One of the things that has never ceased to amaze us is the number of people with a chili story. If you have ever eaten hot and spicy food you no doubt have one of your own. Six hundred years ago, chili peppers were unknown outside of South and Central America. In the intervening years, that little known fruit (yes, it is a fruit) has become, after salt, the most widely used flavouring on planet earth. Not all chili peppers are mouth-numbingly hot. There are nearly 200 different varieties grown in Mexico alone. India is now the largest producer of chili peppers, most destined for domestic consumption and China, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico and Nigeria are also huge producers. Total worldwide area devoted to growing chili peppers is believed to be in excess of 800,000 acres.

Sauces

Made and processed in New Zealand, the bottles are imported from the UK and the tops from Australia. Organic certified the chilis are delicately hand picked and only the fresh and unblemished ones are selected for the sauces. We are proud that Kaitaia Fire has won several food awards, both in New Zealand and in the North America where they do know their hot sauce. We proudly present Waha Wera (the Burning Mouth) a kiwifruit, manuka honey and habanero pepper sauce that won the world’s best Hot Fruit Sauce for the 1996, at the Chili Peppers Magazine’s Fiery Food Challenge, in Albuquerque, NM, USA. The Kaitaia chili pepper sauce is mixed with cider vinegar and is sealed in a 5oz (150ml) bottle and can be supplied with a beautiful gift plastic box - a great and unique festive gift.