The degree of heat found within peppers, also called pungency or piquancy, is determined by how it measures on the Scoville scale, recorded in Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

However, unlike sriracha which is very dependent on chilis for its taste, the hot sauce with its many ingredients is very tangy. It’s because its other main ingredient is vinegar. If you taste hot sauce, you get a burst of heat together with the tangy vinegar. Vinegar serves two purposes: makes the hot sauces delicious with its flavorful play with the heat and it also helps preserve the chili, too. This is one reason why most commercially made hot sauces can be stored at room temperature. 

When you look at the plethora of red chili powders available, you may well be confused as to how similar or how different they really are. As for paprika and red chili powder, both are red, though of different shades, and look quite similar.

This paprika is delicious when added to cheeses, chicken, duck, egg dishes, hors d'ouvres, rice, salads, smoked foods, vegetables, and cottage cheese. It’s also terrific in salad dressings, where it not only adds color but also acts as an emulsifier. 

Thus, please don't be confused when I use the terms hot or spicy paprika and Hungarian paprika interchangeably.

Expert Tips for Using Crushed Red Pepper and Paprika

However, its spiciness and heat level make it an excellent substitute for paprika powder. It's available in mild, moderately hot, and hot varieties, so you can easily replace any hot paprika variety in your recipe.