Hundreds of spicy food samples, rare pepper plants and fiery eating challenges have drawn visitors to the 26th annual I Like It HOT! Festival at England Brothers Park in Pinellas Park, Florida.
The free, family-friendly event, held over 12 and 13 September, brought together hot-sauce makers, food vendors and chilli enthusiasts for tastings ranging from mild flavours to extreme heat. Admission and parking were free, with visitors also able to bring their pets.
Michelle Northup, the festival organiser known as the “Saucy Queen”, said the gathering had become an established tradition for the Tampa Bay area’s chilli-head community.
“It is a tradition. The Chile head community in the Tampa Bay area is strong,” she said.
Hot sauce festival brings rare peppers to Pinellas Park
Alongside bottles of hot sauce, salsa, seasonings and speciality foods, traders offered unusual plants for visitors keen to grow their own peppers at home.
John St Hilaire, from Infinite Capsicum Supply, displayed varieties ranging from orange Thai peppers to the Dorset Naga. He said the Dorset Naga could reach 1.6 million Scoville heat units, making it dramatically hotter than a jalapeño.
“You can’t find that in a grocery store around here. The only way you’re going to find it is by growing it yourself,” St Hilaire said.
The festival also featured sweet and cooling options for those seeking relief from the heat, including ice cream and lemonade.
A cinnamon roll sold by The Cinnabus was topped with a five-pepper jelly containing jalapeño, Carolina Reaper, habanero, Scotch bonnet and ghost peppers.
“It’s a regular cinnamon roll, and then he made this five-pepper jelly,” said Ashley Leon, co-owner of The Cinnabus.
Visitors were also invited to test their tolerance in contests held throughout the day, including an extreme hot-lollipop challenge. Participants in the challenge were required to sign a waiver before attempting the intense confection.
