REVIEW: CaJohn’s Trinidad Scorpion Salsa
We did CaJohn’s Trinidad Scorpion BBQ Sauce last week to positive reviews. Now we are tackling this extremely spicy salsa made with presently the world’s hottest chile pepper. If you have ever tried any of CaJohn’s salsas then you know that they have a special quantity not found in your average store bought variety. Some of the best salsa in the business in my opinion. I personally list their Macioce’s Italian Salsa as one of my all time favorites. Throw in some Trinidad Scorpion peppers into a wonderful salsa blend, and you will be a wonderful salsa that is freakin’ hot. We are putting that theory to the test. Will the flavor of the world’s hottest pepper change the salsa in a good or bad way? Let us watch find out from our review team of the Machine, yours truly, and the Missouri Boyz- Scott Roberts & Ryan Graub.
The Machine
Buddah
Missouri Boyz
CaJohn’s Fiery Foods
www.CaJohns.com
816 Green Crest Dr.
Westerville, OH 43081
Toll Free: 888-703-FIRE
Tel: 614-418-0808
Email: ca****@ca*****.com
Facebook: CLICK ME
I’ve been working on a jar of this for a while. Great tasting salsa and plenty o heat for sure. 7-8 chips with small amounts of the salsa is all I do at a time.
Thanks Steve and Al, wow you Missouri Boys are a tough group! I personally think the salsa is “above average”, but then again I may be a bit biased.3 hearts indicate a middle of the road, or an average indicator. Oh well, it is what it is…
As stated, we make a whole range of salsas to fit many tastes. Thanks for the great feedback! Steve, you are indeed worthy of you title, “The Machine”!
John, to me 2.5 is average, so 3 is a bit above it. I mentioned that the salsa was very good and flavorful. I’m not a huge fan of Trinidad Scorpions in general (they’re a bit too bitter for me), so that factor kept it from being a knock-out salsa to me. Plus, I took into account that an excellent salsa has to have that munchability factor, where you could become addicted to it and eat half the jar in one sitting…since this salsa is so hot, most people couldn’t do that. A few bites and that would be enough for them and then they’d be done. 😉
A friend of my son eat a whole jar at dinner the other so I let him try alittle friend of mine. 11mil extract on a FF no problem
😯
It is what it is…
No problem!
2.5 is the standard “average” for a product review. We define our rating chart here: http://www.iloveitspicy.com/rating-scale/
3 Hearts = Slightly above average, needs some work, and may or may not recommend it.
2 1/2 = Totally run of the mill product, been there, done that, better products out there to buy.
After I was done with the video, I tore back into the queso dip. It was really hard to eat, but it was also very hard to stop eating at the same time. It has addictability to the salsa, it just is too damn hot to go through the jar because of it.
So all the praise in the dialog is just rhetoric?
Just asking, I really don’t have a problem with it, but you seem to want to keep it going…
It is too hot for most, including me to sit down and eat a jar. A few chips is enough. I really don’t understand Scott’s “bitter” comment, he said it was very sweet. Like you guys, I am entitled to an opinion. That might be a good blog topic, manufacturers review the reviewers! Like I said, it is what it is…
John, as you probably realize, reviews aren’t black and white…they have all kinds of shades of gray. And I’ll try to give all the positives as well as any negatives, so that there’s more to a review that just a plain old number score. Some thoughts and opinions may sound glowing, other points can be critical…
The bitter comment is in reference to Trinidad Scorpions chiles in general. I’m not a fan of the taste of them.
Yes, the salsa is very sweet. It has an outstanding base flavor! But to me, that little bit of a bitter, floral characteristic of a Scorpion pepper knocked it down a point for me, as did that fact that I couldn’t plow through the jar as fast as I normally would a milder salsa. A great salsa has to allow me to get into that heavy duty snacking mode where I can’t stop eating it, and this failed in that respect because the heat made me stop. 😐
In reference to what Buddah said below about re-trying his queso dip, I took out the Trinidad Salsa out again tonight and put on a little bit on each tortilla chip, with an occasional chunk on them. I was able to eat about 20 chips like that successfully without getting too burned. So easy does it with your stuff, CaJohn, because I’m used to loading up each chip with a ginormous scoop of salsa.
BTW, feel free to “interview” me anytime, John, and we can talk about reviewing and blogging. I’d even be open to doing a video at ZestFest if you have time. 😉
Scott, review, not interview…
Just like you do to sauces, salsas, etc.
You know I respect your opinion, just asking questions.
Cajohn, you should send me a couple jars of the stuff, I’ll settle this debabte! :_dancingdevil:
LOL! Gotcha. I’ll plan on putting that topic up soon then and see what kind of feedback we get from the manufacturers.
But semi-related to what I mentioned, I would love to have a video done sort of like we bloggers have done with the Bloggers Roundtables, expect have a few product makers act as “moderators” and ask questions to a panel of bloggers.
CaJohn, Can’t wait to try some next week at Zestfest! Sounds like I’d like to make queso with it! And I’d welcome a review of my work. I’m always working to improve the value I provide to a manufacturer and I’d appreciate your opinion, being one the of new kids on the block. Buddah and Brian Meagher have given me some great feedback! Scott, I’d be glad to help with a video next weekend. Just let me know so we can coordinate when we’ll both be there.
That would be me being the new kid on the block!! LOLOL!!
I’ll be there on Saturday.
I see a future North Market Fiery Festival Challenge, 20 years in the making- “CaJohn’s Queso Conquest” Everyone gets a bowl of special queso dip with chips. The only way you can eat the queso is with the chips. 3 rounds- with Salsa 10 aka Jolokia Salsa, with T.S. Salsa, and finally with Salsa Stoopid for those with iron tummies!
Is this a Cheesy idea or what? 😈
To make it interesting, drinks are allowed(except dairy, there is enough cheese all ready), and everyone only gets 1 bag of chips for the whole contest. Once they are gone, then the contestant must stop and be judged on what they have left. Some people might eat the chips plain to drown out the heat, so this will prevent that to a degree.
After using this some more, I have grown to like it more(maybe my tolerance is going up) and think I didn’t give it fair rating due to not eating as much. Since, me and Scott’s review, I have been dipping more and more into and I am nearly done with the jar. I still think it has a few things that need to be address like maybe have a more onion presence.
It definitely caters to the those looking for more heat and once you build up a higher tolerance, you recognize the other ingredients more.
With all that being said, I would like to change my rating from 3 to FOUR(4)FLAMING HEARTS.
I love the fact that you reveiwed the salsa and gave your opinion, but really it is a little sweet? I taste a lot of smoky, earthy flavor with obviously a hell of a lot of heat, but sweetness, even bitterness? Not tasting that in any way. I recently saw CaJohns on Modern Marvels on television, and living only fifty miles away decided I had to check them out. Not only is the staff well informed of the product they sell, but they take real pride in it. They gave us a tour of their manufacturing facilities and I was amazed! Did you know they make 16 million scoville unit live grenades to supply tribes of other countries to repel bull elephants? When I saw this I knew I was dealing with a whole new level of professionals. Kudos to CaJohns!!!!!
Thanks to Cajohn for fronting me a jar of the Scorpion Salsa at ABQ, and I have now eaten some. HOT as a Mutha, but yes, very tasty flavor…I mixed it with some sour cream and it was more tolerable… so in queso (in the right amount), it would definitely work for me.
mmm mmm good but it will burn you for 2 days in the guts. worth it !
Welcome to ILIS Jack. Thanks for your comment.