Tapatío is an American hot sauce produced in Vernon, California. It is popular in the United States, predominantly among Mexican-American communities.
 Logo since 1997 | |
| Industry | Food production |
|---|---|
| Founded | January 29, 1971 |
| Founder | Jose-Luis Saavedra Sr. |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | North America |
| Products | Hot sauce |
| Heat |  Low |
| Scoville scale | 3,000 SHU |
| Website | www |
History
editThe recipe for the hot sauce was created by the wife of Jose-Luis Saavedra Sr., who decided to sell it after losing his aerospace-industry job in the late 1960s.[1][2][3] The Tapatío Hot Sauce company was started in 1971 in a small warehouse in Maywood, California.[4] It launched under the name Cuervo, which was Saavedra's wife's maiden name,[3] but after 4 years, the company sold the rights to that name to the Jose Cuervo tequila company.[5] The Tapatío name was adopted in 1975.[2] "Tapatío" is a term used to describe someone from Guadalajara, Jalisco and the package art depicts a romanticized charro from Jalisco.[1][5] The product slogan is Es una salsa...muy salsa! (lit. 'It's a sauce...very saucy!').
In 1985, the company moved to a 7000-square-foot (650 m2) facility in Vernon, California,[3] 5 miles (8.0 km) from Downtown Los Angeles. Although larger than the first location, the new factory had a single loading dock and limited storage space, which created a new series of problems for the company. A new 30000-square-foot (2800 m2) facility followed in 1996.[3] By 2021, the company was bottling 200,000 units a day, with exports to 30 countries.[citation needed]
In January 2026, the Saavedra family sold Tapatío Hot Sauce to the private equity firm Highlander Partners, but retained a minority stake and remained involved in management.[6][3] Highlander declined to reveal the terms of the deal.[3]
The ingredients listed on the product label are water, red peppers, salt, spices, garlic, acetic acid, xanthan gum and sodium benzoate as a preservative. The company claims that the exact recipe was transmitted only by word of mouth until 2026, when it was written down at the time of the company's sale.[3] Measuring the ingredients for a batch of sauce according to the original ratios is still carried out in a locked room of the factory.[3]
Tapatío comes in five sizes: 5, 10, and 32 U.S. fluid ounces (148, 296, and 946 mL) and 1 U.S. gallon (3.78 L), as well as in 1⁄4-ounce (7 g) packets. The packet format was developed for the US military.[1]
Tapatío Ramen was introduced in 2018.[citation needed] In 2021, to celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary, they collaborated with Gabriel Iglesias for a special edition of the hot sauce Tapatio X Fluffy.[2] Tapatío launched cross-brand products such as Tapatío-flavored Doritos, Ruffles, Fritos,[citation needed] Budweiser (Chelada Fuego),[2] and HipDot (cosmetics products).[7]
In 2014, the brand was featured whimsically in an exhibit, LA Heat: Taste Changing Condiments, at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles.[8][2][9] According to Jose-Luis Saavedra, a bottle of Tapatío hot sauce was displayed at the Smithsonian Institution.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 "Vernon-based Tapatio remains a family-run business as it marks 50th anniversary". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2021-06-25. Archived from the original on 2025-07-22. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Carlson, Trevor (2022-05-18). "The Untold Truth Of Tapatio". Mashed. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Luna, Itzel (2026-04-12), "The tale of L.A.'s iconic hot sauce and how Ozempic is making it even hotter", Los Angeles Times website, archived from the original on 2026-04-12, retrieved 2026-04-15
- ↑ Our Story. Accessed January 2017.
- 1 2 Ceasar, Stephen (2011-02-13), "Tapatío hot sauce maker Jose-Luis Saavedra has recipe for success", Los Angeles Times website, archived from the original on 2022-05-12, retrieved 2026-03-21
- ↑ Doering, Christopher (20 January 2026). "Tapatio hot sauce acquired by private equity firm". www.fooddive.com. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ↑ "Tapatío Hot Sauce Ventures Into Makeup With Spicy Collaboration". Hypebae. 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ↑ Dean, Sam (2014-05-29), "Hot Sauce Art: LA Museum Honors Sriracha and Tapatio", NPR website, archived from the original on 2015-05-28
- ↑ Rojas, Leslie Berestein (2016-01-26). "Move over Louisiana, Los Angeles is emerging as a hot sauce capital". LAist. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ↑ 2021 Congressional Record, Vol. 167, Page S5097 (July 27, 2021)
