When it comes to describing the unique taste of Stuzzi Hot Sauce, one could draw parallels to a luscious bottle of fine wine. This robust Italian sauce holds a distinct sense of place and nuances that can enrich any dish.

Stuzzi Hot Sauce saw the light of day in 2021, brought to life by Carla Rza Betts and Richard Betts, a married duo with extensive backgrounds in the beverage industry (Carla previously served as a wine director and currently a winemaker, while Richard, a former wine director, is now operating as the partner and CEO of Casa Komos Brands Group). Inspired during a journey across the Alps, the idea emerged over dinner at Klösterle, a renowned eatery in Lech, Austria, where they engaged in meaningful food-related conversations with chefs Ethel Hoon and Jakob Zeller.

"While we were discussing the food world, Richard suddenly proposed making a hot sauce. Ethel spontaneously agreed," reveals Carla. A shared fondness for hot condiments was made evident when Hoon shared her grandmother's Hainanese spice paste with the neat and incandescent twist of fate.

The foursome came up with an ambitious vision – to create an Italian hot sauce that could accompany a wide variety of cuisines. Venturing across Italy, they sought the perfect peppers to give their sauce character. Ultimately, they opted for an exotic blend of sun-dried Calabrian chiles and fermented Sicilian cayenne peppers. Carla describes the fermented peppers as "having an lively, audacious, strong-willed high note".

The chiles are sun-dried, soaked in distilled vinegar for a fortnight at least, while the fresh ones are pureed, mixed with salt, and left to ferment for a minimum of half a year. "The secret, akin to winemaking, lies in patience and letting the flavor build naturally for the best outcome," notes Carla. They utilize a de-stoning machine, in a process much like de-stemming in winemaking, to separate the seeds and retain only the aromatic, flavorful part of the pepper.

Stuzzi, which in Italian signifies 'teasing', lends a subtle, fruity tang to the hot sauce, with just the right amount of zing. It poises itself as the perfect complement to diverse meals, although its tantalizing flavor performs at its best in Italian dishes, such as rigatoni all'amatriciana.

Carla states that the sauce's unique characteristic lies in its roots – Italy. "Hardly any hot sauces recognize their peppers, let alone their origins," Carla observes. "For Stuzzi, terroir holds immense importance. It bestows a deeper complexity – a certain je ne sais quoi.”

To get yourself a bottle of Stuzzi Hot Sauce or to locate a stockist near you, please visit stuzzihotsauce.com.