In 2008, I founded David’s Been Here with the dream of sharing travel tips, inspiration, and different cultures with the world. Over the years, I’ve incorporated my love of food, especially spicy dishes, into my work, which led to me creating my own hot sauce in 2023. I may be biased, but I believe David’s Been Here Hot Sauce is the best hot sauce on the planet. It’s balanced and flavorful, reflects my deep passion for fiery cuisine, and incorporates flavors from around the world. It also pays homage to the Latin-American community I’ve always called home.
I was born and raised in the bustling city of Miami, Florida. People call my city the capital of Latin America because when many Latin Americans immigrate to the United States, they come here. People from Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and more call my city home, and I was raised around them.
I knew I had to honor that when I teamed up with Su Yum Foods, a Tampa-based Surinamese food company, to create my sauce. I wanted everyone who tried my sauce to be able to taste the flavors that are intrinsic to my community. At the same time, I needed my sauce to reflect my world travels.
We tested different batches of the sauce over many months. We tried different fruits in various combinations and amounts. But finally, after nearly a year of adjusting our home-crafted recipe with my friend Danielle from Su Yum Foods, we produced the best hot sauce of 2024.
Miami is fiery and exciting, and I wanted that represented in David’s Been Here Hot Sauce. I also needed something that spoke to the global flavors I love and crave. The recipe that finally made my taste buds sing incorporates real guava and pineapple, providing a delightful burst of sweetness and tropical flair. We added apple cider vinegar to give it a tang and a touch of acidity to balance out the fruity sweetness.
Many countries have captured my heart over the years. I lived abroad in Italy in college. I also spent two years traveling around Spain. Albania and Armenia both inspired me during my trips in 2020 and 2019, respectively. But there was only one country that would suffice: the one that changed my life and career, India.
It’s hard for me to explain how much I love Indian cuisine. Ever since my first trip to India in 2018, I’ve been enamored with this diverse global cuisine. I love the way it utilizes dozens of herbs and spices in nearly every dish. The way each dish is complex and vibrant and expertly prepared. The way dishes are made to be eaten together to create a perfect balance of flavors and textures.
Some of my favorite Indian dishes, like paneer chili and spicy pani puri, have some heat to them. So I added Kashmiri chilies to create the best hot sauce I’ve ever tasted. These flavorful and strong chilies not only provide a subtle spiciness to his sauce, but also symbolize the profound impact that traveling has had on my life.
When it comes to hot sauce, I always put flavor over the amount of heat. How many times have you tried a hot sauce that practically burned a hole in your tongue, but wasn’t tasty? A lot of sauces are hot for the sake of being hot but taste terrible. That’s not our goal with David’s Been Here Hot Sauce. I don’t want you to be in pain when you try my sauce. Instead, I want you to enjoy it. I want you to look forward to pairing it with your favorite dishes and trying it over and over again.
That’s why the main recipe is a perfect blend of sweetness, tanginess, and mild spiciness. Because people have asked for it, a much spicier version will hit stores soon, but I promise we won’t skimp on flavor for the sake of blistering, overbearing heat. My sauce adds a touch of spice to your taste buds without overpowering them. My partners and I designed it to complement and enhance the flavors of the food you pair it with. Frankly, any sauce that overpowers or masks your food isn’t a great sauce.
Best of all, David’s Been Here Hot Sauce goes with everything you pair it with. Meat, chicken, fish, eggs, vegetables, noodles, rice, you name it! It complements everything from Indian to Caribbean to Italian to Chinese, and everything in-between. After all, it wouldn’t be the best hot sauce of 2024 if it didn’t!
I couldn’t have created the best hot sauce without the friendship and guidance from my friends at Su Yum Foods. From the very beginning, Danielle and I aligned in our views and goals for David’s Been Here Hot Sauce. I visited Suriname back in 2019, and I could feel the spirit of the country within the company, especially its dedication to using the tastiest, highest-quality ingredients in their Caribbean-inspired sauces, seasonings, and spice blends.
In nearly every country I’ve visited, they prioritize fresh, natural foods over heavily processed and genetically modified ones. I wanted that same standard of quality for my sauce. That’s why you won’t find any preservatives, thickeners, fillers, syrups, artificial flavors/colors, or added sugars in David’s Been Here Hot Sauce.
The only ingredients are ones you can pronounce: pineapple, guava, Kashmiri chilies, and apple cider vinegar. Nothing more, nothing less.
Sure, I’m biased. But I assure you, as a food lover, I would never advocate for a food I don’t believe in. This sauce is the tastiest, most balanced, and most versatile hot sauce I’ve ever had in my life. I take a bottle with me everywhere I go, and I share it with nearly everyone I meet. The incredible positive reactions it’s gotten, particularly in the Caribbean and Latin America, tell me we have a winner here!
You can experience the best hot sauce of 2024 right now! You can buy our single 5-ounce bottles, our 4-piece bundle package, or gallon-sized bottles on the David’s Been Here Store website right now! Our gallon-sized jugs are perfect for restauranteurs who want to add a taste of the tropics to their menu. Meanwhile, our single 5-ounce bottles are the perfect size to take on any adventure, whether it’s a backyard barbecue or a trip around the world.
I hope you enjoy David’s Been Here Hot Sauce. I’m incredibly proud of it, and I hope you can feel the love and passion that went into it. If you enjoy it, please don’t hesitate to leave us a positive review on Amazon. Or, post a video of you trying it on Instagram and tag @dbhhotsauce, and I’ll repost you!
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