Hot takes: Logan and Nakayla sample some fiery foods and live to tell about it

My colleague Nakayla McClelland and I spent the morning at the annual National Fiery Foods and Barbecue Show at Sandia Resort and Casino, and we found a lot to love, from sweet sensations to melt-your-face-off substances that riot police could probably use as non-lethal weapons. Here’s what we liked best!

Taos Hum

A local hot sauce brand named after the unexplained, low-frequency hum some Taos residents experience, some of Taos Hum’s sauces definitely made our heads hum.

• Nakayla liked their Smokey Sriracha best. “It’s the sort of hot sauce that you look for at an event like this. It’s tangy, it’s got a good kick and it still has a unique flavor outside of traditional Sriracha,” she said.

I thought it was the most unique and flavorful of the several Srirachas we sampled today. But my favorite Taos Hum was Chocolate Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, their hottest sauce. Beef jerky made with the sauce recently won second place at the Scovies in the Spicy Snacks: Jerky category. Chocoholics should know that the “chocolate” in the name refers only to the dark color of the chile. No actual chocolate is used. But if you’re looking for a slow burn that sneaks up on you, this is it.

Smokin Ed’s by PuckerButt Pepper Co.

Purveyors of what are perhaps the world’s hottest hot sauces — made with Carolina Reaper and Pepper X chiles — Smokin Ed’s sauces by PuckerButt Pepper Company nearly melted our faces off. But in the best possible way.

Despite their reputation for untamed heat, many of Smokin Ed’s globe-trotting sauces — including those inspired by Thai coconut curry, mustard dill, steak sauce and chocolate strawberry sauce — were among the most flavorful we tasted all day.

Nakayla and I both braved Ed’s Last Dab Xperience, the infamously brain-melting “Hot Ones” sauce. The heat doesn’t hit you right away. You first taste the rich smoky flavor. But when the heat does come, it comes on hard and sticks around.

I also tried a special product they had that they didn’t even call a sauce. An evil, dark, sticky substance they called “black tar” came as a paste-like tincture in a small bottle with a medicine dropper. Nakayla captured a reaction video, so Journal’s social media fans could enjoy seeing the steam shoot out of my ears. After witnessing my reaction, she politely declined the offer to try “black tar” herself.

Cornivore Popcorn Company

An Albuquerque popcorn brand with lots of local flavor.

Their Zozobra 100, which Cornivore developed to commemorate the Zozobra festival’s centennial last year, was Nakayla’s favorite. “It was unique and creative, with an ode to New Mexico in every bite,” she said. It includes fire-roasted sweet corn, red chile and cheddar flavors.

I preferred Carnivore’s Sweet Green Chile, a kettle style popcorn dusted with sweet, slightly garlicky roasted Hatch green chile powder.

High Seas Provisions

One of the less heat focused exhibitors, High Seas Provisions makes what are perhaps the world’s first smoked pickles.

“There’s another brand who claim to make smoked pickles,” said Navy veteran and owner Craig Martin, “but they just smoke the jalapeños. We actually smoke the cucumbers before pickling them.”

Nakayla and I agreed High Seas’ smoked pickles were one of the show’s highlights, and a nice palate cleanser from some of the more fiery fare.

Fat Cat

Some of the most unusual flavors at Fiery Foods came from Fat Cat Gourmet Condiments and Hot Sauces, a company from my home state of Florida, whose sweet and slightly spicy mojo criollo-inspired Florida Sauce made me feel nostalgic.

Other standout Fat Cat sauces include their Strawberry Serrano —jammy and delicious — and Chairman Meow’s Revenge, featured on “Hot Ones.” (Their cat puns were on point.) Unlike Smokin Ed’s Xperience sauce, Chairman Meow was a 5 out of 10 mid-heat “Hot Ones” sauce. So, if you’re a little heat-shy, you can still get your “Hot Ones” cred by sampling a not-so-deadly but still respectable sauce.