今年年初，我和火锅皇后辣酱的创始人廖韦佳聊了一次天，她说想把纯正的重庆味道带到美国市场。那时她的辣酱还漂在海上。就在上个月，韦佳带着她的品牌在全球最大的有机产品展——美国西部天然产品博览会上亮相。该展会每年都会吸引无数食品饮料新品牌，今年就有超过三千名的展商。在一票以“绿色”、“养生”为卖点的摊位中，略显重口的中式辣酱是如何吸引到业内买家的目光？

上次聊天时我和韦佳用的的是中文，她谈到了她那被奉为火锅界传奇的妈妈－－重庆小天鹅火锅的创始人和鸳鸯火锅的发明者何永智女士对她的影响。而在这次的续集里，韦佳切换到了英文语境，聊得也更多的是她自己打造品牌时的思路与考量。有人说，当你讲不同的语言时，你所展现的性格也会不一样。相信你能从这期节目中，更直接地感受到这个重庆妹子的热情、果敢与直爽；并会发现，原来辣椒还能加在这些让人意想不到的食物上…

The Essence of Chongqing Hot pot, All in a Jar, with Hotpot Queen

For ethnic cuisines, navigating the balance between authenticity and adaptation can be tricky. While there’s a strong urge to stay true to the original recipe, compromises have to be made to appeal to the local palate. But Jia, the founder of a Chinese sauce brand called Hotpot Queen, doesn’t want to play it safe and aspires to bring the boldest Sichuan flavors to Americans’ plates — from sandwich to ice cream. Besides the unapologetic spiciness and numbness, her sauce has a secret element that adds a kick — the love and passion passed down through her mom and generations of Chongqing women.

In this episode, Lulu talks with Jia, the founder of Hotpot Queen, whose fiery personality tastes just like her sauces. You’ll hear about:

* How do brands get the most out of Natural Products Expo West?

* What are the top organic food trends for 2023?

* What makes Hotpot Queen different from other hot sauce brands?

* Which foods pair surprisingly well with hot sauce?

Music Credits

Arimura Taishi - Hot pot quartet

Keep It Spicy!

Website: www.hotpotqueen.com

Instagram: @hotpotqueen

小宇宙/喜马拉雅/网易云音乐 @斜杠青年研究所／@心心念的

Apple Podcasts/Spotify @Dedicated （搜索“dedicated lulu”更容易找到呦）

[EN] 这个重庆妹，和辣椒一样热烈直爽 feat. 火锅皇后廖韦佳

斜杠青年研究所