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Tapatío hot sauce

Tapatío Hot Sauce
IndustryFood production
FoundedJanuary 29, 1971 (1971-01-29)
FounderJose-Luis Saavedra Sr.
Headquarters
Vernon, California
,
U.S.
Area served
North America
ProductsHot sauce
Heat Low
Scoville scale3,000 SHU
Websitewww.tapatiohotsauce.com Edit this at Wikidata

Tapatío is an American hot sauce produced in Vernon, California. It is popular in the United States, predominantly among Mexican-American communities.

History

The recipe for the hot sauce was created by the wife of Jose-Luis Saavedra Sr., who decided to sell it after losing his job.[1][2] The Tapatío Hot Sauce company was started in 1971 in a 750-square-foot (70 m2) warehouse in Maywood, California.[3] It launched under the name Cuervo, as Saavedra's wife was a relative of the Jose Cuervo family, but the Cuervo family did not allow the trademarked use of their name. The Tapatío name was finally adopted in 1975.[2]

In 1985, the company moved to an 8,400-square-foot (780 m2) facility in Vernon, California, 5 miles (8.0 km) from Downtown Los Angeles. Although larger than the first location, the new factory had a single loading dock and limited storage space, which created a new series of problems for the company. After a long search, a site was found for a developer to custom-build a new 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) facility.

In 2014, the brand was the centerpiece of an exhibit, L.A. Heat, at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles.[2][4] Tapatío Ramen was introduced in 2018. In 2021, to celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary, they collaborated with Gabriel Iglesias for a special edition of the hot sauce Tapatio X Fluffy.[2] By 2021, the company was bottling 200K units a day, with exports to 30 countries. A special format was developed for the US military.[1]

In January 2026, the Saavedra family sold Tapatío Hot Sauce to the private equity firm Highlander Partners, but retained a minority stake.[5]

Activities

The ingredients listed on the product label are water, red peppers, salt, spices, garlic, acetic acid, xanthan gum and sodium benzoate as a preservative. Tapatío comes in five sizes: 5, 10, and 32 U.S. fluid ounces (150, 300, and 950 mL) and 1 U.S. gallon (3.8 liters), as well as in 1⁄4-ounce (7 g) packets. The sauce overall has a Scoville heat scale rating of 3,000, hotter than Sriracha.[6]

Tapatío launched cross-brand products such as Tapatío-flavored Doritos, Ruffles, Fritos, Budweiser (Chelada Fuego),[2] and HipDot (cosmetics products).[7]

"Tapatio" is a term used to describe someone from Guadalajara, Jalisco, from where the company's founders emigrated.[1] The product slogan is "Es una salsa ... Muy salsa!" ("It's a sauce... Very saucy!").

A bottle of Tapatío hot sauce is on display at the Smithsonian Institution.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Vernon-based Tapatio remains a family-run business as it marks 50th anniversary". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Carlson, Trevor (2022-05-18). "The Untold Truth Of Tapatio". Mashed. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
  3. ^ Tapatio Hot Sauce|Es una salsa...Muy salsa. Accessed January 2017.
  4. ^ Rojas, Leslie Berestein (2016-01-26). "Move over Louisiana, Los Angeles is emerging as a hot sauce capital". LAist. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
  5. ^ Doering, Christopher (20 January 2026). "Tapatio hot sauce acquired by private equity firm". www.fooddive.com. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
  6. ^ "Ultimate Guide to the Best Hot Sauces". Supergrail. March 30, 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Tapatío Hot Sauce Ventures Into Makeup With Spicy Collaboration". Hypebae. 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
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