American craft hot sauce
"Lola's Hot Sauce"

Lola's Fine Foods

Founded: 2015
Headquarters: West Des Moines, Iowa

Founder: Taufeek Shah
Title

The story of Lola's Hot Sauce truly embodies a human touch, even within America's vibrant craft food scene.

The brand name "Lola" means "grandmother" in Tagalog.

It was the affectionate name given by her family to Dr. Carmelita Shah, the mother of founder Taufeek Shah.

The story of a brand born
from "family recipes"

In the 1970s, Lola went to America as a doctor and worked tirelessly to support farmers in rural Iowa who had limited access to healthcare.

Sometimes, farmer patients would give her fresh vegetables from their fields as a token of their gratitude.

As an avid cook, she thoroughly enjoyed using these vegetables to create various dishes.

One day, after making a hot sauce based on a recipe inherited from her Filipino family, friends who tasted its wonderfully delicious flavor encouraged her to "why don't you try selling it?" So, with her son Taufeek, she began borrowing a local restaurant's kitchen at night to bottle the sauce and sell it at farmers' markets on weekends. This was the origin of a brand that would later spread across the United States.

In 2015, Taufeek formally branded his mother's recipe, founding "Lola's Fine Hot Sauce." What started as a small, homemade sauce expanded from local farmers' markets to being sold in thousands of stores nationwide, becoming a popular and noteworthy item.
 

Not just spiciness
"Richness of flavor"

　Lola's philosophy is clear.

"Not heat for heat's sake, but a sauce to make dishes more enjoyable." Their commitment extends to all products being all-natural, vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO.

While using extremely hot chili peppers, they don't rely solely on spiciness. Instead, they value the "richness of flavor," where the aromas, sweetness, and acidity of the ingredients intertwine.

 

The reason they stand out from other hot sauces is their aim to enhance, rather than overpower, the flavor of food, and that their products offer more than just heat.

A diverse lineup creates the "joy of choosing"

　The appeal of Lola's is not limited to its story.

 

Beyond just hot sauces, the diverse range of products and their individual deliciousness are also reasons why it has gained fans in the United States.
 

From the brand's signature "Original Hot Sauce," which boasts a exquisite balance of heat and aroma, to the "Spicy Series" made with super-hot chili peppers like ghost peppers and Carolina Reapers, these craft creations offer a deep umami flavor beneath their intense heat.

 

On the other hand, for those who don't like spicy food, the "Hot Sauce That's Not Spicy Series" includes the "Mango Hot Sauce," a hot sauce characterized by its tropical and fruity sweetness that can be enjoyed even by those sensitive to spice.
 

And it's not just hot sauces. Lola's salsa series also has many fans. From the "Mango Salsa," with its natural mango sweetness, to the "Cherry Jalapeño Salsa," which balances the tartness of cherries with the refreshing spice of jalapeños, all offer a deliciousness that won't grow tiresome even with daily consumption.
 

Furthermore, the product lineup is expanding year by year, including "Spicy Ketchup" and "Spicy Honey," both of which exquisitely blend the sweetness of tomatoes with the spiciness and smokiness of jalapeños. A brand that started with homemade flavors is now evolving into a "comprehensive brand of craft seasonings."

Excellent Pairing with Craft Beer

One reason Lola’s is loved in the US is its excellent compatibility with craft beer. The spiciness, acidity, and aromatic depth of hot sauce surprisingly harmonize with the hop aromas and malty sweetness of craft beer.
 

For example, a citrus-hopped IPA pairs wonderfully with crispy fried fish when combined with lemon, lime, and a refreshing spice like “Original Hot Sauce.”

 

A smoky, rich stout enhances the deep umami of pulled pork slathered in BBQ sauce with a dash of intensely spicy “Ghost Pepper.” Light fruit beers become even fruitier when grilled chicken is served with "Mango Salsa" or a dash of "Mango Hot Sauce."

Excellent with Japanese cuisine.
A craft sauce that complements
your everyday dining table.

　When you hear "hot sauce," you might immediately think of American dishes like tacos or pizza, but Lola's true appeal lies in its versatility.

 

Not only is it easy to incorporate into everyday meals like soups, egg dishes, and sandwiches, but it also pairs surprisingly well with Japanese cuisine.

 

Gyoza, karaage, and yakisoba are also highly recommended.

 

Adding salsa to grilled pork or chicken instantly adds a new depth of flavor to familiar dishes.

 

Among my home experiments, my favorite is hot sauce mixed with mayonnaise.

 

You can use it with cut vegetables, or add cream cheese to make a dip, or serve it on crackers.

 

Adding a drop of hot sauce to your usual ketchup instantly elevates even frozen french fries to a more sophisticated level. I highly recommend trying these new flavors.

Product List