I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I love CaJohn’s products. We only write about them, oh, every week. Well, maybe not EVERY week…but close. I particularly love the shop he has at the North Market. The North Market is this really cool foodie place that’s a combination of a farmer’s market, gourmet grocery store and restaurant. John’s place has been highly successful there, and you’d have to visit to understand.

I hadn’t been in a few weeks and spent some time there a couple of weeks ago. I walked into the store and was pleased to see some products I hadn’t seen before. One of them was this sauce. In the photo you’ll see that it’s called Cinco d’Ohio. That’s because it was premiered at the North Market Cinco d’Ohio Festival. I think the Oaxacan title suits it much better. Let me tell you why…

Label from the Cinco D’Ohio Festival

Ingredients: vinegar, chile peppers, brown sugar, garlic, salt, onion, cumino

First Impression: Amazing. I think this is my favorite sauce of John’s by far. I couldn’t stop sampling it at the store and then I couldn’t find any for sale. “UGH…how am I going to take one of these home,” I thought. Then he showed me where they were and I started breathing again.

I have a hard time explaining favorite sauces of mine. I believe my taste buds like what they like and sometimes what they like don’t make any sense to the average person. But, then again, I’m not the average person and I have always liked stepping outside of the popular box. Anyway, one thing I can tell you about my favorites is that flavor comes first. This sauce does NOT disappoint!

Taste: There’s a nice balance of the ingredients, but one of the first things that hits you is the cumin. It has a lot of spice, too. I don’t mean heat. In fact, it’s kind of mellow on the heat. But spice and flavor…it doesn’t lack any of that. I think it has a great texture as well. Not too runny but not so thick you can’t get it out of the bottle. The onion gives it a slightly sweet flavor which nicely balances all the spice.

Overall Recommendation: Buy some and send it to me. No, really, I’m almost out. I put this on EVERYTHING. Tacos, burritos, chili, eggs, soups, salads, pasta dishes, rice, beans, pudding (okay, maybe not pudding)…but you get the picture. I simply can’t endorse this one enough. It definitely made it to my top 5. If you like cumin, tons of flavor and heat that doesn’t bite your head off, you need this.

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