Ultimate Chili 🌶️ Festival 2023 in Manila! (feat. The Fiery Cup VI Competition Winners)

Chili Fest VII, the much awaited Ultimate Chili Festival in Manila, is finally happening on the weekend of April 22-23 at Whitespace Manila! Chili Heads and Enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the winners for the recently held Fiery Cup VI competition to be crowned during the festival. Congrats to the Philippine Hot Sauce Club for championing the passion for chilies and cultivating a healthy economic eco-system of chili afficionados, chili artisans, chili farmers and chili heads in Manila.

Here’s what you can look forward to in the Chili Fest VII this coming April 22-23 Earth Day weekend! 


2023 FIERY CUP VI

Fiery Cup is the first, biggest and hottest chili product competition in the country. Philippine Hot Sauce Club is aiming a HOT SAUCE Culture that encourages local hot sauce makers in promoting their own unique & specialty brands through a creative, intense and healthy competition.

Creativity knows no bounds – from casual hobbyists to professional producers — everyone is invited to join the competition and showcase their creations to the community.  Also, notable chefs, VIPs, influencers, and personalities were invited to judge the competition through blind tasting. 

This year’s 6th Fiery Cup was held last April 2, 2023 at the Bahay Kalinaw in UP Diliman, QC.

Fiery Cup VI had a successful participation of 459 entries across 30 Categories!

FIERY CUP CATEGORIES TOTAL # of ENTRIES
A1. Hot Sauce – MILD29
A2. Hot Sauce – MEDIUM HEAT28
A3. Hot Sauce – STRONG HEAT24
A4. Hot Sauce – EXTREME HEAT30
A5. Hot Sauce – NATIVE LABUYO9
A6. Hot Sauce – FRUIT BASED36
A7. Hot Sauce – DESSERT13
A8. Hot Sauce – LIQUOR & BEER10
A9. Hot Sauce – FLAVORS OF THE WORLD19
A10. Hot Sauce – BRING THE PAIN7
A11. Hot Sauce – SUMMER HEAT16
B1. Chili Garlic Sauce – MELLOW FIRE LEVEL16
B2. Chili Garlic Sauce – WILD FIRE LEVEL18
B3. Chili Garlic Sauce – HELL FIRE LEVEL11
B4. Chili Garlic Sauce – CRUNCHY CRISPY13
B5. Chili Garlic Sauce – YELLOW8
C1. Other Condiments – MAANGHANG NA PINOY SAWSAWAN9
C2A. Other Condiments – SPICED VINEGAR (MILD)25
C2B. Other Condiments – SPICED VINEGAR (SUPER HOT)11
C3. Other Condiments – HOT & THICK12
C4. Other Condiments – SPICY DIPS & SPREADS9
C5. Other Condiments – FIERY SALSA7
C6. Other Condiments – DRY SPICY SEASONING12
C7. Other Condiments – HOT JARS16
C8. Other Condiments – INFUSED SPICY OIL10
D1. Hot & Spicy Food – SPICY SNACKS7
D2. Hot & Spicy Food – HOT SWEETS10
D3. Hot & Spicy Food – FIERY & SWEET10
D4. Hot & Spicy Food – HOT PICKLES19
D5. Hot & Spicy Food – SPICY PRESERVED GASTRONOMY15

Judging the competition is exciting if you are passionate about your chili. You get to go around and judge the various chili products, from hot sauces, chili garlic sauce, condiments and hot & spicy food categories based on its heat levels.

Judges scan the QR code to rate the contestants based on a blind taste test. Once each category gets enough votes, the category is officially closed but one can still enjoy the samples.

The Extreme Heat hot sauce and Hell Fire categories were brutal. I admire the judges who were able to taste the flavors despite the heat levels. They used water, milk or Yobick drink to clean the palate before completing the judging.

Aside from the Hot Sauces, I enjoyed judging the Spiced Vinegar (Mild), Spicy Snack, Hot Pickles and Spicy Preserved Condiments as well.

Congratulations to the awesome judges of the Fiery Cup VI Competition!

