You Won't Believe How Much Work Goes into Making Tabasco Sauce

Nearly synonymous in this country with hot sauce, McIlhenny's classic Tabasco sauce sits within arm's reach at every diner and Chipotle across America. But have you ever stopped to think about all the work that goes into packing that pepper punch into the little glass bottle? Probably not. That's why it's a rhetorical question and you're still reading this article.

But in the interest of explaining everything, the fine folks at Discovery produced a video that details all the incredible work you'd never know goes into this red-hot food accessory. The clip, from the "How It's Made" TV series, isn't actually new, but just resurfaced on the Internet, thanks to reddit. That's what reddit does, people.

The process is way more involved than you'd ever believe -- including a company big-wig selecting the best peppers from a field, years of fermentation in salted barrels, and even a lady taking hot-sauce shots from a turkey baster. That's her job: to taste every batch of Tabasco to ensure its quality. Here's hoping her health insurance covers TUCKS® Medicated Cooling Pads.

Watch the clip, and remind yourself next time your meal needs a spicy kick, you'll not only be enhancing its flavor, but bettering your health, too.

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Ryan Craggs is Thrillist's Senior News Editor. Someone once asked at a group dinner if he was raised by an Indian family because he uses so much hot sauce on everything. He takes this as a compliment. Follow him @ryanrcraggs.