Jamaican-born Kamaal Jarrett, 35, was raised in Milton, earned an MBA, and worked as a financial analyst and a consultant. But he’s picked a different career path and now produces hot sauces. After considerable research and testing, Jarrett formed his Boston-based company Hillside Harvest. The name pays homage to his two homes. “I lived above the hills in Kingston, Jamaica, and in Milton I lived near the Blue Hills,” he says. His sauces, made in small batches with fresh ingredients, reveal his Caribbean and American influences. The Original Hot Pepper Hot Sauce is thick and golden; the slow growing heat of Scotch Bonnet peppers hits you in the back of your palate, soothed slightly by apples. Ginger offers a Caribbean flavor and honey boosts its complexity. The other, the orangey Pineapple Fresno, has a smoky fieriness from Fresno peppers, mellowed by the sweetness of pineapple juice. A few splashes will punch up a Bloody Mary. Try either on eggs, pizza, or a soup. (Or really anything.) A little goes a long way. Available at American Provisions, 1971 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, 617-514-4599; Formaggio Kitchen Kendall, 94 Hampshire St., 617-714-5758; Spirited Gourmet, 448 Common St., Belmont, 617-489-9463; Volante Farms, 292 Forrest St., Needham, 781-444-2351, and others, or go to www.hillsidesauce.com.
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Ann Trieger Kurland can be reached at anntrieger@gmail.com.