Why Tabasco Is the Kick-Ass Condiment That's Been Making People Sweat for 147 Years

The Civil War was one of the most devastating events in American history, but food scholars point to at least one good thing that came from it: It's why there's a bottle of Tabasco sauce on millions of American tables. In fact, Tabasco—the Louisiana red pepper sauce that administers the legendary kick/tang to your tongue—is a global food phenom. Every day, people go through 450,000 bottles of the stuff.

"When you think about ketchup you think Heinz, and when you think hot sauce you think Tabasco because it's in everyone's refrigerator," said Kara Nielsen, culinary director for creative agency Sterling-Rice Group.