Spice Up Your Life: Delving Into 100 Years of Chili History With Mexico's La Costeña
People of the world! Every boy and every girl: In the lead up to our second annual Hot & Spicy Festival on Apr 20-21, we’re Spicing Up Our Lives with a few of the vendors to see what searing treats they'll be doling out at the rapidly approaching fine spring weekend. This time: Wendy Chai, marketing manager of spicy condiment purveyors La Costeña.
If there's one brand that knows chilies better than most at this year's Hot & Spicy Festival, it's La Costeña. The Mexican brand has been selling its powerful peppers since 1923, though the company is unrecognizable today from its humble beginnings of a one-man grocery store selling chili peppers in vinegar. Restricted by jarring technology at the time, that man, Vicente López Resines, decided to refine his own techniques and found success in mass production.
Now, La Costeña sells its jarred goods and condiments in 40 countries around the world, gaining fans for its no-holds-barred jalapeños (fire in a jar) as well as beans, vegetables, and soups. So whereas the business may have greatly expanded, the essence of the initial and modest La Costeña grocery store still remain.
This year, the brand has gone one step further, joining us in our hunt for China's most chili-hungry individual as our official sponsor for this year's Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest. La Costeña's long history with the fiery fruit means that this year's contestants have their work cut out for them more than any that have come before.
Here we speak to Wendy Chai, marketing manager of La Costeña, to talk us through what the Mexican brand has been up to in China as of late and what we can expect from them at the festival.
In your opinion, what are the most important elements that help make great spicy food?
For pickled foods, such as cured beef, the peppers used should have a more traditional taste. For example, chipotle, a type of Mexican smoked pepper, is a more characteristic flavor. The chef who makes this type of food should also have a strong and unique understanding of how it should be prepared. For example, chef Ray [Heng], oversees what we believe to be the most authentic Mexican restaurant in Beijing, Pebbles Courtyard, and is working with us to bring two of Mexico's most popular tacos to the festival. Finally, the ingredients and raw materials themselves should be of good quality.
Tell us about the spicy products you will be bringing to our Hot & Spicy Festival and what makes them special and unique.
We will bring two of the most popular tacos in Mexico to the festival: barbacoa and al pastor. Three unique features of these are:
- The meat of the al pastor (pork) tacos are marinated with Mexican guajillo dried chili and an achiote marinade, which is the most authentic method of curing. We also use the vertical grill that originated in the Middle East and blends with the local cooking method of Puebla in Mexico, to give the meat a full aroma.
- For the barbacoa, which is traditionally made in Mexico with beef or lamb, we will use beef and beef tongue as well as a secret recipe that combines chipotle with adobo sauce, before being wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked for 8 hours.
- The taste of these two tacos is only slightly spicy, so we will also provide guests with four of Mexico's most traditional spicy sauces (hot and sour, smoked spicy, and devil spicy), which will satisfy everyone's different spicy needs.
What drink from your menu will go best with your spicy food?
The popular American and Mexican soft drink Jarritos is the best partner for spicy food. We'd also recommend traditional Mexican cocktails such as the Paloma or a classic margarita, which will be on our menu.
In your opinion, which country in the world has the best spicy food and why?
The spicy food in Mexico is the best. The reasons are as follows:
- Mexican peppers are not just pure spicy, many peppers have a strong fruit flavor, and peppers and onions, tomatoes, and other spices together go together to make a variety of spicy sauces. Each one should be used depending on what type of food you are eating.
- Jalapeños are extremely versatile; not only are they great in food, but they can also be used in cocktails, juices, and even eaten with fruit.
- Some spicy foods in Mexico are marinated in advance with chilies, and the spicy flavor goes deep into the ingredients themselves. Chili sauce can also be added while eating, which makes the whole process more flexible.
What is the spiciest thing you have ever eaten? Would you recommend other people to eat it?
The hottest thing I've eaten is our habanero spicy sauce, which I definitely recommended others to try.
What are you looking forward to at this year’s Hot & Spicy Festival?
I hope that there will be lots of people, and everyone can enjoy the food and drinks we will provide. I also can't wait to see the wonderful Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest and performances as well as meeting many new friends.
Do you have any tips or tricks for eating spicy that might help the competitors in our Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest?
It is best to drink a little milk or eat something before eating chilies. Eating too much chili on an empty stomach can be harmful to your body.
Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
Because we make Mexican food, I hope that through this event more people in Beijing can know about Mexican food and more people will learn about our brand.
Still don't have tickets to our 2019 Hot & Spicy Festival yet? Get 'em here!
Photo: foodshow.co.nz, Forbes
