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Ti-Malice - Haitian Creole Hot Sauce

Name: Ti-Malice - Haitian Creole Hot Sauce - Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil; 1 small onion (chopped); 2 Scotch Bonnet peppers (or 2 habanero peppers, chopped); ½ small red bell pepper or sweet pepper (chopped); 3 garlic clove (chopped); 2 tablespoon tomato paste; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; Juice from half a lemon; 1 cups water (or more as desired)

by Mike Hultquist · Oct 28, 2016 · 43 Comments

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A recipe for Ti-Malice, a popular Caribbean hot sauce originating from Haiti, typically made with Scotch Bonnet chili peppers. It has an interesting origin story in Haitian folklore and has many variations. This is one of our favorite ways to make it.

Ti-Malice - Haitian Creole Hot Sauce - Recipe

It's time for more hot sauce, my friends! We keep running out of hot sauce in the fridge, so I need to constantly replenish the stock. You know how we are with our hot sauce recipes. Can't help myself! Today we're going Caribbean style, Haitian in particular, because I acquired some amazing Scotch Bonnet peppers.

These are Scotch Bonnet Freeport Orange peppers. They are very fruity chiles with a habanero level heat, so use accordingly.

They will surely bring you a beautiful spice level!

While the taste is excellent, what I love most about this hot sauce is the story behind it. Haiti is rich in folklore, particularly with two famous characters who are the antithesis of one another - Ti-Malice and Bouki.

The Folkore Behind Ti-Malice Hot Sauce - The Real Story

According to the story, Ti-Malice and Bouki are two great friends that are constantly at odds.

Ti-Malice is a witty trickster character, while his nemesis, Bouki, is hardworking but somewhat greedy. Ti-Malice would prepare himself meat for his lunch each day, and each day Bouki would "just so happen" to appear at Ti-Malice's home around that time, obligating Ti-Malice to share his meal.

One day, in order to outsmart Bouki and deter him from wanting his food, Ti-Malice prepares a very hot sauce and pours it over the meat. It backfired, however, as Bouki LOVED the hot sauce so much and even bragged all over town about the oustanding hot sauce Ti-Malice made just for him.

Hence, the name of the sauce "Ti-Malice", which is still popular today.

Ti-Malice Varieties - A Hot Sauce You Can Adjust to Your Own Tastes

There are many variations of this recipe, as you can imagine. Each household makes their own version. The ingredients I've used in our sauce are typical, but other variations include the addition of herbs like thyme or parsley, cloves, chicken broth, tomatoes, and other chili peppers like habaneros.

Some variations replace the hotter peppers, like habanero and Scotch Bonnet, with milder peppers to reduce the heat. You can easily do this yourself if you'd like to tame the flame.

Also, many variations do not process their sauce, but rather serve it in a bowl with a chunky consistency. I prefer it processed so it will serve more as a hot sauce that I can pour. The choice is yours! I hope you enjoy the recipe. Serve it over meats, such as chicken or fish.

Check out my other Hot Sauce Recipes, too.

Frequently Asked Hot Sauce Questions

Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get on other sauces:

How long will this sauce keep?

It should keep a few months easily in the fridge, or even longer. It's all about the acidity. To be technical, target level ph for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 ph, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 4.0 or so, to account for errors. If you're concerned, add more vinegar to lower the ph. Sauces made with fermented chili peppers will last even longer.

The best ph meters that I recommend are from Thermoworks. Get yourself a ph meter from Thermoworks today. I am a happy affiliate.

Where'd you get that sauce bottle?

I find them locally sometimes, but I also order through Amazon. Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce - Set of 4. If you like the smaller bottles that most hot sauce makers use, here's another link: Hot Sauce Bottles, 5 Oz - 24 Pack.

Can I process this hot sauce for longer storage?

Absolutely. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures.

What should I do with hot sauce?

Aside from drizzling it over anything you please, here's a post I did about How to Cook with Hot Sauce. As if you need even MORE reasons to eat hot sauce. I hope you find it helpful!

Check out These Related Recipes:

Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes or learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.