The Spicy Sauce That Was Made To Go In Your Coffee
Do mornings have you feeling a bit blah lately? Do you feel like your morning joe isn't quite doing it for you, despite the fact that your go-to order at Starbucks is a red-eye? Maybe you just need a new way of kickin' it up a notch. And if you're one of the millions of Americans who already adds hot sauce to all of your favorite foods, maybe this coffee hack is right for you.
Ujjo is the only hot sauce specially crafted to be added to your coffee (via Delish). You heard that right folks — hot sauce for your morning brew. In case the idea has left even the true-fire believers out there scratching their heads, we should point out that Ujjo is no ordinary hot sauce. This is not the acidic, garlic-laden stuff that founder D'Souza was first dared to add to her morning brew (via Ujjo).
The name Ujjo is a homage to D'Souza's father, as it was her dad who instilled in her a love for spicy food, and so the sauce was named accordingly. The word means "fire" in his native Konkani language. In case you're wondering if this is a hot sauce worth checking out, there are a few things you should know about Ujjo.
Spruce up your coffee with spice
Unlike regular hot sauce, which uses vinegar as a base, the heat in this sauce is sweet (per Sprudge). There are two versions of Ujjo, and both make use of spices that add depth and fragrance in addition to the mouth-tingle of cayenne. The "light roast" features the lighter, brighter flavors of ginger and citrus while the "dark roast" taps into the deeper, warmer side of the chai tea that inspired D'Souza by incorporating notes of allspice, vanilla, cinnamon, and molasses (via Delish).
While adding heat to your (already hot) drinks may not be something you do regularly, it's certainly familiar to the fans of Bloody Marys, chili-laden hot chocolates (per Hotel Chocolat), and Trader Joe's Jalapeño Limeade margaritas. And if you're not a coffee person, there's no need to feel left out. Ujjo can also be added to other things, per its website, like "tea, cocktail, or dessert, or you-name-it."
While some of us may balk at adding hot sauce to the brew so essential to our well-being that we've perfected it in many different ways, maybe you are someone who can't live without the spice and, perhaps, will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of the *Hot* Spiced Pumpkin Latte at your local Starbucks.