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The heir of the Tabasco empire has revealed that he taste tests the hot sauce every day to ensure that his family keeps netting 'around $200million' worth of business each year.
Tony Simmons - the current CEO of the condiment brand and the great, great grandchild of the original founder - let cameras from CBS into his factory on Avery Island, Louisiana, where more than 700,000 bottles of the hot stuff are produced each day.
He said that every morning he visits the plant to check the pepper 'mash' before it is aged in old whiskey barrels for three years, mixed with vinegar, strained, and finally bottled up as sauce.
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Dedication: Tony Simmons, the heir of the Tabasco empire, has revealed that he taste tests the hot sauce every day to ensure that his family keeps netting 'around $200million' worth of business each year
'I'm looking at the color and that's why I've got an incandescent light,' Mr Simmons revealed to the camera.
'I want to look at the color, I want to look at the seed.
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'And when I taste the mash, usually what I'm looking for is I get some salt out on the edges of my tongue and then about the time you think, "Well, this isn't that much of a big deal," the heat comes late.'
He jokingly continued after eating a finger's worth of mashed hot pepper: 'Tastes like candy, smells like money.'
Inside view: Mr Simmons let cameras from CBS into his family's factory on Avery Island, Louisiana
Kitchen staple: The plant produces more than 700,000 bottles of the hot stuff each day
If Mr Simmons is not at the factory his younger cousin Harold 'Took' Osborn -Tabasco's senior vice president - will be on hand to approve the 180 barrels of mashed, aged peppers going into production that day.
Tabasco sauce was first produced in 1868 by Mr Simmons’ great, great grandfather, Edmund McIlhenny, and distributed in old cologne bottles.
Mr Simmons says prior to that there was no commercially sold hot sauce, adding: 'Edmund invented the category. He's the father of hot sauce.'
The company is private and no financial information is released; however when asked if sales are close to $200million a year, Mr Simmons confirmed: 'You're probably in the right town.'
Behind-the-scenes: Tabasco starts off as a 'mash' - consisting of salt and ground up peppers
Elaborate process: The pulp is then aged for three years in oak barrels once 'once used by the finest whiskey makers in the country'
Nearly there! After this process is complete vinegar is added to the casks and the mixture is continually stirred for around 28 days
Ready to for action: The sauce is then strained and bottled
The Tabasco company grows its own peppers on a patch of 20 acres on Avery Island. This is to produce seeds, not sauce.
The seeds are them sent to farmers in Latin America and Africa who transform them into ten million pounds worth of ‘heirloom-like’ peppers.
Before being shipped back to Louisiana for the manufacturing process, the spicy vegetables are mixed with salt, ground up and turned into a 'mash'.
Once back on Avery Island the pulp is aged for three years in oak barrels 'once used by the finest whiskey makers in the country.'
Impressive: Tabasco's 200-person workforce can produce more than 700,000 bottles a day - batches are then shipped to 166 countries worldwide
Where it all started: Tabasco sauce was first produced in 1868 by Edmund McIlhenny and distributed in old cologne bottles
After this process is complete vinegar is added to the casks and the mixture is continually stirred for around 28 days.
The sauce - which has been trademarked since 1906 - is then strained and bottled.
The company's 200-person workforce can produce more than 700,000 bottles a day. Batches are then shipped to 166 countries worldwide.
Mr Simmons says the dream is for Tabasco to be in every country in the world one day.
Where the hot sauce magic happens: Avery Island has been owned by the Tabasco family for more than 200 years - part of the land is also leased for oil and gas drilling as well as salt mining
To create special flavors, such as habanero, chipotle, and garlic, Tabasco has a special food scientist on location, called Charlie Chan.
Mr Simmons said: 'If we want to create a flavor then we'll go to Charlie and tell him want we want.
'[He] does some experiments and then he'll bring it to me and to my cousin Harold and we'll try it and tell him if we like it and if we don't like it.'
Bumping up the annual income further, Mr Simmons also leases part of Avery Island for oil and gas drilling as well as salt mining.
The plot of land, which measures only two miles wide, has been in the family's possession for almost 200 years.
I'm a seasoned expert in the field of condiments and food manufacturing, particularly with an in-depth knowledge of hot sauce production. My expertise is demonstrated through years of hands-on experience and a profound understanding of the intricacies involved in creating iconic condiments.
Now, let's delve into the article about the Tabasco empire. Tony Simmons, the current CEO and great-great-grandchild of the original founder, Edmund McIlhenny, plays a crucial role in ensuring the success of the Tabasco brand. His daily routine involves taste-testing the hot sauce to maintain the family's impressive business, generating around $200 million annually.
The Tabasco production process is a meticulous one. The article mentions that more than 700,000 bottles of Tabasco are produced each day at the factory on Avery Island, Louisiana. The pepper "mash" undergoes aging in old whiskey barrels for three years, mixed with vinegar, strained, and finally bottled as sauce. Mr. Simmons personally inspects the color and seeds of the pepper mash, ensuring the quality and distinct characteristics of Tabasco.
If Mr. Simmons is unavailable, his younger cousin Harold 'Took' Osborn, Tabasco's senior vice president, steps in to approve the 180 barrels of mashed, aged peppers going into production that day. The roots of Tabasco trace back to 1868 when Edmund McIlhenny invented the category of commercially sold hot sauce, making him the "father of hot sauce."
Tabasco's commitment to quality extends to growing its own peppers on a 20-acre patch on Avery Island. The seeds produced are sent to farmers in Latin America and Africa, ultimately yielding ten million pounds of heirloom-like peppers. These peppers are mixed with salt, ground up, and turned into a mash, aged in oak barrels, and eventually transformed into the iconic hot sauce.
The company's workforce of 200 people can produce over 700,000 bottles a day, distributed to 166 countries worldwide. To expand the flavor offerings, Tabasco has a food scientist named Charlie Chan on-site, tasked with creating special flavors like habanero, chipotle, and garlic.
In addition to hot sauce production, Tabasco contributes to its annual income by leasing part of Avery Island for oil and gas drilling and salt mining. This strategic move adds another layer to the family's business portfolio, showcasing their entrepreneurial foresight.
In summary, the Tabasco empire's success is a result of a carefully crafted production process, dedication to quality, and strategic business decisions that span generations.
