Monthly Archives: January 2016
2016 Golden Chile Winners Announced! Who’s Hot at Zestfest?
Hot off the press (thanks CaJohn for sending to us bloggers and Buddah for formatting!)!!!
Here is the winners’ list from the 2016 Zestfest Fiery Food Challenge Golden Chile’s! One of the fiery foods industry oldest and most prestigious awards, the Golden Chile’s are prized possessions by the creative and hard working artisan spicy foods community. Lots of newcomers in this year’s award winners and several awards for new products by more recognized companies!! All have an online presence or can be found at hot sauce shops nationwide! So check em out and support small batch, artisan companies!!! Why? Because, Ladies and Gentlemen- It is a Fiery World!!!
Barbecue Sauce: Mild – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Mountain Q Hickory Mild 1
Southern Belles BBQ Hickory Smoke 2
Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ Butch’s Mild 3
Barbecue Sauce: Medium – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Mountain Q Cayenne 1
Woody’s BBQ Sauce Co Woody’s Hot Hickory Bar-B-Q Sauce 2
La Raye’s Bar-B-Que Sauce Inc La Raye’s Louisiana Cajun Style 3
Barbecue Sauce: Hot – Consumer Ready
Southern Belles BBQ Southern Heat 1
Full Boar BBQ Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce 2
Black Swamp Gourmet Sweet & Fiery BBQ Sauce 3
Barbecue Sauce: X Hot – Consumer Ready
Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ Butch’s Super Pyro 1
Pepper Palace Mountain Q Jolokia 2
Pepper Palace Reaper BBQ 3
Barbecue Sauce: Alcohol Infused – Consumer Ready
La Raye’s Bar-B-Que Sauce Inc La Raye’s Tequila Sunrise 1
Pepper Palace Ole Smoky Moonshine Chipotle BBQ Sauce 2
Skipkenny BBQ Skipkenny Whiskey BBQ Sauce 3
Barbecue Sauce: Asian Style – Consumer Ready
Sweet Heat Gourmet Bulgogi Asian BBQ Sauce 1
Southern Belles BBQ Pineapple Twang 2
Pepper Palace All Natural Sweet Bourbon Glaze 3
Barbecue Sauce: Fruit Based – Consumer Ready
Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ Butch’s Happy Apple 1
Southern Belles BBQ Hot N’ Sassy Peach 2
Pepper Palace Apple Cinnamon 3
Barbecue Sauce: Molasses Based – Consumer Ready
Southern Belles BBQ Original Belle 1
Griffins Wing Sauce Griffins Honey Barbecue Sauce 3
CRC BBQ Riley’s Triple R Sauce 2
Barbecue Sauce: Mustard Based – Consumer Ready
Fischer & Wieser Specialty Foods Hickory & Cracked Black Pepper Mustard Sauce 1
Aunty Lilikoi Products Passion Fruit Kiawe BBQ Sauce 3
Pepper Palace South Carolina Style 2
Barbecue Sauce: Tomato Based – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Mountain Q Honey Habanero 1
Southern Belles BBQ Southern Heat 2
Firefly’s BBQ Memphis Sauce 3
Barbecue Sauce: Vinegar Based – Consumer Ready
Woody’s BBQ Sauce Co Woody’s Original Mild Bar-B-Q Sauce 1
Woody’s BBQ Sauce Co Woody’s Original Hot Bar-B-Q Sauce 2
CRC BBQ Riley’s Triple R Sauce 3
Best Barbecue Sauce
Pepper Palace Mountain Q Honey Habanero
Condiments: Asian – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Sweet But Sassy 1
