Texas Pete
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Texas Pete is a retail brand name for a Louisiana-style hot sauce in the United States manufactured by the TW Garner Food Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is the number one hot sauce in the Southeastern United States[1], although nationwide it is less popular than Tabasco sauce. The brand is best known for its 3.0 oz bottles with their bright red sauce, shaker top, and white and yellow label featuring the name in red and "Texas Pete", a red silhouette cowboy.
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[edit] History
Texas Pete was created by the Garner family, who operated "The Dixie Pig Barbecue Stand." The sauce was originally planned to be called "Mexican Joe" but renamed when Samuel Garner decided it should be an American name.[1]
[edit] Production
The cayenne peppers used in Texas Pete hot sauce are aged for two years to soften their skins, and the company claims this also enhances concentration of capsaicin. The peppers are then combined with vinegar, salt, xantham gum, and sodium benzoate. One of the controversies surrounding the sauce is the inclusion of xanthan gum, which gives the sauce a thicker, smoother texture that some hot sauce fans find distasteful.
[edit] Heat
The sauce registers approximately 1,000 on the Scoville heat scale, compared to Tabasco which registers 2,500-5,000.[2] It is considered to be mild by hot sauce enthusiasts, but it has been suggested that its relative mildness accounts for its widespread popularity. The company also acknowledges this with the motto "Texas Pete Sauces are all about FLAVOR, not BURN!"
