All the Spicy Foods Found in My Local Supermarket - A Photo Documentation
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ShareThis, like many other ideas I conjure up for blog posts, struck me out of the blue.
The topic is, what is every single spicy item for sale at my local grocery store? I know that more and more foods made "hot" by chile peppers are gaining huge acceptance in the mainstream populace. It's interesting to see the contrast from what grocers offered 20, 10, and even as little as 5 years ago. It was difficult to spot little more than a few cayenne-style pepper sauces. Now the fiery edibles are becoming for and more prevalent down many supermarket aisles.
For this demonstration of what can be found at the typical American grocery store, I chose the place I patronize for most of my basic food shopping: Shop N' Save in Fenton, Missouri. Yes, before you say anything, I realize there are numerous other retailers around the St. Louis metropolitan area that specialize in cuisine from cultures more atuned to spiciness, e.g. Asian or Indian food. What's more, there are other retail chains that have shown some surprising pushes towards super-hot heat; one outstanding example are the dried bhut jolokia AKA ghost chile pepper pods I once found at Dierberg's. And numerous other smaller grocers and specialty/gourmet shops offer some scorching fare. So instead of going for the extremes or establishments with an inclination towards the more exotic, I wanted to see what homogonized, middle-America had on sale for chileheads.
What do I define as fiery or spicy food? It's simply anything made more pungent by the heat of chile peppers, whether it be sauces, salsas, frozen/refrigerated/dry processed foods or prepared foods in the deli. Items that might have fit within a broad category such as Asian food or Mexican weren't necessarily deeemed spicy; therefore just because there are frozen burritos for sale doesn't mean they're a "fiery food". It they're labeled or considered to be "spicy," or for instance are said to be "jalapeno" flavored,then I will include them.
I'll go aisle by aisle and see what I can spot. As a journeyed around the store in the typical counter-clockwise fashion, first up was the Deli section beside the Produce department.
Deli
Pepper cheese in the deli counter
Several different types of processed cheese with the spiciness of chile peppers in it. Variations of Pepper Jack cheese is especially popular here and later in the Dairy section.
Salsas line the bottom shelf of the self-serve/salad bar area between the Deli and the Produce sections.
More salsa on the salad bar counter, which is flanked by boxes of liquid nacho cheese.
What's hot here? In this shelving unit by the Deli, there are some bags of spicy chicken breading mix that's actually quite delicious.
Produce
And here we walk around to the Produce department. There are plenty of fresh chile peppers for most peoples' basic needs. These include green jalapenos, red jalapenos, fresnos, serranos, habaneros, anaheims, poblanos and bells.
And we leave the right side of the store and mosey over to the back wall where there are refrigeration units containing processed meats.
Refrigerated Meats
"Hot" breakfast sausage.
Several spicy smoked sausage offerings.
Ethnic Foods, Condiments and Sauces
Next I dived down the aisles of dry/boxed/jarred/bottled goods. Here at Shop N' Save, bottled sauces and condiments can be found in different areas, starting with Hispanic foods.
Several south-of-the-border brands of sauces and pickled peppers are available here: Bufalo, Valentina, Tapatio, La Preferida, La Victoria, El Yucateco, Embasa, and Dona Maria
Lots of spicy mainstream choices for Mexican cuisine: picante sauces, salsas, taco seasoning and more.
Old El Paso and Carlita are the two major brands dominating this section of shelving.
Salsa and jarred jalapenos in the middle of the Hispanic section.
Across the aisle in a "spillover" section, there was enchilada sauce and store brand cayenne pepper sauce.
Salsas, guac-flavored dip and quesos.
An extensive line of Mrs. Renfro's salsas
Mrs. Renfro's Ghost Pepper Salsa may be the hottest thing in the store, other than the fresh chiles previously found in the produce.
Over in the Asian section, there are a few chile sauces and curry mixes here. That large empty area on the right side of the top shelf is where bottles of the out-of-stock Huy Fong Sriracha Sauce would normally go.
Down the aisle lay many version of pickled peppers.
