Green Bandit Basil Serrano: Secret Sauce for Surprising Snacks

Good Hurts is the name of the site, but real good hurts include anything that hurts good. As an English teacher, my natural instinct not to explore the definition using the same terms reversed, but it's just plain true. Good Hurts, however, dedicates itself to the taste-oriented world of "good." No, you won't see any good hurts on this site like getting pleasure out of a vicious spanking, but you WILL see a wider variety of hot, spicy, and painful treats beyond the average hot sauces we've come to know and accept.
Green Bandit's Basil Serrano hot sauce is, well, a sauce that's hot. But is it a hot sauce as we've come to define hot sauces? This bizarre sauce lurks in secret shadows behind your taste buds like the no-good varmint on the label. But is it worth challenging to a duel?


Let's look at the facts: Made in sunny Fairfield, NJ, Green Bandit Basil Serrano is proudly "stolen from a secret family recipe." The bottle even includes a fun story about how the hot sauce artisan's dad earned the nickname "Raging Abe" because he stole his hot sauce recipe. Then he asks, "can I come home now, dad? Be creative and try it on everything!" Choice words...less so about furious father everywhere and more so about trying this sauce on everything. How right he is!

Good hurts: For formatting sakes, I'll put this first and THEN flavor. But flavor really comes before everything here. Yes, it's hot. It doesn't have the kind of lingering kick or burn that most hot sauces have, though, even though it uses habanero peppers; the Serrano pepper is a lot more full-bodied and juicy than a habanero, and gives you more of a fresh sting than a long tongue scorching burn. This sauce is all about the kick it has. Not a big one, but more than you'd find in a typical dressing or vinaigrette, which this sauce resembles.

Flavor: This sauce is two things: weird as the wild west and delicious.
It's weird because it's a green sauce, which means it's filled with all kinds of herbs and spices and is usually pretty good for vegetables. However, apple cider vinegar, serrano peppers, lemon juice, olive oil, and the all-important basil are a lot of acidic flavors you won't find in most hot sauces. The ginger hints are subtly significant, and you may find yourself licking your fingers after consuming. This thin, basil-chunked sauce feels light and tangy, which leads to point number two: it's interesting blend of zesty, garden fresh flavor makes it able to go places other hot sauces can't. Unless you're a total hot freakomatic, you aren't going to put Dave's on salads or pesto pasta. Yet Green Bandit can sneak into unsuspecting, surprising foods. This "hot sauce" is a lot more like a spicy salad dressing or vinaigrette. It might belong more in your condiment section of the fridge or spice rack than hot sauce collection!


Availability: Like I've found with most hot sauces on Good Hurts, it's easy to find on the internet and available in hot sauce stores. However, I say to you: demand this sauce! Grocery stores would be remiss for not acknowledging a hot sauce with the power to blast a salad and fresh veggies (or even more acidic fruits!)

Good for: This is the first sauce I've eaten that I think is designed with salads in mind. Whether it's simple greens, tuna, chicken (or chicken salad), or tortilla, I think this tart sauce is meant to accompany savory greens and lighty sweet fruits. It won't leave you rolling on the floor burning, but will add an emphatic kick to your healthier meals.

Review:
Heat: **
Flavor: ****
My Review: 7/8/10

This unique sauce isn't quite versatile enough to pour on chips or burritos...and it's a bit on the watery side. It is, however, unconventional, bold, and brave. And it's a very good (light) hurt.