THE FUSE

I lived in London in 2013, and it’s where I saw theater productions on the West End, took rambling walks in parks, and ate chicken at Nando’s Peri-Peri at least once a week. I loved that I could get two meals out of what equated to $20 USD. But I really loved the flavors of the sauces — especially the Garlic and Lemon & Herb varieties. During the pandemic, I realized I could order a four-pack of their sauces — including lemon and herb, garlic, hot, and medium — on Amazon. Now I make it a point to always keep one bottle of it in my fridge. Here’s why.

In 1987, two friends, Robert Brozin and Fernando Duarte, started Nando’s in Johannesburg, South Africa. They were inspired by a sauce made from the African Bird’s Eye Chili, aka peri-peri, at a local Portuguese restaurant. The hot sauce comes from a blend of two cultures. When Portuguese settlers arrived in Mozambique, they combined the hot pepper with garlic and lemon to make a signature taste. That taste is what Brozin and Duarte tapped into when they started making the classic Nando’s flavor we have today.

When you visit a Nando’s restaurant, you can use the self-serve station to bring the hot sauce(s) of your choice (or their signature Perinaise, which goes great on so many things, including burgers) to the table with you to pour over your chicken. Amazon offers all of the flavors for a super-reasonable price: $30 for the four-pack of 9.1-ounce sauces, and $23 for a three-pack of Perinaise.

I have always loved spicy food. There was a period of time in my childhood when I only ordered hot wings at every single restaurant my family visited. But I don’t like my spice to be hot just for the sake of burning off my tongue; Nando’s hot sauce has the kick I want, along with the flavor I need.

I like that I can simply use this hot sauce to pour over scrambled eggs that need a boost, or as the base for my often-requested baked wings. The Lemon & Herb sauce is also great as a marinade for baked chicken when I don’t have much time to put one together myself. (Speaking of, Nando’s also has a dry rub you can order as a pack of 12 for $40).

Not all hot sauces are created equal, and I think Nando’s is up there with the best of the best.

Buy: Nando’s PERi-PERi Hot Sauce Variety Pack, $29.99