From hot honey to habanero fire: The top nine chilli sauces and condiments to have in your larder

There was a time when the cupboards in my first apartment had a small, but perfectly-formed array of proper hot sauces. We’re talking the big US names made from a combination of fresh Scotch bonnets, habanero and even extract and habanero pods. Now, you can get sauces made from the mighty Carolina Reaper and Scorpion (which are truly terrifying in their heat levels), but back then it was Blair’s which grabbed my eye. The brand produces some bonkers extract sauces which come in at two or three million Scoville units (whereby a jalapeno is between 2,000 and 8,000), but its classic sauce plays a blinder. It packs a lot of habanero inside, so beware, but it’s usable as a table sauce and has a rich, balanced profile with lots of freshness and garlic zing. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it.