Most commercial hot sauces use xanthan gum as a thickener to keep pulverized pepper bits from separating and sinking to the bottom. This nutrient-rich alternative, made by immersing chia seeds in water until they gel, is a nice alternative, besides, they look (and taste) great in the sauce while keeping the ingredients in suspension.
This recipe is adapted from Pascal Baudar's book The New Wildcrafted Cuisine (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2016) and is printed with permission from the publisher.