I grew up in a small rural village in the South Island of New Zealand. My parents were trying to live a post hippy, self sufficient life. They grew most of our food and made lots of the things we owned and used in our lives.

Like many things in this world, BOMBANANA Hot Sauce began as a happy ‘accident.’ We never intentionally set off to create a unique hot sauce for our community - just to make a sauce we really like. But here we are.

I remember as a little boy seeing my grandfather putting such an amount of Indonesian sambal oelek on his fried rice, the whole plate turned fiery red. My grandfather had worked in Indonesia in the 50’s and learned to appreciate spicy food. Soon enough, I was hooked as well.

Old Bones Chill Co is a Sydney, Australia based craft hot sauce company. Josh their founder started OB Chilli Co after 12 years of experience as a chef.

"I’ve always loved to cook," says Joe Stewart, owner of Dat’s Nice Hot Sauce. He explained, "The Datil peppers fascinated me because they were spicy hot with a kind of sweet tang!”

Growing up in South Africa with a British father and Madeiran mom with such a massive extended Portuguese family exposed me to a vast richness in cultural diversity. In people, personalities, language, music and flavour.

Growing up in the 1970’s, in the Washington DC area, I do not remember seeing hot sauce in our family pantry or in the DC suburban restaurants or grocery stores that we frequented. This doesn’t mean it was not out there.

I am a certifiable fiery foods fanatic, but hot sauce and fresh homegrown produce has been a part of my life since the day I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. My grandfather, Roger Baumer, was plant manager and brother to Baumer Foods founder Alvin Baumer.

It all really started when I’d become interested in gardening...Portland has an eccentric charm that normalizes sights that are definitely odd. Free roaming chickens in tight downtown neighborhoods, casually walking in the rain without an umbrella, and shared sprawling backyard urban gardens to name a few.

I remember all the Louisiana-style hot sauces at seafood restaurants in Galveston, Texas back in the early 90s. The high vinegar content made them great for eating raw oysters jambalaya, etouffee, and gumbo.