The story of Qayu Hot Sauce begins in Peru, a country well known for its rich agriculture and culinary excellence. Peru is home to a unique fusion of people, cultures, geography, and history that makes Peruvian cuisine remarkable. Peru was also home to the great-great-grandmother of Qayu co-founder Jan, who used ingredients like the rocoto peppers grown on her family farm to create her very own hot sauce, or “Aji” (an Andean term for spicy sauce). As an entrepreneur, she opened a restaurant in Lima, Peru in 1970. At the center of every table, was her homemade hot sauce. 

 

A staple in Peruvian cuisine, dishes are commonly enlivened with hot sauces, which have origins dating back to the Incan Empire. Each recipe is unique, yet familiar and is traditionally passed down for generations - and that’s exactly what happened with great-great-grandmother's recipe. She passed it down to her daughter, who ultimately passed the recipe down to her grandson, Jan, who was inspired to introduce his family's recipe to the world.

 

Qayu Hot Sauce was created by co-founders Jan and Chris with one fundamental mission in mind; to elevate dining experiences with products rich in both flavor and heritage, while honoring the legacy and culture from which they came. In the same spirit as great-great-grandmother, our vision is to create exceptional products that people love and introduce them to the world.