Wajos Mango Bell Pepper Sauce with Jalapeno Chili. 15 percent bell pepper, 10 percent mango, and one percent jalapeño – the fruity barbecue sauce with a subtle heat for chicken, vegetables, and burgers.

Wajos Mango Bell Pepper Sauce with Jalapeno Chili is a barbecue sauce made from tomato paste, 15 percent bell pepper, 10 percent mango, garlic, spirit vinegar, and 1 percent jalapeño chili, 245 ml from Dohr on the Moselle. Not a ketchup, not a smoky barbecue sauce, and not a tear-jerking chili sauce, but a fruity-sweet sauce with mild heat – for dipping, brushing, and mixing. Vegan.

Mango Bell Pepper Sauce with Jalapeno Chili by Wajos is what belongs on the grill table when ketchup is too boring and chili sauce is too risky. Ketchup is tomato and sugar, always the same, everyone knows it. This sauce is orange instead of red; it tastes like bell pepper and mango first, and only then does the jalapeño make its presence known – so quietly that children keep dipping, yet adults notice that something is there. It is one of the most requested Wajos barbecue sauces among us, and the bottle that empties quickly on every grill table in the summer.

Bell pepper and mango up front, tomato underneath, jalapeño at the end

The sauce is orange-red, smooth, and medium-thick – it stays on the spoon but runs off a brush. First comes the bell pepper, mild and sweet, then the mango with its fruitiness and a slight acidity from lemon juice and vinegar. Tomato paste and garlic provide the foundation, while mustard among the spices adds a subtle seasoning. The one percent of jalapeño is noticeable at the end: a warm tingle that fades after a few seconds, far from a heat that masks the food.

Honestly, it must be said: sugar is the second ingredient listed, 23.5 grams per 100 milliliters – a barbecue sauce is sweet, and this one is too. It contains flavoring, modified starch and xanthan gum as thickeners, and mustard as an allergen. It is vegan, free of egg and dairy, unlike many creamy barbecue sauces.

The Mango Bell Pepper Sauce is not suitable for those expecting a truly hot chili sauce – one percent jalapeño provides flavor rather than fire. Those who prefer smoky and dark over fruity and light when grilling are better served by the Barbecue Sauce with Hickory Smoke Salt.

For grilled chicken, on burgers, in stir-fries, and for raclette

The first dish is chicken. Grill thighs or breasts and brush them with the sauce in the final minutes so it glazes rather than burns. Serve with a second spoonful on the plate as a dip. It works just as well for pork neck, skewers, bratwurst, and grilled salmon, where the mango pairs better with the fish than any ketchup. For grilled vegetables – zucchini, bell peppers, corn on the cob, halloumi – it is the sauce that ensures vegetarians at the grill table are well-catered for.

On a burger, it replaces ketchup and mayonnaise at the same time; on a hot dog, it replaces mustard. In a vegetable stir-fry with rice or noodles, two tablespoons at the end are enough to give the dish fruitiness and spice all at once; in a chicken stir-fry with bell peppers and onions, it creates the sauce all on its own. At a raclette, it is the bowl that empties first, and for baked potatoes with quark, it is the perfect dollop on top.

It can be thinned out: mixed with yogurt or crème fraîche, it becomes a mild dip for vegetable sticks and fries; with oil and a little vinegar, it makes a dressing for rice salad or coleslaw. A tablespoon in the marinade for chicken skewers adds color and sweetness.

The sauce is not suitable for prolonged simmering in stews or braised dishes – the sugar turns bitter, and the fruit flavor disappears. Always apply it to the grill at the very end, otherwise it will burn before the meat is cooked. Once opened, the bottle should be kept in the refrigerator.

Our tip: Chicken skewers rubbed with Jerk Chicken Rub, grilled, and finally brushed with Mango Bell Pepper Sauce – the Caribbean from your balcony, our go-to meal for balmy evenings with guests.

A barbecue sauce from Dohr on the Moselle

The sauce comes from Dohr near Cochem on the Moselle. Wajos manages around 900 items there and produces most of them itself – sauces are included, and every batch goes through their own laboratory before it is bottled. The family-run business with over 80 employees is named after Walter Josef Oster, the founder from a winemaking family in Ediger-Eller that has been producing wine on the Moselle for 15 generations.

His business began in the 1980s as a liqueur manufactory alongside the winery. Peter Oster, his son, and Ulf Schwichtenberg turned it into the Wajos brand starting in the 2000s – the first store opened in Trier in 2008; today, they can be found all over Germany. The fact that a barbecue sauce from the Moselle uses spirit vinegar for acidity fits this heritage: vinegar is a familiar craft in the region. "Controlled smaller-scale work" is how Wajos describes why only a selection of all possible sauces is produced.

The sauce for families at the grill and for people tired of ketchup

The Mango Bell Pepper Sauce is the bottle for grill tables where children, vegetarians, and heat-seekers sit together. It works for everyone because the fruit is at the front and the heat is at the back. 245 ml lasts for several barbecue evenings; once opened, it stays good for weeks in the refrigerator. As a gift, it belongs in a barbecue package with the Burger & Sandwich Sauce; you can find all barbecue sauces and rubs on our Wajos page.

It is not suitable for those who reject fruit in savory dishes, or for people who must eat a low-sugar diet – sugar is second on the list here, as stated on the label.

Bell pepper, mango, and a hint of jalapeño – the fruity barbecue sauce from the Moselle that replaces ketchup and chili sauce all at once.