Tabasco

The Tabasco pepper takes its name from the Mexican state of Tabasco, where the variety was originally cultivated. Its global fame, however, comes from a different place entirely: Avery Island, Louisiana, where Edmund McIlhenny began producing his now-iconic Tabasco-brand pepper sauce in 1868, three years after the American Civil War ended. McIlhenny's recipe - mashed Tabasco peppers, salt from the island's salt deposits, and distilled vinegar, fermented and aged in oak barrels - has remained virtually unchanged for over 150 years. Today, every Tabasco pepper used by the McIlhenny Company traces back to seeds from Avery Island, though the bulk of commercial cultivation now happens in Latin America under company contracts. The original peppers are still grown on Avery Island for seed propagation only. The Tabasco is a Capsicum frutescens - one of only five domesticated chilli species - and stands out for its small upright pods, juicy flesh, and remarkable versatility for fermentation. Unlike most chillies which lose character when fermented, Tabasco peppers gain complexity, developing the tangy, vinegary character that defines the world's most recognisable hot sauce. In 2017, the Tabasco brand celebrated 150 years of continuous family ownership - making it one of the longest-running food product lines in American history. The McIlhenny Company remains family-owned to this day.