Tapatío hot sauce
Logo since 1997 | |
| Industry | Food production |
|---|---|
| Founded | January 29, 1971 |
| Founder | Jose-Luis Saavedra Sr. |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | North America |
| Products | Hot sauce |
| Heat | Low |
| Scoville scale | 3,000 SHU |
| Website | www |
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 after 4 years, sold the rights to that name to the Cuervo tequila company.[4] The Tapatío name was adopted in 1975.[2] "Tapatio" is a term used to describe someone from Guadalajara, Jalisco and the package art depicts a romanticized charro from Jalisco.[1][4] The product slogan is "Es una salsa ... Muy salsa!" ("It's a sauce... Very saucy!").
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. By 2021, the company was bottling 200000 units a day, with exports to 30 countries.
In January 2026, the Saavedra family sold Tapatío Hot Sauce to the private equity firm Highlander Partners, but retained a minority stake.[5]
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 packet format was developed for the US military.[1]
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] Tapatío launched cross-brand products such as Tapatío-flavored Doritos, Ruffles, Fritos, Budweiser (Chelada Fuego),[2] and HipDot (cosmetics products).[6]
In 2014, the brand was featured whimsically in an exhibit, LA Heat: Taste Changing Condiments, at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles.[7][2][8] According to Jose-Luis Saavedra, a bottle of Tapatío hot sauce was displayed at the Smithsonian Institution.[9]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Vernon-based Tapatio remains a family-run business as it marks 50th anniversary". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2021-06-25. Archived from the original on 2025-07-22. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ^ a b c d e Carlson, Trevor (2022-05-18). "The Untold Truth Of Tapatio". Mashed. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ^ Tapatio Hot Sauce|Es una salsa...Muy salsa. Accessed January 2017.
- ^ a b Ceasar, Stephen (2011-02-13), "Tapatío hot sauce maker Jose-Luis Saavedra has recipe for success", Los Angeles Times website, archived from the original on 2022-05-12, retrieved 2026-03-21
- ^ Doering, Christopher (20 January 2026). "Tapatio hot sauce acquired by private equity firm". www.fooddive.com. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ^ "Tapatío Hot Sauce Ventures Into Makeup With Spicy Collaboration". Hypebae. 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ^ Dean, Sam (2014-05-29), "Hot Sauce Art: LA Museum Honors Sriracha and Tapatio", NPR website, archived from the original on 2015-05-28
- ^ Rojas, Leslie Berestein (2016-01-26). "Move over Louisiana, Los Angeles is emerging as a hot sauce capital". LAist. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ^ 2021 Congressional Record, Vol. 167, Page S5097 (July 27, 2021)