Danielle’s Sauces Danielle’s Sweet Chili Sauce 2
High Octane Sauce Company Dragon Boat 3
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Condiments: Horseradish – Consumer Ready
Frog Bone Cajun Sauces Bayou Cocktail 1
Pepper Palace Horseradish Oyster Hot Sauce 2
Pucker Butt Pepper Company I Dare You Stupit Horseradish 3
Condiments: Jam/Jelly Mild/Medium – Consumer Ready
Brazos River Provisions Company Holy Smoke Mama 1
Johnson Berry Farm Raspberry Habanero Jam 2
Johnson Berry Farm Strawberry Pepper Jam 3
Condiments: Jam/Jelly Hot/X-Hot – Consumer Ready
Johnson Berry Farm El Diablo Strawberry Stinger Jam 1
Pucker Butt Pepper Company I Dare you Stupit Jelly 2
Angry Goat Pepper Co. Blackberry Ghost Pepper Jam 3
Condiments: Ketchup – Consumer Ready
Papa Perry’s Pepper Products Pepchup 1
Pepper Palace Habanero Ketchup 2
Pepper Palace Chipotle Ketchup 3
Condiments: Mustard – Consumer Ready
AmberFyre Foods Verona Cayenne Garlic Mustard 1
Uncle Bunk’s Mustard Relsh – Hot 2
Aunty Lilikoi Products Passion Fruit Wasabi Mustard 3
Condiments: Relish – Consumer Ready
Lone Star Pepper Co Hot-n-Sweet Pepper Relish 1
Cottage Lane Kitchen Get Me a Switch 2
Cottage Lane Kitchen Cape Fear 3
Condiments: Salad Dressing – Consumer Ready
Stagecoach Salsa Sheriff Mike’s Spicy Salsa Ranch 1
Frog Bone Cajun Sauces Bayou Remoulade 2
Aunty Lilikoi Products Passion Fruit Wasabi Dressing 3
Condiments: Steak Sauce – Consumer Ready
Geno’s Steak Sauce-Marinade & BBQ A Distinct Savory Sauce Spicy 1
Pepper Palace Spicy Steak Sauce 2
Geno’s Steak Sauce-Marinade & BBQ A Distinct Savory Sauce Mild 3
Condiments: Taco Sauce – Consumer Ready
Frog Bone Cajun Sauces Bayou Taco Sauce 1
Woody’s Orginal Clamllube Brand Woody’s Original Clamlube Brand Hot Sauce – Xtra Virgin Mildly Adulterated 2
High Octane Sauce Company Camino Morita Taco Sauce 3
Best Condiment
Brazos River Provisions Company Holy Smoke Mama
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Hot Sauce: Asian Style – Consumer Ready
High River Sauces Foo Foo Mama Choo 1
Lingham & Sons Garlic Hot Sauce 2
Mikey V’s Foods Sweet Ghost Pepper Sauce 3
Hot Sauce: Caribbean Style – Consumer Ready
Todd’s Originals Inner Beauty Hot Sauce 1
High River Sauces Tears of the Sun 2
Pepper Palace Mango Habanero Hot 3
Hot Sauce: Chipotle Style– Consumer Ready
High River Sauces Hellacious 1
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Ridiculously Tasty Mustard Chipotle 2
Pepper Palace King Chipotle 3
Hot Sauce: Latin Style – Consumer Ready
Frog Bone Cajun Sauces Frogs of the Bayou Hot Sauce 1
The Karma Sauce Company The Goblin 2
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Ridiculously Tasty Mustard Chipotle 3
Hot Sauce: Louisiana Style – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Scandanavian Gold (Uff-Da) 1
Addiction Sauces Habanero 2
Frankie V’s Ktchen Orange Label 3
Hot Sauce: Fruit Based – Consumer Ready
Dirty Dick’s Hot Sauce Dirty Dick’s Hot Pepper Sauce 1
Pepper Palace Pineapple Serrano 2
Mikey V’s Foods Peach Habanero Delight 3
Hot Sauce: Pepper Blend – Consumer Ready
