r/HotSauces

This is my favorite sauce my company makes ant it’s the last one! I have been hoarding it for myself. We grow all of our own peppers and have been out of cayennes for a while. Several plants are growing. It’s just a waiting game.

Creamy Piquín Salsa

Ingredientes:

2 tablespoons Piquín pepper*

1 Chile dried New Mexico

3 to 5 dried árbol

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, or powder

½ teaspoon Mexican oregano

4 black peppercorns , corse grounded

⅓ of a small white onion sliced/ dried onions powder

1 garlic clove sliced / garlic powder

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

½ tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar

6 tablespoons water

Kosher Salt to taste

Directions:

•	Toast the peppers , cumin , onion and garlic in a hot pan for about 45 seconds, shaking the pan during the process to avoid burning the peppers. Place peppers into the mortar or blender with other ingredients.   
•	Grind  and taste for seasoning , and the until you have a very fine creamy texture.

Know a festival not on the list? Leave a comment and we will update

Been to a festival? Share your photos, and your sauces in r/europeanhotsauce ! How was it?

Austria

• Sh*t Hot Fest Vienna, Liquid Market Cocktail Fest, Otto Wagner Area. 27 to 29 August. Globe-hopping hot-food, music and community festival. https://www.shthotfest.com/

France

• Fête du Piment d'Espelette, Espelette (Basque Country). 24 to 25 October. Long-running AOP pepper village festival, banda music, producers' market, traditional blessing of the peppers. http://www.espelette-paysbasque.com/cote_detente/fete-piment.php

Germany

• Berlin Chili Fest (Spring), Berliner Berg Brauerei, Berlin. 29 to 31 May. Berlin's biggest chili event, 50+ European hot sauce makers, Clifton Chili Club eating comp, EUHSA partner. https://www.berlinchilifest.com/
• Berlin Chili Fest (Harvest), Berliner Berg Brauerei, Berlin. 4 to 6 September. Autumn edition, harvest-season focus. https://www.berlinchilifest.com/

Ireland

• Irish Chili Festival, Marina Market, Cork. 27 to 28 June. Inaugural edition, free entry, Clifton Chili Club eating comp, Great Irish Pub Heat-Off. https://chilifest.eu/event/irish-chili-festival/

Italy

• Fiera Mondiale Campionaria del Peperoncino, Rieti. 28 August to 6 September. Ten-day chili trade fair in Lazio. https://www.fieramondialedelpeperoncino.com
• Peperoncino Festival di Diamante, Diamante, Calabria. 10 to 14 September. 33rd edition, biggest chili event in Italy, Italian Championship of Chili Eaters final, League of Fire European qualifier, free entry. https://www.peperoncinofestival.org/

Netherlands

• Sh*t Hot Fest Amsterdam, Lagerwal, Amsterdam Noord. 18 July, 13:00 to 19:00. Outdoor edition of the touring spice festival. https://www.shthotfest.com/

Portugal

• Festival Piri-Piri, Jardim dos Sentidos, Guia (Albufeira). 11 to 13 July. 2nd edition, 20 chili producers, eating contests, fire shows. https://www.portugal.fr/Le-Festival-Piri-Piri-revient-a-Albufeira-en-juillet.html

Spain

• ArdorFest (Feria del Picante), Meraki Gourmet, Donostia / San Sebastián. 8 to 9 June. Spicy-food fair, hot sauce vendors, patatas bravas, spicy tortillas, Chili Challenge eating contest. https://ardorfest.com/en/spicy-fair

United Kingdom

• Cheese & Chilli Festival, Christchurch. 16 to 17 May. https://cheeseandchillifestival.com/
• Cheese & Chilli Festival, Reigate. 30 to 31 May. https://cheeseandchillifestival.com/
• Cheese & Chilli Festival, Winchester. 6 to 7 June. https://cheeseandchillifestival.com/
• Cheese & Chilli Festival, Chichester. 20 to 21 June. https://cheeseandchillifestival.com/
• Cheese & Chilli Festival, Guildford. 18 to 19 July. https://cheeseandchillifestival.com/
• Great Dorset Chilli Festival, Stock Gaylard Estate, near Sturminster Newton. 1 to 2 August. One of the UK's biggest dedicated chili festivals. https://www.greatdorsetchillifestival.co.uk/
• Benington Chilli Festival, Benington Lordship Gardens, Hertfordshire. 24 to 26 August. Bank holiday garden festival, 10am to 5pm. https://beningtonlordship.co.uk/69/Chilli-Festival
• Waddesdon Manor Chilli Fest, Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire. 5 to 6 September (verify on site). National Trust property. https://waddesdon.org.uk/whats-on/chilli-festival/
• Chilli Fest at Fulham Palace, London. 13 September. Free, suggested £3 donation. https://www.fulhampalace.org/whats-on/events/chilli-fest-2/
• Wiltshire Chilli Festival, Westbury High Street. 19 September. Street festival, Wiltshire Chilli Eating Contest, Chinese Fire Horse theme. https://wiltshirechillifest.co.uk/

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Dates not yet confirmed for 2026

• Belgium: Chili Fest Antwerp, Waagnatie Expo & Events. Annual early October (2025 ran 4 October). https://www.waagnatie.eu/en/calendar/chili-fest-antwerp/
• Bulgaria: Sofia Chilli Fest, Chilli Hills Farm, Lozen. Traditionally early October. https://www.sofiachillifest.com/en/
• Czech Republic: Chillibraní, Brno. Traditionally early September. https://www.chillibrani.cz/en/home-2/
• Denmark: Toftegaard Chilifestival, Gartneri Toftegaard, Vedskølle (Køge). Annual September. https://www.gartneri-toftegaard.dk/arrangementer
• Finland: Chilifest Finland, Tullikamarin aukio, Tampere. Traditionally mid-August. Run by Suomen Chiliyhdistys with Poppamies. https://www.chiliyhdistys.fi/
• Hungary: Kalocsai Paprikafesztivál, Kalocsa. Annual mid-September paprika festival. https://kalocsaipaprikafesztival.hu/
• Norway: Oslo Pepper Expo, Oslo. Billed as Norway's first chili festival. https://www.instagram.com/oslopepperexpo/
• Poland: Chili x Craft Fest, Szczecin. https://chilifest.pl/
• Switzerland: Festi'rouge, Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. 2nd edition in preparation (2025 ran 6 to 7 September). Tomato and chili festival, ~200 varieties, Carolina Reaper eating contest. https://festirouge.ch/
• Turkey: Geleneksel Kaledavaz Biber Festivali, Kale (Denizli). Annual early August, celebrates PGI Kale pepper (2025 was 29th edition). https://www.kale.bel.tr/
• Turkey: Uluslararası Altın Biber Festivali (Golden Pepper Festival), Yenişehir (Bursa). Annual early September (2025 was 10th edition). https://www.yenisehir.bel.tr/
• UK: West Dean Chilli Fiesta, Chichester. Annual August event, UK's largest at ~25,000 visitors. Dates not yet on official site. https://www.westdean.ac.uk/gardens/events/chilli-fiesta
• UK: Scottish Chili Fest, Scotland. Announced for summer 2026, no venue or date public yet.

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What did we miss? Drop it below and we'll add it. This post gets updated as more dates land.