In the middle of the condiments aisle are the wing sauces, Louisiana-style hot sauces, and general chili sauces. On the shelf directly above the Heinz ketchups are my favorite low-heat wing sauce, Ott's Wing Sauce. Look in the middle right, left of the Cholula products and below the Frank's Red Hot shelf. Ott's is a bright orange sauce with a black label featuring a red diamond logo.
Many gourmet mustards, including a smattering of spicy/horseradish-laden varieties.
BBQ sauces! As you can probably guess, a myriad of fiery choices are available among all the milder barbeque products.
Wait, there's more! I unearthed this little impulse buy section of hot sauces another aisle over.
Spices
Over in the spice section there are some things that might be considered "spicy" in the capsaicin-based way.
Chili mixes, taco seasoning and a few of McCormick's Grill Mates could be considered "spicy".
Chili seasoning packets
What's hot here? Chili powder, paprika and ground chile pepper seasoning, for starters.
More dried seasonings and spices, some of which contain ground and crushed peppers.
Dry Goods
Is it a bit of a stretch considering these "fiery"? Nonetheless, these raman noodles come in Chili Flavor, Shrimp & Chili Flavor and Hot & Spicy Beef.
Spicy Snacks
Let's see what's down the extenstive snack chip aisle. While I'm surprised not to see more of the hotter offerings found at other supermarkets and convenience stores, there was enough salsa and chips that contained jalapeno, buffalo or chipotle flavoring of some sort to feed a small army.
Flamin' Hot and Sweet Southern Heat Barbecue Lay's Potato Chips.
Hot Cheese Flavored Popcorn.
Jay's Hot Stuff Potato Chips.
Chester's Flamin' Hot Fries.
Flamin' Hot Munchies: a spicy combination of Cheetos, Doritos, Rold Gold Pretzels and Sun Chips.
The incredible Old Vienna Red Hot Riplets Potato Chips, plus their Red Hot Corn Chips and Andy Capp's Hot Fries.
Not especially spicy but they qualify, nonetheless: mild salsas.
A couple of variations of thick, kettle-cooked chips: Krunchers! Jalapeno (a fave of mine since 1986) and Buffalo Wing styles.
One of my favorite spicy snacks - Snyder's Hot Buffalo Wing Pretzel Pieces.
Not-so-extreme flavors: Pringles Xtreme Ragin' Cajun and Sizzin' Sweet BBQ
More disappointing flavors: Pringles Screamin' Dill Pickle and Blastin' Buffalo Wing
Hot n' Spicy Chex Mix
Chipotle Cheddar Chex Mix
Not very fiery but flirting with spiciness: Spicy Nacho, Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch and Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos
Cheetos variations: Salsa Con Queso, Cheddar Jalapeno and Flamin' Hot
Bland Tostitos Salsa
These Tostitos may not contain heat, but have the flavor of chiles - Hint of Jalapeno and Fire-Roasted Chipotle. Also, more mild salsas.
Artisan Tostitos
Sun Chips with a Jalapeno Jack styling.
I'm VERY surprised that these were the only spicy nut of any kind to be found in the store - the Five Alarm Chili Planters Peanuts.
Dairy Section
In addition to the Deli Section of the store, the Dairy department has pepper jack cheese, which is found in slices and blocks.
Spicy Snacks at End Cap Displays and Other Areas
This was the biggest surprise I found at the market. It seemed like every where I turned around, there were an assortment of spicy potato chips, tortilla chips and salsa at "end caps" (the end of aisles) and hanging up for a quick grab n' go.
For those that doubt that salsa is the largest selling condiment in the United States, it's hard to notice all these other areas where salsas are on display...and ketchup isn't. By volume, there is far more salsa on sale at Shop N' Save.
Jarred queso and salsa.
Salsa in small and large containers.
These jars of salsa, along with Cheddat Jalapeno Cheetos, were in a shelving unit in the Dairy section.
Hanging up are hot fries and hot corn chips.
Hot Buffalo Wing Pieces.
Spicy or not? Velveeta Salsa & Queso and Cheesy Chili Dips.
More salsa.