Born to Hula, LLC Habanero Guajillo 1
Elijah’s Extreme Gourmet Sauces Extreme Ghost Pepper Sauce 2
High River Sauces Rogue 3
Hot Sauce: Mild – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Tequilapeno 1
Seafire Gourmet Sweet Spicy Girl 2
Angry Goat Pepper Co. Red Armadillo Sauce 3
Hot Sauce: Medium – Consumer Ready
The Lucky Taco Imperio Jalapeno Hot Sauce 1
Pepper Palace Sriracha 2
Lingham & Sons Original Hot Sauce 3
Hot Sauce: Hot – Consumer Ready
The Karma Sauce Company Cherry Bomb 1
Scotty O’Hotty Premium Habanero Sauce 2
Red Kitchen Foods-Smokin’ Texas Gourmet Angry Twist 3
Hot Sauce: X Hot – Consumer Ready
Frog Bone Cajun Sauces Reaper Hot Sauce 1
Lingham & Sons Extra Hot Hot Sauce 2
Born to Hula, LLC Reaper of Sorrow 3
Hot Sauce: Ultra Hot Pepper – Consumer Ready
Primo’s Peppers Swampadelic Sauce 1
Pepper Palace Tres Diablos 2
Elijah’s Extreme Gourmet Sauces Extreme Ghost Pepper Sauce 3
Best Hot Sauce:
Primo’s Peppers Swampadelic Sauce
Jerky: Beef – Consumer Ready
Born to Hula /Mammoth Mammoth Beef Jerky 1
Mikey V’s Foods Cowboy Black Pepper 2
Pepper Palace Black Rose 3
Jerky: Mild/Medium– Consumer Ready
Katie’s Premium Jerky & Snacks Katie’s Half Heat Beef Jerky 1
Pepper Palace Black Rose 2
Katie’s Premium Jerky & Snacks Katie’s Spicy Teriyaki Beef Jerky 3
Jerky: Hot/X-Hot– Consumer Ready
Katie’s Premium Jerky & Snacks Katie’s Ghost Pepper’d Beef Jerky 1
Mikey V’s Foods Cowboy Reaper 2
Katie’s Premium Jerky & Snacks Katie’s Scorpion XXX Beef Jerky 3
Best Jerky –
Katie’s Premium Jerky & Snacks Katie’s Ghost Pepper’d Beef Jerky
Fresh Salsa: Mild – Consumer Ready
Olympus Fare Aphrodite Mild Fresh Salsa 1
Smokehouse Garden Foods Extinguished 2
Cita’s Salsa Garden Green 3
Fresh Salsa: Medium – Consumer Ready
Cita’s Salsa Red Rage 1
Smokehouse Garden Foods 3 Log Fire 2
Olympus Fare Zeus Medium Fresh Salsa 3
Fresh Salsa: Hot – Consumer Ready
The Salsa Works Viva La Verde 1
Cita’s Salsa Holy Habanero 2
The Salsa Works Nuclear 3
Fresh Salsa: Fruit – Consumer Ready
Olympus Fare Athena Fire-Roasted Tomatillo 1
Cita’s Salsa Mango-Pina 2
The Salsa Works Guac ‘N Roll 3
Best Fresh Salsa:
Olympus Fare Athena Fire-Roasted Tomatillo
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Salsa: Mild – Consumer Ready
Salsa-Holics Mild Salsa 1
Daniel’s Fire Roast Mild Salsa 2
Daniel’s Fire Roast Black Bean & Corn 3
Salsa: Medium – Consumer Ready
Daniel’s Fire Roast Medium Hot 1
Daniel’s Fire Roast Black Bean & Corn 2
The Karma Sauce Company Tommy Tomatillo 3
Salsa: Hot – Consumer Ready
CajunTex Salsa & More Five Pepper Extreme Hickory Smoked Salsa 1
Daniel’s Fire Roast Hot 2
La Casita Hot Sauce Caliente 3
Salsa: X Hot – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Reaper Salsa 1
La Familia Salsa Co XX Red Brainstrain 2
Cady’s Products Super Chunky Salsa 3
Salsa: Bean & Corn – Consumer Ready
CajunTex Salsa & More Bayou Gold Hickory Bean & Corn 1
Daniel’s Fire Roast Black Bean & Corn 2
Pepper Palace Gourmet BBC HOT 3
Salsa: Chipotle – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno 1
