You may have noticed that a certain foul-mouthed granny has been ramping up her television commercial appearances for Frank's RedHot as of late. Wonder why?
First of all, the Super Bowl is this weekend, meaning Americans will consume 1.25 billion chicken wings during the big game. But that's not the whole story.
Though Frank's was an ingredient in the original recipe for Buffalo wings back in 1964, there's a new bad boy in town that's fighting for some attention -- Tabasco Buffalo Style. The new flavor from the hot sauce giant has been introduced to the market just in time for the Super Bowl. (Coincidence? We think not.)
The two brands are embroiled in a marketing campaign battle at the moment, making the HuffPost Taste editors wonder which is truly the better wing topper.
We gathered 20 HuffPost editors to conduct a blind taste test. First, we asked each taster to identify which sauce was Frank's and which was Tabasco Buffalo. Then, we asked which was the favorite. And the results (drumroll) ...
85 percent of our tasters were able to correctly identify the two sauces, noting there's a clear distinction in flavor and that they're hardly comparable.
60 percent of our tasters preferred Frank's, whereas 40 percent preferred Tabasco (it was a much closer race than we anticipated!).
Comments about Frank's: "Good tang!" "Tangy from a heavy dose of vinegar." "This is the spicier of the two, and has more of a zing." "Exactly how I imagine Buffalo wings to taste."
Comments about Tabasco Buffalo: "This is spicier and has more body -- a very robust Buffalo sauce." "This definitely has more complexity." "This has a richer, more rounded flavor." "Very peppery."
Note: Our editors found that if you mix the two brands together, it creates an unbeatable combination of deep pepper flavor and tanginess.
Need a little help deciding which type of wings to make this weekend? Check out our Chicken Wings Flowchart.
What's your favorite sauce? Leave us a comment below!