Andy Capp's Hot fries.
Hanging up by frozen veggies.
Hanging up by the refrigerated section.
Red Hot Riplets and other salty snack chips.
Dips, Doritos and salsa.
Lay's Kettle Cooked Jalapeno Chips, plus salsa.
Yikes! Salsa and dip blowout!
More Artisan Tostitos and salsa...
Krunchers Jalapeno and Buffalo Wing Potato Chips.
Tortilla chips and salsa.
By the tabloids and womens' mags: Jay's Hot Stuff potato chips.
Frozen Foods
the inclusion of these are debatable, but some frozen mexican foods have a little mild ppeper content.
Nacho Bites
Cream Cheese Pepper Bites
T.G.I. Friday's Buffallo-style Chicken Wings.
Buffalo wings and chicken pieces.
Tyson's Buffalo Chicken Strips
Tyson "Anytizers" in buffalo style.
Banquet also has buffalo-style tenders.
Yes, a big stretch, but since this pizza advertsies itself as having "Spicy Italian Sausage", I'll include it.
What Do YOU Think?
I know there are big differences in what is featured in major American grocery stores. How do you local stores differ?
And what is your reaction to what I unearthed? Post it in the comments below!
Comments
2012-03-25 16:12:01
The Mrs, Renfros Ghost was a surpise to me at my market also, I snatched up a couple thinking it might not last long...
2012-03-25 17:28:21
2012-03-25 19:05:55
Your store is definitely a bit larger than ours is, and your prices seem to be about half of ours too.
2012-03-26 06:57:09
2012-03-26 07:05:21
Kudos to your photos, they look great.
Best thing I saw? A "box of liquid nacho cheese". I gotta get me one of them!
2012-03-26 07:16:52
2012-03-26 11:04:24
I noticed the pic of Hoffman's Pepper Jack cheese in the Deli. The Kroger here in Ohio has a "Super Hot" version which is my favorite, along with just a "Hot" one. You can also get them by the slice.
2012-03-26 13:45:19
I live in Western MA and have never seen any Mrs Renfros at any Big Y. I tend to do a lot of shopping at Big Y too (because they have the best meat department, and a good selection of organic foods as well).
Which Big Y did you go to?
2012-03-26 18:27:33
Also, try the Wild Harvest brand Spicy Blue Corn chips at SNS. They aren't mind-blowing but they DID catch me way off guard in level of spice. The more you eat the spicier they taste.
Off topic, but I like that our Walmart now carries both Arthur Bryant and Fiorello Jack Stack bbq sauces from KC now.
How have I never run into you in that store??.
2012-03-26 22:30:22
b. the hottest thing in any picture is that cover with jennifer aniston behind the chips! double wow.
2012-03-27 18:15:45
I still think the Shop n Save is a pretty nice store for spicy condiments compared to what we have here.
Scott, count your blessings.... it could be a Food Lion that if you are *lucky* might have a Mexican foods isle. And as usual here at our Food Lion, the Huy Fong Sriracha is sold out as well. :)
Footnote: the Bufalo sauces can be quite HOT. Crack open the Chipotle and tell me it's not.
2012-03-28 09:12:43
This was at the Big Y in Northampton, MA. I believe they have Mrs. Renfro's at the Amherst one as well. Both stores have a "spicy" section across, I think, from the canned tomatoes and next to the Mexican foods. They (and Stop & Shop) also carry Cabot Habanero Cheddar. Need I say mmmmmm?
2012-04-01 09:41:30
2012-04-02 20:24:16
My dinner plans usually revolve around finding what spicy items I have, and what can I make with it.
2012-06-14 06:42:26
2012-11-05 10:45:33
Try Marshalls and WholeFoods in Hadley. Marshalls has Melindas XXXtra Hot Habanero, Naga Jolokia, and XXXtra Reserve. Whole Foods next door has Frontera habanero salsa (not that hot, but very good), and has Melinda's XXXtra Hot Habanero for $2.69 normal price and $2.19 on sale when I was there -- can't beat that
2012-11-05 14:19:58
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