Costco's 'Hot Sauce Challenge' Is Turning Heads
Oh, Costco: you have so many products that we love. From thick-cut, hickory-smoked bacon to robust whole bean coffee to a $4.99 rotisserie chicken with juicy meat and crispy skin, it's hard to go wrong when food shopping at this wholesale giant that has achieved remarkable success and popularity since its first store opened in 1983.
Over the years, Costco has marketed a variety of hot sauces, from good ol' Tabasco to classic Cholula. But now — just in time for Father's Day, in case your pops is a heat head — the retailer has upped its game with a 10-bottle "Hot Sauce Challenge," with flavors including Green Jalapeño, Mango Habanero, and Red Chili (via Yahoo). While the kit is not yet featured on Costco's website, it's been garnering attention around the web since it was pointed out as a "Costco Hot Find" in a recent TikTok video. Let's take a closer look at this box o' hot stuff, and which sauces it contains to challenge your heat tolerance.
From Red Chili to Tongue Scraper
Costco's new Hot Sauce Challenge contains flavors of hot sauce from the brand The Modern Gourmet, per Yahoo. The flavors span from the mild-sounding Smoky Bourbon and plain ol' Jalapeño to varieties that are aimed at true chili heads, with intimidating names such as Tongue Scraper Extreme Red and Brain Killer — yikes! Presumably in the middle of such extremes lie flavors including Red Chili and Mexican-Style.
If you love heat, this $13.99 box of sauces might be just the ticket for upping your game at backyard barbecues and picnics this summer. Or, as we mentioned, if you have a dad who loves to pile on the hot stuff, the Hot Sauce Challenge could make the perfect Father's Day gift. Don't worry: you don't have to worry about burning Dad's tongue off (except for maybe with that Brain Killer flavor). The kit comes with a guide to each sauce which lists the Scoville (units that measure the heat of peppers and chilis) of each variety, meaning that your pops can make an informed decision as to whether he wants to sweat his way through lunch or not. Challenge accepted.