Everyone knows that Louisianians LOVE food. In fact, we have a festival for every type of food you can think of! Seafood festivals, fried chicken festivals, meat pie festivals, even Cajun hot sauce festivals! We not only love to eat; we also love to cook.

People from all over the world travel to Louisiana just to taste  our unique styles of cooking. Want to know one of the not-so-secret ingredients in most Louisiana dishes? Well, it’s hot sauce of course! Let’s learn a brief history of how Louisiana became a mecca for hot sauce.

Chili plants are believed to be some of the earliest plants cultivated by humans. People in Mexico, Central America, and South America, as far back as 7000 B.C. have been using pepper plants and unrefined pepper sauces for not only cuisine, but medicinal purposes as well, such as aiding in digestion.

When European conquerors arrived in places like South America and Mexico, they too discovered the deliciousness and usefulness of the pepper plants. On return trips to Europe, with various strains of pepper plants in tow, the Europeans would add things like onions to sauces native people created. Soon, the pepper phenomenon would spread across the world.

Different strains of pepper plants and pepper sauce recipes made their way to America. In fact, the first “commercially” produced sauce was said to have come from Massachusetts and was called a “cayenne sauce”. Eventually, even more types of pepper plants were grown, harvested and traded throughout the United States, including Louisiana. 

Today, many different styles of hot sauces exist throughout the world. However, a few distinctions separate Louisiana hot sauce from the rest. The base for most recipes includes red chili peppers, vinegar, and salt. Other spices and ingredients may be added to enhance and thicken that base. 

Sure, you can find all types of Louisiana hot sauces around the world, but none compare to Slap Ya Mama’s Cajun Hot Sauces. We slap a little extra love when crafting each of our hot sauces, like our Pepper Sauce, our Green Pepper Sauce, and our extra hot Cajun Hot Sauce. Just as rich as our culture, Slap Ya Mama’s Cajun Hot Sauces will bring an unforgettable Louisiana experience to every meal.