Clancy's Fancy is a condiment made in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ann Arbor, for those who are unfamiliar, is a stereotypical college town filled with trendy restaurants, aging hippies, and is home to the University of Michigan which, as a respected research university, pulls in a large number of international students. These students and their families tend to bring their own culture and cuisines, making it possible to find pretty much any flavor of food in Ann Arbor whether authentic Mexican, Indian, or Ethiopian.

Clancy's Fancy draws from this eclectic mix of cuisines, creating a unique flavor. And perhaps because of its varied origins, it is ubiquitous at restaurants in the area, regardless of the menu. It consists of vinegar, olive oil, honey, tamari sauce, and spices—mostly ginger, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Despite what you might expect from the above though, it's more savory than spicy which makes it suited to a wider variety of foods.

It pairs well with many things, though I find it goes best with red meats (especially lamb) or shrimp and with Indian and Middle Eastern foods. It adds much to peanut sauces and is excellent when mixed with hummus. One of my favorite sandwiches to make uses this Clancy's-hummus mixture as a major ingredient, along with swiss cheese, onions, pickles and turkey.

Clancy's Fancy comes in a mild, hot, and extra hot varieties. I find the hot (medium) version has the best balance between heat and flavor but the ingredients of all three are basically identical, just with a different mix. They also offer two varieties of barbecue sauce, neither of which I've tried (although now I know they exist I might have to).

If you're interested in trying it yourself, your best bet is to order it from their website—Clancy's has a very regional distribution and the stores that carry it are almost exclusively in southeast Michigan. But if you're a condiment connoisseur like me, then I seriously recommend you give it a try.

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