Todd’s Originals Chipotle Salsa 2
Pepper Palace Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno 3
Salsa: Fruit – Consumer Ready
Todd’s Originals Pineapple Salsa 1
Pepper Palace Pineapple 2
Pepper Palace Hot Apple 3
Salsa: Exotic Blend – Consumer Ready
AmberFyre Foods Ginger Peachy Salsa 1
Smither Family Kitchen Habanero Dillapeno 2
Texas Select Seasonings Wild Bill’s Ghost Pepper 3
Salsa: Verde/Tomatillo – Consumer Ready
Sabrosos Salsas LLC Salsa Verde 1
Pepper Palace Tomatillo Salsa 2
Casa Maya Salsa Dill-icious Salsa Verde 3
Best Salsa:
Daniel’s Fire Roast Medium Hot
Snack: Pickles – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Habanero Chunk Pickles 1
Mikey V’s Foods Spicy Reaper Pickles 2
Uncle Bunk’s 14 Day Hot Sweet Pickles 3
Snack: Pickled Other – Consumer Ready
Red Kitchen Foods-Smokin’ Texas Gourmet L’il Gems Candied Jalapenos 1
Taste Elevated Sweet Jalapenos with Tumeric & Ginger 2
Tim’s Texas 2 Step Fire Roasted & Smoked Jalapenos 3
Snack: Prepared Dip – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Spinach Avocado Dip 1
Pepper Palace Artichoke Crab Dip 2
Pepper Palace Crab & Spinach Dip 3
Snack: Queso Dip – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Queso Blanco 1
Pepper Palace Queso Amarillo Hot 2
Pepper Palace Queso Amarillo Mild 3
Snack: Nuts – Consumer Ready
Ranch Candies Hot Cinnamon Pecans 1
Frenchie’s Fabulous Nut Company Frenchie’s Fabulous 2
Ranch Candies Hot Pecans 3
Snack: Popcorn – Consumer Ready
Pams Market Popcorn Brutus Blitz 1
Pams Market Popcorn Mo’s Jacked Nuts 2
Pams Market Popcorn Peanut Butter Pizazz 3
Snack: Salty Snack – Consumer Ready
Pepper Palace Wasabi Peanuts 1
Fatdog Inc Fatcat Pretzels-Spicy 2
CajunTex Salsa & More Plantain Chips 3
Best Snack
Pepper Palace Wasabi Peanuts
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Zesty Sweets: Candy/Chocolate – Consumer Ready
Texas Toffee Gotcha Cinnamon Pepper Toffee 1
Ranch Candies Hot Caramel with Pecans 2
Little Bird Dark Chocolate Fire Bites 3
Zesty Sweets: Cookies/Desserts – Consumer Ready
Papa Perry’s Pepper Products Habanero Pecan Pie 1
Zesty Sweets: Dessert Sauce – Consumer Ready
The Jelly Queens Habanero Chocolate Sauce 1
Pepper Palace Spicy Caramel Banana 2
Johnson Berry Farm Strawberry Pepper Sauce 3
Best Zesty Sweets
Texas Toffee Gotcha Cinnamon Pepper Toffee
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Cook-Off Food: Chile Con Carne
Pecos Red Products Pecos Red Chili Mix 1
Uncle Bunk’s Chili in a Bottle – Hot 2
Texas Select Seasonings Ghost Dust Chili 3
Cook-Off Food: Dip/Salsa Mix
Pepper Palace Salsa Mix 1
Most Delightful Foods, LLC Taste the Seasons Cajun Trinity Mix 2
The Spice Boys Ragin Cajun 3
Cook-Off Food: Dry Seasoning/Rub
Texas Select Seasonings Ghost Dust 1
CajunTex Salsa & More Spicy Bayou Dust 2
The Spice Lab Ancho Chilli & Coffee Rub 3
Cook-Off Food: Table Seasoning
Texas Select Seasonings Jalapeno Garlic Salt 1
Chili’s Fire Pit Hickory Mesquite Pit Rub 2
Texas Select Seasonings Herbal Red 3
Cook-Off Food: Asian Seasoning or Marinade
