Louisiana may have Tabasco, but in-the-know South Valley
residents have something else to shake on food to
”
kick it up a notch.
”
Louisiana may have Tabasco, but in-the-know South Valley residents have something else to shake on food to “kick it up a notch.”
Pepper Plant Pepper Sauce, manufactured by Gilroy’s own Blossom Valley Foods, adds a spicy tang to breakfast potatoes, eggs and omelets, and just about anything else locals can think to put it on.
“It’s way different from Tabasco because it actually has flavor,” said Wendy Halayay, manager of the Cozy Cup Cafe in Hollister. “Tabasco to me is just very hot and spicy, but Pepper Plant has a nice garlic flavor.”
Unlike most hot sauces, which are made from a combination of vinegar and jalapeño, Pepper Plant is a savory fusion of garlic, jalapeño, onion and tomato, said Roy Johnson, general manager of Blossom Valley Foods in Gilroy.
In fact, Johnson puts enough mental distance between his company’s pepper sauce and the competitors that he even prefers a different title. He would rather call it a specialty sauce than steak sauce or hot sauce.
Blossom Valley Foods, which manufactures nearly 100 different types of sauces and condiments for private label companies each year, began making the sauce for Pepper Plant, then an independent company, 15 years ago, said Johnson. It was quick to catch on in the area – the company’s distribution representative made one of his first sales by walking across the street to the Longhouse Restaurant, which still serves the sauce, according to long-time waitress Darlene Lawrence. So when Blossom Valley Foods bought out Pepper Plant nearly 8 years ago, they decided to keep producing the pepper sauce.
“We get calls from all over the United States. We have store distribution throughout California, but it’s pretty regional,” said Johnson, whose company produces 240,000 bottles – that’s 2.4 million ounces – of the sauce per year.
To get a taste of Pepper Plant’s Pepper Sauce for yourself, visit a Flames diner or The Longhouse Restaurant at 8195 Monterey St. in Gilroy. In Hollister, check out the region’s own taste at the Cozy Cup Cafe, located at 380 4th St.
