Last weekend, the Tennessee Hot Sauce Expo returned to Nashville for its third annual celebration of salt, vinegar, and spices. Lots of spices.
The two day Scoville-savoring journey spanned from Saturday to Sunday in East Park, with vendors across the country setting up their colorful tents, beckoning festival goers to succumb to their sauces. Among the adorned tents that caught our eyes and tastebuds were Maletta's (Valparaiso, IN), Stanky's Sauces (Orlando, FL), Whoa Doggie (Seymour, TN), Gindo's (St. Charles, IL), Hell's Kitchen (Manhattan, NY), Angry Irishman (Woodville, OH), Feel The Burn (Ottawa, OH), and perhaps the most well known of the lot, Puckerbutt Pepper Company (Fort Mill, SC).
Puckerbutt Pepper Company is pioneered by mad Scoville scientist and hot sauce icon Smokin' Ed Currie, who has cultivated the hottest peppers known to the human race, including Pepper X and the Carolina Reaper. Among other collaborations, he is also known as the creator of 'The Last Dab' hot sauce made famous on the hit YouTube show Hot Ones with Sean Evans. Currie was at the expo in the flesh, helping man the Puckerbutt tent, administering his sinister sauces.
Aside from a line of hot sauce vendor tents, the festival -- as per tradition -- also features a makeshift wrestling ring in the center of the park. Throughout the day at designated time slots, a handful of fun amateur matches take place in a very theatrical WWE-style affair, with heel personalties, crowd taunting, and the like.
Towards the entrance towered the Stage of Doom from which metal music played to the park when not hosting their various face-melting hot food challenges. Such challenges included Doughnuts of Death, The Spicy Tacos of Hell, Slaytanic Burrito Challenge, Bobbing For Reaper Peppers, and even a Guinness Book of World Records Reaper Eating Challenge, which would result in a $1,000 grand prize.
Aside from just scorching your tastebuds and esophaguses, the creativities in flavors and ingredients were quite expansive. From Hell's Kitchen's 'Cinnamon Ghost Punch', to Gindo's Truffle Parmesan sauce, to Stanky's Garlic Datil sauce and loads in between, it was a feast of flavor. Not to mention getting to meet the host of personalities and devout pepper enthusiasts behind such fun sauces makes for an engaging experience.
As an added likable bonus, Big Fluffy Dog Rescue was a sponsor, bringing some beautiful home/foster-needing pups out to play and steal hearts amidst the tastings. Between all the hell and doom challenges, they even scheduled a Small Dog Beauty Pageant.
All this said, my Top 5 tastings were as follows:
5. Smokin' Ed's Mustard Dill
4. Whoa Doggie's Guard Dog Salsa
3. Stanky's Garlic Datil
2. Gindo's Hatch
1. Maletta's Fire Roasted Serrano
We'll catch ya at the Fourth Annual Hot Sauce Expo, y'all. Until then, keep it spicy.
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