPepper4.gif)
A site to die for.
Fabulous content, design, and a breeze to use.
Some minor flaws.
![2 peppers](../../../images/edtPepper2.gif)
Lacking in two or more of our ratings categories,
but overall has good qualities.
![1 pepper](../../../images/edtPepper1.gif)
Too bizarre to pass up,
or had one category worth experiencing.
Boring details All sites listed were visited using a 28.8 modem.
Load times varied, but none were unbearable. If you ask
me, waiting for a page to load beats waiting in line at
the mall any day.
If you have concerns about
shopping online, our list of safety tips may put
your mind at ease.
By
using the hyperlinks located in this article, you will
be entering Internet sites outside of Microsoft's
control.
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