Hot sauce is a significant culinary phenomenon, transcending its role as a mere condiment to become a cultural icon. But what factors contribute to its popularity, and how did it attain such revered status? The answer to who invented hot sauce is more intriguing than you could ever imagine.
The Origin Story
Let’s rewind to the only place where chili peppers naturally occur – Central America. Chili, among the earliest plants cultivated by humans, traces its use by the Aztecs back to 7000 BC. Now that’s some seriously aged hot sauce. The initial hot sauce was likely a simple mixture of ground-up chilies with water and herbs. The Aztecs used it to enhance flavour, for medicinal purposes, and even as a form of taxation, not to mention its unconventional use as a weapon or punishment. Perhaps this served as inspiration for some creatively-titled American brands (Death Sauce, A Little Nukey, Ass in the ER etc).
Globalization
Fast forward to Christopher Columbus and his famous journey to find India, which inadvertently played a role in the worldwide dissemination of chili peppers. Tasked with finding something special for the Spanish King and Queen, Columbus encountered a pungent spicy fruit in America, which he dubbed “pepper.” As Europeans embraced these new flavours, including peppers, onions, and garlic, these ingredients quickly became staples in European cuisines, finding their way into hot sauce recipes to provide flavour and depth – not too different from modern-day concoctions.
Commercial Success
The commercialisation of hot sauce took off in 1807 with the bottling and sale of a sauce named “cayenne sauce” in Massachusetts. Enter Edmund McIlhenny, the creator of Tabasco sauce, a pioneer in the industry. Growing Tabasco peppers in Louisiana, McIlhenny initiated the hot sauce revolution (there’s another blog post on Tabasco if you’re interested).
Standing the Test of Time
Today, hot sauce is a global culinary phenomenon, with brands from around the world entering the market. It’s not uncommon to find entire shelves or aisles dedicated to this condiment. The global hot sauce market was valued at $2.54 billion in 2020, and it continues to grow. Let’s hope TheSauceMan can be a part of this expanding market, finding its way to your table or cupboard.