Learn Spanish and Go ¿La Salsa Cholula no Viene de Cholula? - Cholula Hot Sauce Doesn't Come from Cholula?
Jun 17, 2025
Discover the surprising truth about Cholula hot sauce, which isn't made in Cholula at all! The hosts dive into the sauce's origins, tied to the José Cuervo family, and its unlikely rise to fame in the U.S. Learn why locals rarely use it and how marketing turned a humble recipe into an $800 million brand. They also discuss wild price differences between Mexico and abroad, and the shift from home kitchen to global sensation. It's a flavorful exploration of culture, economics, and the hot sauce industry!
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Name Evokes Tradition, Not Origin
- Cholula sauce is widely associated with the town but is actually produced in Jalisco, not Cholula, Puebla.
- The brand uses regional imagery (wooden cap, name) to evoke a traditional Mexican identity for international markets.
Shelf Sauces Versus Homemade Salsas
- Mexicans commonly keep many bottled sauces at home, but store-bought brands differ from homemade salsas by family.
- Popular Mexican shelf sauces include Valentina, Yucateco, and Tajín, showing diverse local preferences.
Passing The Factory During A House Sit
- Jimmy and May describe driving past the Cholula factory in Chapala while house-sitting and being surprised it was in Jalisco.
- Jimmy looked for Cholula sauce in Cholula and couldn't find it, which locals found amusing.