Add fuel to the fire

Caribbean Hot Sauce by El Yucateco - salsa picante de chilli habanero

$8.95 for 120ml; heat factor: 4; Mexico

The ketchup-thick sauce is 5400 Scoville heat units, so more than moderately hot. There's a sharp vinegary kick, although it's thickened and sweetened with carrots. The lingering heat stays with you.

Heavenly Habanero Chilli Sauce with Mango

Byron Bay Chilli Co.; $5.95 for 250ml; heat factor: 5; Australia

The label says ''extra hot'' and the thick sauce is packed with habanero. Mango adds a slightly sweet tropical tilt. There are flecks of chilli seeds, while spices remain notably absent. This is all about the habanero flavour. No artificial colours or preservatives.

Scorpion Strike Stupidly Hot BBQ Sauce

The Chilli Factory; $19.95 for 150ml; heat factor: 5+; Australia

It's 58 per cent Trinidad scorpion chilli and so hot that tasting it on its own was impossible. There's no barbecue flavour, as stated in the name, but it would work with a barbecue. It's a magnificent sauce, fresh and packed with fiery chilli chunks, a hint of Worcestershire sauce within. But, seriously, keep out of reach of children - this is adults only.

Tapatio Salsa Picante Hot Sauce

$4.95 for 148ml; heat factor: 2; US

This rich sauce is heavy with ground spices, and has a mild chilli kick, with a cumin, peppery aftertaste. It's made in California and we're told it's an American institution, popular with US troops posted overseas.

Pickapeppa Sauce

Pickapeppa Co Ltd; $7.95 for 140ml; heat factor: 1; Jamaica

A kind of sophisticated adopted child of HP and Worcestershire, but with more complex flavour and its own clove-heavy personality. Aged in oak barrels, where the natural ingredients are left to deepen in flavour. It's heavy with black pepper, cloves and thyme. Raisins add a slightly sweet element. Put this in a cheese sandwich and with grilled meats.

Red Clipper Red Habanero Cayenne and Tomato

$12.95 for 200ml; heat factor: 4; Australia

A chunky sauce that pours like a thinned-out salsa, complete with whole chilli seeds and chopped chilli. It's medium-hot. The tomato-based sauce tastes of habanero chilli and spicy cayenne. It's like a Bloody Mary in a sauce. There's a lovely fruitiness and it's packed with fresh bird's-eye-chilli flavour and all-natural ingredients.

Tabasco, McIlhenny Co Pepper Sauce

$3.76 for 59ml; heat factor: 3; Louisiana

The most famous hot sauce in the world, 144 years old and sold in more than 165 countries, it comes in green jalapeno, chipotle, buffalo-style and habanero, but the original is known for its versatile vinegary tang and chilli burn.

Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce (Tuong Ot Sriracha)

Huy Fong Foods; $8.40 for 750ml, heat factor: 3 ; Asian-style, made in California

David Tran is a Vietnamese immigrant in the US. His take on Asian chilli sauce now produces 20 million bottles a year. The smooth sauce is not overly acidic and consists mainly of chilli, sugar, salt and garlic. Livens other sauces, even mayonnaise.

Frank's Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

$11.95 for 354ml; heat factor: 2; US

Ask any restaurant, diner or bar serving buffalo hot wings in the US for the chef's secret ingredient and you'll probably get the answer, ''Frank's''. This thin, vinegary and mild sauce (it also comes in extra hot) was apparently used in the first-ever buffalo wings recipe. It works with fresh oysters, fish and on anything on which you might fancy a mild, cayenne-heavy Tabasco.

Cholula Hot Sauce

$9.95 for 150ml; heat factor: 1; Mexico

This hot sauce is more about the spice than the heat. It's cumin, paprika and cayenne with a hint of vinegar, which calls for a night of taco shells and minced beef browned with onions. The sauce also comes in chilli lime and chipotle flavours, and in each there is a gentle balance of piquin and arbol chilli peppers. No artificial flavours or preservatives.

Hot! Samoan Boys Chilli Sauce

$17.95 for 150ml; heat factor: 2; Samoa

Made from bird's-eye chillies, this sharp sauce is good splashed on pizza, barbecued meat and chilli con carne.

Heat scale
1 Handle the heat.
2 It's getting hot in here.
3 Pass the water.
4 Whooooa.
5 Bring in the fire hose.