These chili sauces can surely add spice to everything you cook. Therefore, they should be staples in your kitchen for adding heat and bringing out the umami in your food. Although there is the go-to Sriracha, these sauces can help you take your spicy game to the next level. You will be reaching for them forever so better stock up!
10. Siligarlic (@siligarlic)
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Siligarlic makes artisanal chili garlic sauce using pure olive oil from Spain. The garlic and siling labuyo used are fresh, handpicked, and locally-sourced to help small-scale farmers. The sauces are all-natural with no preservatives, no MSG, and other chemicals. A perfect addition to your meals to make them tastier and spicier, without the guilt.
Lea Mariel Mendoza and her brother, Em, started Siligarlic. They tried and loved this chili garlic oil that they bought and ate it with every meal. When it ran out, they wanted to buy more but could not find it anywhere, so they tried to make one. The chili garlic oil they loved was made with corn oil. They decided to make Siligarlic with olive oil since chili garlic oils will make you eat a lot more, so why not make it with a healthier oil, instead of the usual corn oil, canola oil, vegetable oils, and other unhealthy oils commonly used to make chili garlic oil. What they made turned out way better, tastier, and healthier than the chili garlic oil they originally had, so they decided to sell it! Now, they do not only make Siligarlic in Olive Oil, they also have Roasted Garlic in Olive Oil, Toasted Garlic in Olive Oil, and Mild Siligarlic in Olive Oil.
Siligarlic is a DTI registered small business with its kitchen located in San Pedro, Laguna and now have distributors and resellers from Alabang, BF, Cavite, Paranaque, Pasay, Makati, Quezon City, and hopefully many more!
9. Oeuvre MNL (@oeuvremnl)
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Oeuvre Mnl is a small start-up that boyfriend-girlfriend tandem opened during the quarantine period. The chili sauces contain both of their family’s recipes.
Their chilis come straight from their farm, handcrafted with premium ingredients that would separate Oeuvre Mnl from other chili sauces in the market. These sauces are a perfect accompaniment to any dish on your table!
8. The Lockdown (@TheLockdownPH)
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During the pandemic of 2020, families relied on home-cooked meals. The Lockdown started when the owner’s family would take turns to come up with unique and flavorful dishes to satisfy their cravings we would usually get from restaurants. One day, the owner did not know what to make for his family so he made a single batch of what turned out to be the very first hot sauce from The Lockdown.Â
His family instantly loved the sweet, garlic-y, savory, and spicy notes that the hot sauce had. From that day on, he would make simple dishes and pair them with his very own variations of hot sauces using all fresh ingredients. From fresh labuyo chili peppers, to fresh yellow habanero chili peppers, to fresh jalapeno peppers, all sourced locally from the Philippines. He is a small local business supporting our very own local farmers through their hard-worked harvests. Therefore, out of this lockdown, he wanted to share the flavors he put on the table for his family. Since they enjoyed it, he hopes that other Filipino families would, as well as, making it their very own local hot sauce staple.Â
The Lockdown builds flavor from a bold concoction of natural ingredients with a special twist on various humble chilis. It is a small start-up business, all their sauces are handcrafted, their products are all bottled, labeled, and sealed by hand, and all made inside one family kitchen and all under one roof!
Popular flavors include Native Chili, Tangy Jalapeno, Tropical Habanero, Smoked Scorpion, and Infused Truffle.
7. Mamataw’s (@mamatawsfoodproducts)
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Mama Taw is the nickname of the owner’s mother. When they were kids, she used to make bagoong for family and relatives only. Relatives would usually ask for her homemade bagoong and eventually, they added the chili garlic on the menu (for the love of siomai!). They thought why not sell it and make it a business. They also thought that this will keep their parents busy as their love for food and cooking will help them ease their stress.
Aside from chili garlic oil, they are also known for their Bagoong Alamang which is available in Classic and Spicy flavor. They guarantee that it is clean, has the right amount of spice and sweetness, and most importantly doesn’t have an aftertaste or strong fishy odor. Mamataw’s is open for resellers and bulk orders.
6. Hot Sus (@hot.sus)
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The name ‘Hot Sus‘ stemmed from several brand names. In the end, the owners just wanted a brand that was easy to remember and direct to the point but was also playful and quirky.
Hot Sus was a pandemic/quarantine brainchild. The owners decided that, instead of being anxious and worried about the goings-on, productivity through the business was obviously the better path to take. They have always been fans of everything spicy, and they had a knack for mixing different sauces for our everyday ulams, so they thought, ‘Why not make our own?’
One of the aspects of the brand that they are extremely proud of is its friendliness – not just in terms of interacting with customers, but also with its taste. The combination of the habanero pepper’s heat and the sweetness of the pineapple doesn’t ruin or overpower your food, instead, Hot Sus compliments it.