Lingham & Sons Garlic Hot Sauce 1
Lingham & Sons Ginger Hot Sauce 2
Lingham & Sons Sriracha Hot Sauce 3
Cook-Off Food: Jerk Seasoning or Marinade
Rasta Bros Jamaican Jerk Marinade 1
Secret Aardvark Trading Co Drunken Jamaican Marinade 2
Pepper Palace World Tour Jamaica 3
Cook-Off Food: Latin Seasoning or Marinade
The Karma Sauce Company Sabroso 1
The Spice Lab Chipotle Citrus Seasoning 2
Frog Bone Cajun Sauces Frogs of the Bayou Hot Sauce 3
Cook-Off Food: Pasta Sauce
Gorji Gourmet Foods Arrabiata Diavolo 1
Gorji Gourmet Foods Pomodoro 2
Gorji Gourmet Foods Puttanesca 3
Cook-Off Food: Soup/Stew Mix
Addiction Sauces Jalapeno Cheese Grits 1
Soupless Ramen with Tapitio Soupless Ramen with Tapitio Chicken Flavor 2
Soupless Ramen with Tapitio Soupless Ramen with Tapitio Shrimp Flavor 3
Cook-Off Food: Wing Sauce Mild/Medium
Culley’s Limited Culley’s Buffalo Wing Sauce #2 – Mild 1
Pepper Palace Smokehouse 2
Griffins Wing Sauce Griffin’s Original Style 3
Cook-Off Food: Wing Sauce Hot/X Hot
Pepper Palace Scorpion 1
Griffins Wing Sauce Griffin’s Hotter Than Balls 2
Pepper Palace Mango Habanero 3
Cook-Off Beverage: Bloody Mary Mix
Pepper Palace Most Excellent 1
What the Chuck Mix Hot for Bloody Mary 2
Barbecue Wife Bloody Mary Mix 3
Cook-Off Beverage: Maragaria Mix
What the Chuck Mix Margarita 1
Demitri’s Gourmet Mixes Traditional Margarita Mix 2
Cady Products aloeRita 3
Cook-Off Beverage: Other Beverage/Cocktail Mix
What the Chuck Mix Michelada 1
Pepper Palace Chipotle Hot Chocolate 2
Moondance Michelada Mix Moondance Michelada Mix 3
Cook-Off Beverage: Beverage Enhancer
Demitri’s Gourmet Mixes Bacon Rim Shot 1
The Lucky Taco Imperio Chili Salt w/Lemon n’ Lime 2
Red Kitchen Foods-Smokin’ Texas Gourmet Votew 3
Best Cook-Off
Pepper Palace Scorpion
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Best New Product Consumer Ready Food
Frenchie’s Fabulous Nut Company Frenchie’s Fabulous 1
Frankie V’s Kitchen Frankie V’s Chocolate Habanero 2
The Karma Sauce Company Tommy Tomatillo 3
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Best New Product Cook-Off
C&J Farms Applewood Jalapeno Smoked Sea Salt 1
Texas Select Seasonings Salted Vodka & Grapefruit BBQ Glaze 2
Cady Products aloerita 3
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Marketing: Label
Woody’s Orginal Clamlube Brand Woody’s Original Clamlube Brand Hot Sauce – Xtra Virgin Mildly Adulterated 1
Primo’s Peppers Swampadelic Sauce 2
Born to Hula /Mammoth Mammoth Beef Jerky 3
Marketing: Logo
Primo’s Peppers Primo’s Peppers 1
Woody’s Orginal Clamlube Brand Woody’s Original Clamlube Brand Hot Sauce 2
Angry Goat Pepper Co. Angry Goat Pepper Co 3
Marketing: Product Packaging
Frog Bone Cajun Sauces Frog Bone Cajun Gift Set 1
Barbecue Wife Bloody Mary Mix 2
Frenchie’s Fabulous Nut Company Frenchie’s Fabulous 3
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Best Overall Product / Best of the Best
Primo’s Peppers Swampadelic Hot Sauce
Hot off the Hot Sauce Press- Hot Sauce Hall of Fame Final Ballot Announcement!!!
