The audience was fired up as YouTuber-turned-World Chili Pepper Eating Champion Mike Jack scarfed down one Carolina Reaper after another in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for fastest time to eat 100 peppers. He was only 36 nightshade chilis short when the 20-minute clock ran out, but the unsuccessful attempt did not dull the crowd’s spirits at Goat Fest, an annual hot sauce and craft beer festival in Kitchener, Ontario.

Credit the Huy Fong sriracha shortages or the YouTube series Hot Ones, an interview show that puts celebs in the hot seat over rounds of fiery chicken wings: Hot sauce tourism and spicy souvenirs are more popular than ever. The need for heat has drawn some to Belize for factory tours and tastings on the pepper farm of Marie Sharp, the Queen of Habanero. Others jet off to Hoi An, Vietnam, to taste Ớt tương Triều Phát, a jammy chili sauce with a secret recipe passed down over five generations. The Louisiana Hot Sauce Trail starts on Avery Island, birthplace of Tabasco, with a tour of the factory and museum, before continuing on to artisanal makers, like D.a.T. SaUcE.

Kris Ronan, organizer of Goat Fest and founder of the Ginger Goat hot sauce brand, had his original flavour – smoked pineapple, ginger and garlic with a smack of Carolina Reaper – featured on Hot Ones in 2021. He thinks perceptions of hot sauce have shifted. “Most people perceived hot sauces as ‘gag sauces,’ but shows like Hot Ones have done a great job showing new audiences a huge variety of makers, flavours and combinations.”

In grocery stores, sauce sales increased by five percent in 2022 – a boost driven largely by hot sauces, finds the most recent report by Ipsos Canada. On the restaurant front, a trend report by U.S.-based research firm Technomic reports that 34 percent of consumers consider what sauces and condiments are available when deciding where to eat.

Ed Currie, creator of the world’s hottest peppers (Carolina Reaper and Pepper X) and owner of PuckerButt Pepper Company, says he’s seen a big uptick in capsaicin-loving converts. “More than 60 percent of North Americans identify as spicy-food eaters,” he says. “As a result, hot sauce expos have grown substantially.”

Holy Duck Chili Oil

Vancouver, BC
 

“Ingredients such as Canadian duck fat, mushroom and kombu powders, and bonito makes this such a luscious and rich chili oil. It’s incredible with stir fried noodles.” says Carmen Cheng, the Calgary-based contributor to Avenue Calgary and founder of Food Karma blog.

The Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce, Banchan’s

United States
 

“I use it as a hot sauce,” says Shayma Saadat, the food writer and recipe developer behind The Spice Spoon blog. “I love it as a condiment for soft scrambled eggs, and it’s also a wonderful dip for samosas.”

Sauce Boss

Guyana
 

“It’s one of the best blends I’ve ever tried,” says Canadian TV personality, cookbook author and private chef Devan Rajkumar. “Whenever I hear that someone is going to Guyana, I ask them to bring me back a bottle.”

Sriraja Panich

Thailand
 

“Every time I go to Thailand, I bring back a few bottles of the original Thai sriracha sauce to stock up my pantry,” says Nuit Regular, executive chef and co-owner of nine Toronto restaurants, including Kiin and Pai. “I’ve been eating Thai omelettes with Sriraja Panich since I was young.”

Strawberry Basil Bomb, Lessig Ferments

Edmonton, AB
 

“It’s ridiculously flavourful but also versatile,” says Edmonton-based food writer Twyla Campbell. “Use it to dampen the rim of your glass for the salt of a strawberry margarita. Also, a few drops on raw oysters or any seafood crudo is a brilliant move.”

Camp Sauce, Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co.

Thunder Bay, ON
 

“Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co. has a great line of hot sauces, and Camp Sauce is my favourite by far,” says Montreal-based private chef and MasterChef Canada alum, Marissa Leon-John. “It isn’t blow-your-top-off spicy, but it adds the right amount of heat while being super flavourful.”