MANILA -- From a wide array of exotic local delicacies to the vast fusion dishes adapted from years of colonization and foreign influence, Philippine cusine is without a doubt a hodge podge.
One thing, however, that unites the archipelago's diverse food culture is the fact that Pinoys cannot eat without their favorite "sawsawan" or dipping sauce.
Soy sauce, vinegar, or fish sauce -- often dashed with spices, garlic, onion, calamansi, and chili -- are added to a dish to add flavor and spice. Filipinos after all are avid lovers of spicy food.
While adding chili to any dipping sauce would do the trick, Charlie & Angus Home Kitchen recommends a more adventurous alternative by pairing your favorite dishes with their all-natural hot sauces.
"Piri-piri is a traditional sauce based on South African chili. It isn't just for Mediterranean food, it goes well with any cuisine," the owner and chef Faramarz Pakdamaian said.
He continued: "It compliments most ulams (viand) such as prito and ihaw (fried and grilled food) like fried or roasted chicken, steak, pork chop, and white fish without overpowering them."
Pakdamanian runs the home kitchen with his girlfriend, Mae Carmelli Pastor.
"We named the brand after our dogs, Charlie, a corgi, and Angus, a maltese," Pastor said.
"We both love to cook. Fara handles the kitchen, while I handle the orders and the marketing," she added.
Pakdamanian, a half-Filipino and half-Persian, worked as a professional chef for nearly a decade abroad. He was inspired to create the hot sauces by the packaging of an already existing brand.
"There is a brand line of sauces that indicate the heat level on the bottle. I wanted to make something similar but with my own unique flavors," he said.
The homegrown business offers three variations of the traditional sauce: spiced piri-piri, habanero, and the mixed red hot sauce.
Each flavor has an indicated heat level on the package label. The spiced piri-piri is ranked on the first level, while the habanero and mixed red are ranked on the third level.
"Heat level depends on the amount of chili used in each recipe," Pakdamanian explained.
While all the sauces will flare up your taste buds, Pakdamanian emphasized that more than the heat, the sauces are defined by their distinct flavor.
"It’s not all heat. The sauces consist of various flavors, spices, and smokey undertones. The recipe is made in a way that the chili isn't overpowering so the flavor can be enjoyed," he explained.
Pakdamanian recommends the spiced piri-piri for those who are looking to add a mild heat to their meals.
"It is minimally spicy -- the least of the three. It adds an umami flavor to the food you put it on," he described.
The fruity Habanero hot sauce, on the other hand, has a slightly sweet kick.
"The yellow habanero melds with the acidity of the vinegar giving it a fruity, fresh and slightly acidic flavor," Pakdamanian said.
Meanwhile, the Mixed Red hot sauce, the hottest of the three variants, stands out for its "smokey" kick.
"The mixed red chillies and the dash of garlic and onion flavors will flare up your senses without overpowering its flavor, the viand or whatever food you eat it with," Pakdamanian explained.
All three sauces are made without additives or artificial flavors.
"We curate all the best the ingredients locally. We market our brand as a healthier alternative. We aim to put our products in healthy, vegetarian, and vegan stores," he said.
On top of being beneficial to the clients' health, the homegrown business also aims to help their suppliers.
"Our products are farm-to-table. We buy directly from chili farmers and growers," he said. "As we grow we want them to grow with us."
Apart from the hot sauces, hummus, frozen fallafels, adlai, wild honey and other sustainable and healthy products can be purchased in their Facebook page.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
