The Hot Sauce History

The Great American Meal

Hot sauce, chili & salsa come from a varied and argumentative past. The chili historians and researchers may disagree, but this excerpt is brought to shed some light on the written documents found near the 1800's by anthropologist and world-famous chef Mark Miller.

The word chile comes from an ancient Mexican language, Nahuatl, and is translated as "plant". When you see chile with an e at the end, it refers to the plant; chili with an i on the end refers to the dish invented and popularized in Texas, probably in the mid-nineteenth century. The first type of chili in Texas was made of beef pemmican, or dried beef, beef fat, dried berries, and salt pounded together. Pemmican was carried by cowboys, who could conveniently turn it into a stew by just adding hot water-the first "bowl of red".

The earliest written reference to fresh chili made with beef, dried chiles, and herbs seems to be a note in 1850 that the poor women of San Antonio ate meat stews with about the same amount of dried chiles as meat. San Antonio became famous as the center of chili in 1880, when travel writers waxed poetic about the chile queens of San Antonio, who set up their carts around the Alamo Plaza. They dressed gaily and pinned roses to their bosoms, contributing to the festive atmosphere that included wandering mariachis strolling in the street. In 1893 the national audience for chili was vastly expanded when a "San Antonio Chilley Stand" was set up at the World's Fair in Chicago.

Chili became a national dish in 1911, when Texan William Gebhardt started the first chili canning plant in San Antonio and distributed it outside the region.

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Hot Sauce Products

Add your heat from mild to wild!

A short list of our award-winning products.

"Ring of Fire" - Cooking is a creative act that fulfills a yearning - not just to eat, but to savor, to surrender to the pleasure of food. Mike & Diane work towards a goal of making the richest most flavorful sauces in the world, regardless of cost. And it shows as one of the most popular product line in the U.S. and the world.

"Cafe Tequila" - Is proud to make their Sauces with TEQUILA HERRADURA SILVER. This fine 100% Blue Agave Tequila from Mexico began production in 1870 and is regarded as one of the best on the market. Food Distribution Magazine awarded the signiture line of Tequila sauces 1st Place to Creamy Jalapeno Tequila!!! Don't delay, try it today!

"Dave's Insanity" - Beginning "Burrito Madness" Dave produces some of the hottest sauces, salsas, spreads, snacks which makes Dave's Gourmet the best! From mild to insanely hot salsas and gourmet sauces, drink mixes and gift items, Dave's is the hottest place to buy and taste the best in gourmet foods.

"Death Sauce" - Welcome to Death Sauce. Over 10 Million served worldwide. Enjoy life - Eat deathsauce. Feel alive! "Death Sauce" has been seen on Fox News, Regis and Kathy Lee show, CNBC Money, NY Daily News, Rolling Stone Magazine WCBS radio, E-Network Talk Soup, and so much more!!!

"Tropical Island" - After being asked over and again for years, Hey Chef where can I get some of that SAUCE !! The chef finally decided to make his creations available for all to enjoy. Here are the first two. "PINEAPPLE JALAPENO" & "IT'S SWEET TO BE HOT". IT WILL BLAST YOU WITH FLAVOR !!

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