Gluten Free Sauces: Shiloh's All Natural Harissa Spicy Sauce

PRODUCT NAME:                     Shiloh’s Harissa Spicy Sauce

COMPANY NAME:                     Shiloh’s All Natural

COST:                                       $7.40

SIZE:                                        11 oz

COST PER OZ:                         $0.67            

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:       YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        GFCO

ORGANIC:                                NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        N/A

VEGAN:                                   YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:         NO

LOCATION OF FACILITY:         N/A

SHELF LIFE:                            1 Year +

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.               

REVIEW:

Taste:

Upon my arrival to our wonderful headquarters , I was asked perhaps my favorite question of this job: “What are you in the mood to try today?”

Upon considering such a wonderful question I knew I wanted something savory. I have been really on top of reviewing snacks and energy bars, and had certainly enjoyed the task. Despite this fact, I was coming to a point where these meal substitutes were leaving me craving just a touch more to dig my teeth into and I knew the quickest way to get to that was to steer away from the sweet and the crunchy/salty and head straight into products designed to accent meals. Enter Shiloh’s Harissa Spicy Sauce.

First let us discuss Harissa in general: What is that?! Before my review opportunity I had never heard of Harissa and all I knew was that I was presented with a jar of fire red oily sauce and I was intrigued. After some research I found out that Harissa is described as a Tunisian hot chili sauce commonly eaten in North African cuisine. Its main ingredients are chili and serrano peppers and spices such as garlic paste, coriander, red chili powder, caraway and vegetable or olive oil. It can be used as a compliment to stir fries or (less commonly) added to creamier products (sour cream or cream cheese) to make dips.

I decided to use this bombastic little sauce in a simply stir fry, so that I may understand the complexity of the flavor sans other influences. I steamed up some broccoli and tempeh, added some wheat-free tamari and about a teaspoon of Harissa and was on my way to North African influenced veggie heaven. The first note of flavor was the spice, of course. Shiloh’s takes care to use very simple, yet impactful flavors that deliver the biggest bang possible, for just a few ingredients. The very small amount I used delivered a delectable sting of spice that hit the tongue immediately and set my mouth ablaze in the finest way possible. If you, like me, like complex and spicy tastes (that may or may not make your eyes water, depending on how much you use) then you’ll love this. The other spices present in this sauce were merely subtle aftereffects to the depth of the chilies and although they added a pleasant bit of nuance, I couldn’t exactly identify them in the context of my stir fry. Essentially, all other spices aside from the chilies took a real back seat.

Aside from the spice, the fantastic oiliness of Harissa adds a great mouth feel to the product. The thick streams of oil present serve as a conduit to deliver the spice and soothe the burn immediately upon contact.  Although this is a delicious addition to any meal, it adds calories that quickly turned my stir fry into a more decadent-than-normal treat. One teaspoon of this stuff packs in 80 extra calories- roughly 50% MORE calories than olive oil!. Although adding one teaspoon to a broccoli - tempeh stir fry is not big deal calorically, adding ¼ cup of it to some pork chops (something I imagine somebody could easily do if they weren’t paying attention) could turn your meal into an immediate calorie bomb. This is definitely something to be aware of!

Labeling:

Labeling of this product was clear and concise. I deem it to be very sufficient.

Packaging:

This sauce was packaged in a glass recyclable jar. The packaging seemed sufficient for the freshness of the product.

Reader’s Reviews:

Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:           4

Taste:               4         

Value:              3

OVERALL:        3.7

Reviewed by Lacy D.