Gather ’round, food aficionados and BBQ sauce enthusiasts! The savoury-sweet aromas of summer are beckoning, and what better way to embrace the sizzle of the season than with a mouthwatering Taste Test?
At Food24, we’re firing up the braai and embarking on a delectable journey to uncover the finest store-bought BBQ sauces!
In this edition of our tantalising Taste Tests, we’ve tasked our seasoned team with the enviable job of sampling BBQ sauces readily available on store shelves. From tangy and sweet to smoky and spicy, these sauces are the hidden gems that transform any braaied feast into a symphony of taste!
1. Mississippi Original BBQ Sauce
Dubbed the “smoke show”, this sample was the tasting team’s favourite sample of the day. It had a beautifully homogenous texture and silky smoothness to it. It was also well balanced, both satisfyingly sweet and with a wholesome tangy tomato flavour to it.
But the winning factor was its smokiness, which adds an insane flavour dimension to the overall taste experience.
“This one is a real smoke show! The flavour depth is unreal, smoky, sweet and tangy – BBQ sauce dreams for sure,” said one of the tasters. Another taster noted: “Really nice blend of flavours: it’s tangy, sweet, smoky, tomatoey — everything is well balanced.”
R99.99 for 510g bottle
2. Steers Barbeque Sauce
Dubbed the “chipper’s dip”, even in a blind Taste Test, this sample was picked as being the BBQ sauce from Steers, with one taster noting: “This is 100% Steers … all I need now is some of their chips!”
Although the sample was a bit thicker than some of the others, it had a good flavour balance to it. One taster called it “a good all-rounder of a BBQ sauce”.
R34.99 for 375ml bottle
3. Backyard Farms BBQ Sauce
Although this sample was all kinds of delicious, there was some debate around whether it could be considered a BBQ sauce, with the team saying that it was more reminiscent of a curried chutney dip. But nonetheless, it was completely delicious!
Texture-wise, it was quite thick and a bit on the chunky side. This sample was affectionately dubbed the “samosa dip”, with a taster noting: “It is bloody delicious but not really a BBQ sauce; it would definitely be my go-to samosa dip!”
R50.00 for 250g bottle
4. Spur BBQ Sauce
Tasters found this sample to be watery and noted that the flavours weren’t really that balanced. One taster said that the sample tasted like “HP sauce but watered down,” and another noted that “there was a brief moment of tanginess and then it just faded away to a watery after flavour”.
R59.99 for 500ml bottle
5. HQ Foods BBQ Sauce
This sample had a gelatinous feel to its consistency and it was very thick and gloopy. It wasn’t very flavoursome either, with one taster noting that it was overly sweet and just lacked the desired BBQ flavour depth. Another taster said that it “tasted vaguely of Worcestershire sauce, but lacked any real BBQ sauce flavour-vibes”.
R22.99 for 500ml bottle
Prices correct at time of publishing. Food24 is not affiliated with any retailer or specific branch, and products may differ from store to store.
Click here to see more Food24 Taste Tests!
The rules of Food24 Taste Tests:
– All tasters tasted and scored all samples. Each individual taster’s preference impacts the score they give.
– The samples were tested without packaging and were not easily identifiable.
– The samples were not labelled and were tasted in random order.
– This article is not sponsored in any way, and Food24 was not paid to come to any particular result.
Our taste tests are always unbiased and intended for your information. You may, however, have come to this article through various paid-for advertising.
Food24 is not affiliated with any retailer or specific branch, and products may differ from store to store.
Click here to see more Food24 Taste Tests!
The rules of Food24 Taste Tests:
– All tasters tasted and scored all samples. Each individual taster’s preference impacts the score they give.
– The samples were tested without packaging and were not easily identifiable.
– The samples were not labelled and were tasted in random order.
– This article is not sponsored in any way, and Food24 was not paid to come to any particular result.
Our taste tests are always unbiased and intended for your information. You may, however, have come to this article through various paid-for advertising.