Immediate ReleaseJanuary 10th, 2016
The Hot Sauce Hall of Fame Final Ballot Announcement
The Hot Sauce Hall of Fame is back and commissioner Steve Seabury of High River Sauces will conduct the induction ceremony live at the 4th annual NYC Hot Sauce Expo in Brooklyn, NY on April 23rd at 2 PM. This year the Hall of Fame will induct 5 people who have been very instrumental in the Hot Sauce industry. The inducted class of 2016 will receive a distinctive Red Jacket, Hall of Fame Ring and will be enshrined legendary of honors into the Hot Sauce Hall of Fame.
To be eligible for the nominating or voting process, a person must operate within the fiery foods industry for a minimum of 3 years. These people also known as the Selection Committee, consists of hot sauce companies, retailers, distributors, exporters, chile pepper growers, media and restaurateurs who specialize if spicy foods and hot sauce. The Selection Committee will be polled by email from the Hall of Fame’s Senators Board in which the board will eventually narrow the Selection Committee’s ballots down to the final list to 10.
After months of debating and voting from the Selection Committee, the committee have narrowed down their final nominations to some of the biggest and brightest names in the industry.
The Final Ballot Nominations:
1. Alvin Baumer – Crystal Hot Sauce: Started in 1923, Crystals has become a Louisiana institution and is one of the fastest growing condiment manufacturers in the country with over 4.5 million gallons of hot sauce each year.
2. Blair Lazar – Blair’s: Heating up over 31 countries, printed in six languages, and Guinness World
Record certified with the hottest product created, Blair’s passion for peppers is ever present. It is what fuels the fiery phenomena that’s called the Death Sauce.
3. David Ashley – Mad Dog: Owner of Ashley Foods. David has been creating hot sauce for well over 20 plus years and was one of the first to sell extract sauces with his 357 Mad Dog Hot Sauce.
4. Dave Lutes -Hot Shots Distribution: Founder of Hot Shots Distribution. One of the original hot sauce distributors and one of the biggest. Still operating for almost 20 years.
5. David Tran – Huy Fong Foods (Sriracha Sauce): Started in 1980 and has grown to be the leader in Asian Hot Sauce with his Sriracha Sauce also known to hot sauce fans as the “Rooster Sauce”.
6. Jacob Frank – Founder of Franks Red Hot. The first bottle was produced in 1920 and later became the secret ingredient for the Buffalo Wings in Buffalo, NY. “I Put That $#!t on Everything!”
7. Jose-Luis Saavedra, Sr. – Tapatio Salsa Picante Hot Sauce: Started in 1971 in Vernon, CA. Celebrating 45 years of making in 2016 it has now grown into one of the biggest family owned hot sauce companies in the country. It’s a sauce that’s…very saucy!
8. Marie Sharp – Marie Sharp’s & the Original Melinda’s: Owner Marie Sharp’s Fine Foods Ltd. – Started making sauce in the early 80’s and actually was the creator of Melinda’s sauces. Her sauce is the quintessential Central American hot sauce awesome flavor and great heat!
9. Sam Garner – Texas Pete: This hot sauce was introduced to the world in 1929 and is now the 3rd largest selling hot sauce in the country.
10. Si Brown – Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce: Founded in New Iberia, Louisiana in 1928. The brand now features the word, “Original” in its name along with the famous Red Dot. The hot sauce is known for being full of flavor without an overwhelming amount of heat.
For More Information Please Contact Steve Seabury: steve@highriversauces.com
NYC Hot Sauce Expo: http://www.NYCHotSauceExpo.com
Hot Sauce Hall of Fame: Website Coming Soon
It's a Fiery World 