Our Roots
The Name
“It’s my Daddy’s recipe, Not Yo’ Daddy’s recipe!”
When coming up with a name, we wanted to make sure we had a name that was catchy and paid tribute to the genius that brought us the original recipe of our hot sauce, Cristina’s Dad, Jorge Gonzalez Cano. With our name we share with you the essence of our story and quick glance at our origin.
![From left to right: Cristina’s maternal great grandfather [bisabuelo], “Don Lalo” (Eduardo Valenzuela Delgado+); Cristina’s maternal grandmother [abuela], “Malicha” (Maria Luisa Valenzuela Roman); and “Doña Cuquita” (Refugio Roman Ramirez+).](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55ef4517e4b0de96c7ef021a/1554491703766-TF7O6S9C85II222FTM6S/bisabuelitos_maternos_CGA.JPG)
From left to right: Cristina’s maternal great grandfather [bisabuelo], “Don Lalo” (Eduardo Valenzuela Delgado+); Cristina’s maternal grandmother [abuela], “Malicha” (Maria Luisa Valenzuela Roman); and Cristina’s great grandmother, “Doña Cuquita” (Refugio Roman Ramirez+).
The Recipe
The recipe base goes back to Cristina’s maternal great grandmother [bisabuelita], Refugio “Cuquita” Román Ramirez. Doña Cuquita was a master of flavors. Her baking recipes, which live on through Bety’s (Cristina’s mom) baking, are mindfully crafted to honor the flavors and qualities of every ingredient used. Her salsa roja recipe was no exception. The recipe brought together ingredients that made a salsa that was both hot and flavorful.
Doña Cuquita’s salsa recipe helped Jorge on his quest to recreate a hot sauce that his mother loved so much. Cristina’s paternal grandmother, Martha Loreto Cano Bermudez, was a food connoisseur, a true foodie before it was actually a thing. She would find all the hidden gems serving up humble, honest, flavorful food everywhere she went. In true foodie fashion, she asked Cristina’s dad to try to figure out how to replicate a hot sauce that one of her friends would bring to parties.
Always up for a challenge, and out of the love for his mother, onward went Jorge to try to come up with the best recipe he could possibly concoct. That journey was a truly scientific journey. Like a mad genius, Jorge kept detailed notes on every recipe he tried. He tried and tested, made notes, went back to the drawing board, and made some more hot sauce, until he arrived at a recipe that was revered by the extended Gonzalez and Alcala families alike.
It is this recipe and a three generation story that now makes its way to your house via our hot sauce bottles.
The Makers
Cristina González Alcalá
Founder & CEO
Always quick to smile, Cristina brings with her the flavors and the heat from Durango, Mexico by way of her three-generation old secret hot sauce recipe.
Cristina is the face of our team. She is a people person who creates connections and continuously strives to positively impact her community.
The bountiful energy that Cristina brings with her daily, keeps the team moving forward through ups and downs. Her passion for her Mexican heritage gives the company it’s life and purpose.
Richelle M. Wardell
Founder & CFO
Often doing all the work behind the scenes, Richelle is the strategic thinker of the team.
Our special blends were her ideas: whether it was asking Cristina to make a “less hot” version or recognizing the public demand for something hotter - she made it happen!
Richelle’s knack for making processes leaner and more efficient keeps our operations running smoothly (as smooth as they can be in the entrepreneur’s world).
She is a patient thinker that soaks in all the knowledge to ensure we are making smart, calculated decisions as we move forward.