Simply put, Hot Sus is here to show you that hot sauces don’t have to be intimidating or be feared of. Hot Sus can be a part of your daily meals!
5. The Hungry Herb (@thehungryherbph)
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The Hungry Herb PH all started from your “everyday” lockdown story. The owner’s parents had slowly been converting their home into a big herb garden, not with the idea of harvesting in mind, but just because it was a nice hobby to pass the time. Before they knew it, the “garden” had turned into a forest with rows and rows of different plants and fresh herbs. They ended up using these in different dishes (rosemary for meats, basil for pastas and pizza, etc.), but the one that really stood out was the staple chili-garlic. After playing around with multiple herb combinations, they would use the herb-infused chili garlic sauces in cooking, and with almost every other dish at the table. Pretty soon friends and relatives got into the mix, and the rest was history.
Chili-garlic as we know it is a favorite for many. Their herb-infused versions create a unique mix that brings forward a level of familiarity while upping the game with herbs that complement the spiciness (Rosemary, Basil, Oregano). The biggest factor is that they grow all the herbs themselves, so the freshness is guaranteed.
The Hungry Herb PH’s biggest hit since launch, and now even into hundred bottle holiday pre-orders, has been the sampler set. This consists of 4 different flavored jars of herb-chili garlic (Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, and Classic). For people who want to try one flavor or two to start, they also released XL jars, with bestsellers being Rosemary and Basil!
4. Goze Gourmet Foods (@gozegourmet)
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The list of ways you can use Goze Gourmet Chili Garlic Paste is practically endless. A small spoonful instantly adds a spicy kick to soups and bowls of noodles.
3. Native Hut (@nativehutph)
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The Native Hut started with the ngohiongs because one of the owner’s is Cebuano and they we were in Cebu a lot. After getting hooked on ngohiongs, they thought of how they can bring it to Manila. They started to ship them frozen. They told friends about it and to their surprise, no one really knew what ngohiongs were in Manila. Friends and family tried it and they all loved it.
Then, they ventured to chili sauces. The Native Hut has Bicol Fresh and Traditional Dried chili pastes. Both are made with garlic, ginger, herbs, and coconut oil. Of course, they’re vegan! No preservatives added. Only fresh, all-natural, and quality ingredients here!
2. Kranchiiee (@kranchiiee.official)
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Kranchiiee is a brainchild of flight attendant Mary Clare Inonog. When she was living and working abroad, she finds time to try on new recipes. She missed Filipino food so much and since she was alone in the Middle East, she became creative in cooking. One of the things that she always has in her pantry is chili. Any type like chili flakes, chili oil, or cayenne pepper is welcome. She even brings Siling Labuyo from the Philippines to Doha. That’s when she started making her own chili oil. Her Filipino friends in Doha loved it. Even her flatmate, an Indian national, loved it. It became a staple in their pantry.
When COVID-19 happened, she had to go back to the Philippines and be with her family. She was afraid to take flights because the virus is everywhere. She saw the news that people are losing their job and it broke her heart. Since she didn’t work, she also didn’t have a salary. This is when Kranchiiee came to life. She and her boyfriend started a small project where they can help people in need, help local farmers or sellers, and also collect funds. They did a lot of research regarding chilies, garlic, and the best oil to use. They run a lot of tests to make sure they get the right balance of flavor, spice, and the crunchy texture of the garlic without burning it as garlic is too sensitive to heat.
Since the majority are on social media, their target market was selling online. They mainly sold products online by posting feedbacks, photos of products, and behind-the-scene videos to get the attention of the customers.
The first batch was released on June 1, 2020, and in just two days, the stocks were sold out! Weeks after weeks, all their stocks were always sold out. They also started to look for active resellers and focused on people who lost their jobs, stay at home moms, teens who wanted to try selling online to help their families, and now they are proud to say that we have resellers nationwide!
1. Garuda (@garudaphilippines)
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The diner’s story started with owners Ashwin and Kamlesh Budhrani’s love for food. A visit to see family in Indonesia led them to Garuda, a fairly popular eatery. Their love for the cuisine and the noticeable lack thereof back here in the Philippines, the country they were born and raised in, sparked an idea in their heads. It was high time Filipinos got a taste of authentic Indonesian fare, which led them to bring the first Indonesian franchise into the country.
Garuda Philippines offers authentic Indonesian staple dishes that will surely compliment your palate. They only use fresh and natural ingredients in creating our food. They serve vegan and vegetarian-friendly dishes to compliment everyone’s preferences. Lastly, they are a Halal-Certified restaurant.
Their world-famous Sambal Merah is made only with the freshest and most authentic ingredients to satisfy your cravings. It gives the perfect kick to every dish, it’s the best condiment for fried, sauteed, grilled dishes and great for cooking as well. It’s 100% Vegan, 100% Halal, and 100% Gluten-Free.
Anything to add to this story? Share your thoughts with us.
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