The 6 Best Hot Sauces (According to Atomic Rob)
Working here in the WJRZ/WRAT promo offices, we’ve got a guy named Rob. If you’ve ever come up to our tent at an event and said hi, it’s very likely…
Working here in the WJRZ/WRAT promo offices, we’ve got a guy named Rob. If you’ve ever come up to our tent at an event and said hi, it’s very likely you’ve met Rob. Rob’s most notable nickname is Atomic Rob. Why, you may ask? Well, this guy LOVES hot sauce.
I’ve never seen anybody else eat hot sauce like him. He told me a story one day about how he thought the Blazin’ Sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings really wasn’t spicy. I asked him if he ever did the Blazin’ Challenge. He said he did not because he doesn’t like to be rushed while he’s eating. Plus, he likes blue cheese with his wings.
I told Rob I was going to write this article because honestly, if there’s anybody to give recommendations about the best hot sauces, it’s him. (Here’s video proof he knows what he’s talking about (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beMetk_CRjs) I asked him to give me a list of his top 5 favorite hot sauces and an explanation as to why. He couldn’t narrow it down to just 5, so we’ve got 6 for you.
When I saw this list, I asked him if they were in any particular order, and he said they were not. He said that they were all just the best, but they had different reasons as to why they were the best. So, without further ado, the list:
1. Obscene – Chicken or The Egg
- Rob said that this was his favorite Buffalo Sauce of all time. He’s never bought a bottle of it himself (because it’s not cheap) but when he goes to Chicken or the Egg in Beach Haven, Obscene is his go-to.
2. Melinda’s - Ghost Pepper Wing Sauce
- When I asked him which on this list was most likely his favorite overall, he said this one. He said it’s his favorite flavor and it's got a good spice, but it isn’t too spicy (but it’s also probably the spiciest on the list, so, proceed with caution).
3. Trader Joe’s - Habanero
- Rob told me that this was his favorite cheap hot sauce. He said it’s nothing fancy but it’s delicious, especially for its price point.
4. Cholula – Original
- This is Rob’s go-to for Mexican food. He said it’s basic, but he loves it and always has a bottle at home. (I’ll say it’s also my go-to for Mexican food and I recommend it as well, but this article isn’t about me).
5. Dirty Dick’s - Original Hot Sauce
- Rob said that in his opinion of all the hot sauces on the list, this one has the most unique flavor. It's kind of sweet and apparently, there’s banana in the ingredients.
6. Hank - Iceman
- He told me this sauce was super good and had a whiskey taste to it but it was also expensive. So, if you know Rob or you’ve ever met him at an event, and you feel so compelled to get him a Christmas present this year, he requests you get him a bottle of this.
5 Of the Riskiest Foods Linked to Recalls
A new Consumer Reports study has ranked the riskiest foods. They analyzed data from the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture between 2017 and 2022. Their researchers focused on "widely consumed foods" that had recalls over a specific duration of time.
According to Consumers Reports, the CDC estimates that 48 million people each year fall ill from salmonella, listeria, E. coli, or other bacteria or viruses in food. They said most recover on their own after a few days. But about 130,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses yearly.
Some of the foods that are ranked at the top of the list include bagged salads, poultry products, and deli meats. The top five are leafy greens, deli cheese and meat, ground beef, onions, and poultry. Bagged salads and other leafy greens ranked number one on the list. They found 50 different recalls linked to them since 2017. Also, it has the most caused deaths. Last on the list at number ten is flour. Unlike leafy greens, flour has had zero total deaths.
"We aren’t saying people need to avoid these foods entirely," says Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at CR, who led the analysis. "After all, these foods are all usually safe, and many of them are in fact important parts of a healthy diet." Ronholm continued to say in Consumers Report that the list underscores the "importance of following best food safety practices with all of your foods, including knowing how to track, and respond, to food recalls when they happen." Read the entire list, and learn how you can reduce your risk at Consumer Reports.
#5: Poultry
Getty ImagesWe won't get into it, but poultry livestock is often kept in pretty gnarly conditions. That can lead to salmonella. Poultry should be cooked at at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
#4: Onions
Getty ImagesConsumer Reports cites an FDA investigation that suggested that contaminated irrigation water was the most likely cause for salmonella here, too. It also identified livestock on nearby land and droppings from birds and other wild animals as possible sources.
#3: Ground Beef
Getty ImagesDeadly strains of E. coli can get from feedlots and pastures can get into beef itself, transferring from a cow’s gut to the meat during slaughter.
#2: Deli Meats And Cheeses
Getty ImagesListeria flourishes, everywhere, and cold temperatures are not a defense. Consumer Reports actually advises to avoid cold cuts, or limit how often you have them. Listeria isn't pretty.
#1: Leafy Greens
Getty ImagesThis was a bit of a surprise to us. Consumer Reports postulates that this is because of contaminated water used to irrigate the fields in California and Arizona, where most of the lettuce is grown in the U.S.
