This all started in London, in 2015. I was there for a week of training and most of us ended up eating at the hotel because the schedule was packed. Breakfast was eggs, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and coffee in thick white mugs. Lunch was usually chicken, potatoes, and steamed vegetables. Everything was cooked well, it was just… hotel catering. It just used spice differently than I do at home.
After a couple of days, I walked to a small grocery store a few blocks away and bought a bottle of hot sauce. The next morning I added a few drops to my eggs at breakfast. It tasted more like how I cook. That bottle stayed in my bag for the rest of the trip.
I’m from the Midwest. My family thinks Sprite has a kick to it. I don’t know how I became someone who likes really bold flavors, and heat, but somewhere along the way I did. That London grocery run is when I stopped pretending it was temporary.
Now three things live in my purse.
Hot Sauce
Hot sauce is the most practical one. You would assume every place has it, but a lot of hotel breakfasts and airport spots don’t. I’ve asked at buffet counters and had staff check the back only to come back and say they don’t carry any.
Eggs that have been sitting in a warming tray taste different than eggs you cook at home. The same goes for hash browns that have been held under heat lamps. A few drops of hot sauce adds heat and cuts through that heavier texture.
When we picked up pasties in the Upper Peninsula from a small counter that only does takeout, we walked down to the dock at Lake Superior to eat them. The crust was flaky and the filling was solid, but I added hot sauce there too. It’s automatic now.
Some brands, like Tobasco and Sriracha, actually make a keychain attachment for their small bottles. I prefer a refillable 1ounce bottle and I prefer Tapatío in my purse hot sauce bottle (it pretty much goes with everything).
Tajín
Tajín is a Mexican seasoning made from dried chili peppers, lime, and salt. It isn’t intensely spicy. It leans more toward salt and citrus.
I use it on sliced avocado from a coffee shop, on tomatoes in a side salad, or on mango from a grocery store when we stop during a road trip. I’ve pulled it out at airport tables and people usually ask what it is. I let them try it on whatever they’re eating.
And Tajín totally plans for this, as they sell tiny bottles so you don’t have to carry a bit one around. The brand even sells a keychain holder for the tiny bottles. Also, Tajín makes a low-sodium mix, too.
Bitters
Bitters are concentrated extracts made from herbs, roots, citrus peel, seeds, bark, flowers, and spices (and whatever other bitter flavors work, too). They’re used in cocktails (or mocktails, or cooking) in very small amounts. There’s also a lot of evidence that bitters are pretty good for you.
Airplane drinks taste different at altitude. Even a simple gin and soda can taste diluted. Two dashes of bitters adds flavor back in. If I’m not drinking alcohol, I order soda water with ice and add bitters and a lemon wedge. It tastes more balanced than plain soda water.
This is the one that gets the most questions. I’ve had people ask if it’s some kind of tincture. I usually explain what bitters are and how they’re used. If I know them well, I’ll offer a dash.
Crude Bitters is my favorite (if you’re local to Raleigh, you can visit their store, The Bittery, too!). I buy the sample set and just go through the bottles until it’s time for a new sample set. The small bottle under the 3-ounce limit, so it goes through security.
How Tiny Flavors Became a Permanent Habit
A while after that London trip, I was at a hotel breakfast somewhere for work. Buffet line, silver trays, coffee refills, people talking through the day’s agenda. I made my plate, sat down, took a bite, and reached into my purse without thinking. A few drops of hot sauce. A shake of Tajín on the avocado.
Someone asked if I packed that for the trip. I told him no… It’s just always in my purse.
And it is. Not just when I travel. It’s there when I’m at a conference lunch, at a friend’s house, at a coffee shop, at the airport, or sitting on a dock with food in a paper bag. If I switch bags, it moves with me the same way my wallet does.
And I’m actually surprised how often I use the above items. And, I like knowing that if something needs a little more heat or salt or depth, I don’t have to wait for someone else to bring it. I can just reach in.
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If you’re looking for more of our favorite RV gear, I put together a list here:
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