Clancy’s Fancy Hot Sauce

Frankly, I don’t miss too much about living in Ann Arbor. I did live in a wonderful house, and had a great group of friends. But with most other things: the harsh winters, self-flagellation, and same circuit of four bars- I’m happy to have moved on.
And thanks to my friend Anne, I can take one more item off the list of things I miss: Clancy’s Fancy Hot Sauce. To the best of my knowledge, this racy condiment is only available in Southeastern Michigan, but through the wonders of the US Postal Service, I’m enjoying it on my scrambled eggs and stews here in Philadelphia.

Clancy’s offers a more savory flavor and a thicker consistency than most hot sauces. One key reason for this difference is the lengthy list of ingredients. While Tabasco sauce and its many imitators rely on a core of vinegar, hot peppers and salt; Clancy’s starts with a base of apple cider vinegar, then adds olive oil, and both cayenne and sweet peppers. Greater complexity and thickness also comes from the tamari, a slightly thicker variation on soy sauce, and bouillon concentrate.

The latter concentrate, incorporating more vinegar, molasses, and soya protein, is likely the source of the unami flavor in the sauce- the mysterious fifth taste (apart from sweet, salty, bitter, and spicy). This registers in the sauce as a difficult to describe meaty, or savory sensation.

Finally, they throw in a little Michigan honey, fresh garlic, and ginger juice- local ingredients that don’t generally appear in hot sauce, but add just a little more nuance to the flavor.

The end result is a condiment that is spicy, but not overpowering. More importantly, the hot flavors don’t crowd out the many other tastes that appear on the palate. Ann Arbor, maybe you weren’t such a bad place after all.