Lemon Ginger Jerk Hot Sauce

Caribbean jerk, brightened up.

A Caribbean-style hot sauce built on fermented Scotch bonnet peppers, fresh ginger, fresh lemon juice, and a jerk seasoning blend by chef Meherwan Irani's Spicewalla.

Most American-made jerk hot sauces lean heavy on soy sauce. They go for the slow-braised, deep-savory, dark-meat-marinade feel of traditional Jamaican jerk. We went the other way.

This one is built around brightness. Fresh ginger and fresh-squeezed lemon juice replace the soy. Apple cider vinegar sits underneath the lemon for depth and roundness. Yellow bell pepper gives the sauce its body and the soft yellow-orange color. Fermented Scotch bonnet brings the floral, fruity Caribbean heat the tradition is built on. And a jerk seasoning blend from Spicewalla, the James Beard Award-winning chef Meherwan Irani's spice company in Asheville, carries the traditional aromatic backbone: allspice, thyme, cinnamon, smoked paprika, the works.

The pour is bright yellow-orange and bodied. Lemon lands first, ginger and the warming jerk spices open up in the middle, Scotch bonnet heat arrives clean and warm on the back end. 4 out of 10 heat. Same Caribbean tradition, summer-cookout shape.

How to use it

Best as a marinade and grill-finish brush for white meat. Brush it on chicken, pork, or lobster anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours before they hit the grill, then a fresh pass right before pulling them off. The marinade lets the Scotch bonnet and Spicewalla blend bloom into the meat. The finishing brush lays the bright lemon-ginger acid back on top of the char.

It also crosses into ceviche, where the lemon-and-vinegar acid base is doing exactly what raw fish wants. And into cocktails: gimlets, gin-and-tonics, mezcal palomas, ginger-beer drinks. The lemon-ginger profile carries.

Pairs naturally with:

• Grilled chicken, pork, and lobster (the house move)
• Grilled fish (mahi, snapper, salmon)
• Shrimp, grilled or sautéed
• Ceviche
• Rice and peas
• Grilled corn on the cob
• Grilled pineapple and tropical fruit salads
• Plantains
• Coconut curries
• Gin, mezcal, and ginger-beer cocktails

What makes it different

• No soy sauce. Most American jerk sauces lean on it. This one doesn't.
• Fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar as the acid base, layered.
• Fresh ginger. Not powdered.
• Spicewalla jerk seasoning blend. Sourced from chef Meherwan Irani, James Beard Award-winning.

Heat, savory, acid

• Heat: 4 / 10. Mid-range. Clean, warm Scotch bonnet finish.
• Savory: 5 / 10. Carried by the jerk seasoning blend.
• Acid: 8 / 11. Bright lemon up front, rounded ACV underneath.

Ingredients

Yellow Bell Pepper, Apple Cider Vinegar, Pepper Mash (Scotch Bonnet Peppers, Salt), Onion, Olive Oil, Ginger, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Salt, Citric Acid, Spices.

Specs

• 5 fl oz (148 ml) glass woozy bottle
• Vegan
• Sugar-free
• Shelf life: 2 years unopened. Refrigerate after opening, use within 6 months for peak flavor.
• Made by hand in San Diego, California

FAQ

What is Lemon Ginger Jerk?
A Caribbean-style hot sauce built on fermented Scotch bonnet peppers, fresh ginger, fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and a chef-curated jerk seasoning blend from Spicewalla. 4 out of 10 heat.

What does Lemon Ginger Jerk taste like?
Bright lemon up front, warming ginger and traditional jerk spices (allspice, thyme, cinnamon, smoked paprika) in the middle, clean Scotch bonnet heat on the finish. Caribbean character without the soy-sauce weight of most jerk sauces.

What's the difference between this and traditional jerk sauces?
Most American-made jerk sauces use soy sauce for deep savory depth. Lemon Ginger Jerk uses fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar as the acid base, with fresh ginger amplifying the brightness. The result works better on summer food: grilled fish, white meat, ceviche, cocktails.

Is it spicy?
Mid-range. 4 out of 10. Same heat tier as JANG.

What are Scotch bonnet peppers?
A Caribbean chili pepper, fruity and floral, with heat in the same range as habanero (100,000 to 350,000 SHU). The traditional jerk pepper.

Is Lemon Ginger Jerk vegan?
Yes.

Is it gluten-free?
Likely yes. None of the listed ingredients contain wheat. We're confirming with our co-packer before making it an official claim.

Is it sugar-free?
Yes. 0 grams total sugars on the label.

Is it good as a marinade?
Yes. This is the sauce in the ONIMA lineup specifically built for marinades. Brush on chicken, pork, or lobster 30 minutes to a few hours before grilling, then a fresh pass right before pulling off the heat.

What's Spicewalla?
A chef-founded spice company in Asheville, North Carolina, founded by Meherwan Irani, a James Beard Award-winning chef. Their jerk seasoning blend (smoked paprika, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, allspice, thyme, black pepper, rosemary, cinnamon, and more) is the spice backbone of this sauce.

Where is Lemon Ginger Jerk made?
San Diego, California.