Nosh crowned its first Hot Sauce champions in multiple categories at the inaugural BreakFest event at Hammerling Wines on Sept. 12.
It was a beautiful Berkeley day, sun shining and the air breezy, for a morning full of great food, music, some spicy competition and wine.
Vendors included Richmond’s Thomas Honey with honey aged in whiskey barrels, Babos kitchen and its line of ghee lentil granola, Golden Disco selling zero-proof canned cocktails, and Ed’s Breads with a variety of loaves made from a range of grains. Xula served traditional Guatemalan breakfast dishes, such as the pan con todo, a french roll stuffed with black beans, scrambled eggs, cheese and sour cream. Meanwhile, Chiricana dished up Panamanian breakfast items.
Inside Hammerling, Sodo Donuts soothed a steady stream of un-caffeinated attendees with lattes and sourdough donuts, while Joyce Tang, owner of Bake Sum, greeted fans and signed her new cookbook, Bake Sum, co-authored by chef and former San Francisco Chronicle food critic Soleil Ho. Wilder Bloom got in the spirit with its stand of “mild,” “medium,” and “spicy” bouquets of flowers. Additionally. Preserved shared some knowledge with a fermented hot sauce demonstration, which helped set the stage for the highlight of the day, Nosh’s inaugural Hot Sauce Competition.
Ten hot sauces entered for four awards, a people’s choice award voted on by more than 100 BreakFest attendees and three judged categories. Oscar Michel, chef and co-founder of Tacos Oscar in Oakland, Nity Jaiswal, chef and founder of Berkeley’s Noor Indian Fusion Kitchen, and Nosh Editor-in-Chief Tovin Lapan served as judges.
Xula entered its ChiQ’aq into Nosh’s hot sauce competition, winning big in the best smokey flavor category.
“It was an honor to win the Most Smokey trophy. Chef Veronica created the salsa to serve with Xula’s Adobo Wings at the 2025 Outside Lands event,” said Xula co-owner Jose Reyes. “Just an FYI that the word ChiQ’aq comes from the Maya dialect, used 500 years ago, as the name for the volcano known today as Volcan De Fuego in Guatemala. ChiQ’aq means ‘where the fire is’. We appreciate the opportunity to have ChiQ’aq represent Chef Veronica’s Guatemalan roots.”
Aburaya, secured a win for the most unique flavor with its habañero miso hot sauce, a sauce that combines traditional Japanese and Mexican flavors that reflects the restaurant’s team, while Richmond’s Hot Sauce for The People won for best everyday hot sauce. That Hausa Vegan’s mango habanero hot sauce was voted best heat, a sauce that chef Sitalbanat Muktari crafted by combining the flavor of her favorite fruit, mango, with habanero, two ingredients that she says are also common in northern Nigerian cuisine.
“The creamy, smokey sauce was created to complement the crispiness of our loaded soya which is [a] crispy fried cassava loaded dish, but pairs well as a dipping sauce, sandwich spread, and marinade. It’s definitely a customer favorite,” chef Muktari said.
Finally, the people’s choice award was a tight race between Hot Sauce for the People, Moto Provisions, and That Hausa Vegan. Ultimately, Hot Sauce for the People came out on top, securing their second trophy of the day for its Bay Bay hot sauce, a zesty, habanero hot sauce made with cilantro and lime.
“We are a husband-and-wife team that started off experimenting for fun, making wing marinades and sauces. Our habanero mustard sauce became a favorite, with friends and co-workers asking to buy it from us. After starting a family and spending time working in the culinary business, we decided to re-launch our hot sauce business,” said Tatiana Richardson-Narell. “We hope to one day have our sauces as a staple in kitchens all over the bay area and beyond, and to open our own brick and mortar location as a hot sauce shop, deli and community hub that we can use to offer good jobs in the community and uplift other entrepreneurs grinding to turn their visions to reality.”
