Flavour? Heat? Pain? 'Heatseekers' share their keys to a great bottle of hot sauce

What's the secret to good hot sauce? Flavour? Heat? A balance of both? We asked people at the 2nd Heatseeker Hot Sauce Festival what they look for in a good bottle of hot sauce.

What do you look for in a good bottle of hot sauce? Sweet or smokey flavours? Or, perhaps, you're a "glutton for punishment" — the words of one person in attendance at Windsor's 2nd annual Heatseeker Hot Sauce Festival.

The event returned Saturday on the ground floor of the Pelisser Street parking garage, showcasing some of the best hot sauces made by more than 20 producers across the province.

But with more than 100 different sauces available for tasting, from wild to mild and everything in between, your taste buds might be thrown for a loop — not just from the heat, but from the variety of ingredients and flavour profiles.

So what's the secret for a great bottle of hot sauce?

We asked people visiting the 2024 Heatseeker Hot Sauce Festival about what they look for in a bottle of hot sauce. Take a look at the video above to hear what some hot sauce enthusiasts had to say.