Anyone who is from or has ever been to Belize knows about Marie Sharps hot sauce. It's like ketchup at a Burger King-you can't get away from it. Marie Sharp's famous sauces grace every dining table in the land. Even if you opt to eat out, you will find it, sitting expectantly next to the ketchup or the fine wine, omnipresent in the Belizean consciousness and omnipotent in its fieryness. No lunch, dinner or even breakfast is complete without a little habanero-and who better to deliver that endorphin filled taste sensation than our own beloved Ms. Marie?
We Belizeans are dedicated devotees of our hot sauce and the Belizean diaspora in the USA can be found lugging suitcases full of tamales, johnny cakes and Marie Sharp's classic fiery habanero pepper sauce on their return from visits home. I for one always pick up a bottle or two or have family bring it to me when they visit. I also carried it with me to both Spain and Argentina where, I am proud to say, I personally converted several locals to the cult of Marie Sharps. When I return to Argentina it will be with a bottle of her fiery sauce in my hand, ready to spice up any traditional asado that might be going down.
In the meantime, if you are inclined to try Marie Sharps, it has now started appearing in the U.S. at various venues. I found it most recently at a tiny hot sauce store in the beach town of Chincoteague VA! However, the surest way to get some, aside from going to Belize, may be to order it online. A quick Google search reveals that you can even order it at Amazon, although I would suggest checking out some of the independent hot sauce emporiums operating online such as Fire Girl, Hot Sauce World, Sam McGee's or Dr. Chile Pepper, which offers Marie Sharp's Corporation's complete line of hot sauces, jellies and jams for sale and delivery in the USA.
Marie Sharps produces a full line of hot sauces, some with cactus or citrus bases as opposed to the traditional carrot, some mild, some tongue scorching. However the classic and by far favorite hot sauce is her Fiery Hot Habanero Sauce, which, with its carrot base and lime accents, is the perfect accompaniment to every food from pizza to Argentinean beef. Don't leave home without it! The few times I have, I deeply regreted my oversight. Everything tastes better with some good habanero sauce and Marie Sharps is about the best you can get.
Now I realize this post sounds like an ad for Marie Sharps Corp. However, I assure you I am in no way affiliated with the company. What you read here is a pure and deep love for my favorite hot sauce of all time, a classic condiment that can lift the bland to sublime heights and instantly transform any food into a Belizean meal. If you have tried a Marie Sharps hot sauce I would love to know what you think about it, so please leave a comment!Labels: Belize Stories, Belizean food, Ingredients
