When I was growing up, hot sauce at the deli meant one thing: a jar of cherry peppers in vinegar. That was it. You wanted heat, you grabbed a pepper.
Times have changed. Now we keep four different hot sauces at the counter, and people bring in their own. I've had customers pull bottles out of their coat pockets like they're carrying contraband.
I'm not a huge heat guy myself, but I respect the obsession. Last year we started making our own hot giardiniera — a mix of sport peppers, celery, cauliflower, and carrots in chili oil. It's become one of our best sellers and I honestly didn't see that coming.