FIERY CUP VI JUDGES AFFILIATION
Anton DiazOur Awesome Planet
Chef Martin NarismaChef/Digital Creator – Featr
Chef Angelica Pahud Culinary Arts Chef Tag Philippines – Board of Trustees/Net 25 Celebrity chef – “Kada Kusina”/Owner – Café Angelica
Chef Belinda EvangelistaCulinary Arts Chef Tag Philippines Project Manager/R&D Head Chef/Consultant/Owner-Beda’s Take Away/Licensed Food Technologist
Chef Nolie Jay OpeCulinary Arts Chef Tag Philippnes/Professor
Chef April AmonOwner – Food Scape food truck
Chef Cindy SantosChef – Koban Japanese Restaurant
Chef May CamachoFood Research & Development Specialist in Four Seas Chemicals, Inc. (flavoring company)
Chef Katrina AlmanzaCulinary Arts Chef Tag Philippines – Chief Treasurer/Owner – Spice & Jar Restaurant 
Chef Maybel FabieOwner – ABN Foods/Owner – Bhel’s Fruit & Vegetable Shop
Chef Richard FabieExecutive Chef – SDW Premium Korean BBQ, Inc.
Chef Abraham CapitoCommis 2 chef at Enbu Japanese Restaurant – Okada Manila
Chef Rachel RomblonCulinary Arts Chef Tag Philippnes/Cake Up Philippines/Nutrition Staff
Chef Jose Miguel GiananRestaurateur/Chef – One World Butchers
Chef Fara PakdamanianOwner – Charlie & Angus Home Kitchen
Chef Marilyn MesiasFreelance Chef/Digital Creator
Chef Ina BilbaoOwner – The Blue Apron
Chef Monica MarchadeschOwner & Executive Chef – Prawn Star PH
Chef Juan Vincent BautistaChef/Consultant/Celebrity Chef
Chef Jesterex RoferosChef – Tagum, Davao
Mark DizonDigital Creator/Showbiz Bro – Machong Chismisan Podcast
Dannah PaneloDigital Creator – Maanghang Ba/Instagram: @maanghang_ba
Eric TeodoroDigital Creator – Lamon Gaming/Instagram: @guesswho1217
Angel FranciscoDigital Creator – FrankieangelouTV
Czarina ReginoBrand Manager – Agri Pacific Corporation – L’Artisano Flour
Mikko CordovaOwner – Daddy Mikks Chili Garlic Crunch
Marlon TongOwner – The Basic Peanut Butter/Foodsource PH
Ivin John YumulPitmasters Club of the Philippines/Owner – Smoke ’em Out
Gus Tus de LimaAdmin – SiliPinas
Perfecto Eric AcostaAdmin – Carolina Reaper Growers Philippines
Gabriel Dizonspicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge
Michael Candelariaspicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge
Dian Adoraspicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge
Nichola Peña Chuaspicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge
Alex Valdezspicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge
Christian BuenafeChili Growers Philippines member
Ma. Cristina VargasChili Growers Philippines member
Francis Panuncialmanspicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge
Jay Floraspicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge
Ibarra Arcillaspicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge
Mikhail Lawrence Ramrodspicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge
Ces Fernandezspicy food enthusiast
MJ Pacletaspicy food enthusiast
Marco Moranspicy food enthusiast
Patrick de Guiaspicy food enthusiast
Daryll Panaliganspicy food enthusiast
Yca Dizonspicy food enthusiast
Noel Baclaospicy food enthusiast
Ana Jacinta Trinidadspicy food enthusiast
James Kenneth Catacutanspicy food enthusiast
Rachel Penillaspicy food enthusiast

2023 CHILI FEST VII: SUMMER HEAT

The Chili Fest started back in 2014 when Ponchit Ponce Enrile urged the Facebook group Chili Heads to gather and finally meet up and share their passion for chilies. It then turned into a grand annual gathering of these like-minded chili afficionados. In 2017, Ponchit Ponce Enrile decided to establish the Philippine Chili Federation (PCF) to unite not just all of its member groups, but also other chili enthusiasts and hobbyists of all types.

PCF’s goal is to continually grow the community to reach the network of farmers, chili artisans, chili consumers to make the local chili industry flourish as it should always have been. Chili Fest is also largely attended by celebrities, public officials, and notable personalities in the farming and food industry in support of local chili crafts. We boast all local homegrown chilies and chili products to share with everyone. We welcome everyone and anyone from all sectors to the biggest, spiciest, and the hottest party in celebration of anything chili & spicy.

The festival is a haven for the chili heads where you get to join the Spicy Food Eating Contest and discover products from the chili seeds to finished hot sauces products.

I’m excited about the Labuyo 100 Rites where you have to eat 100 pieces of Labuyo with food within 10 to 15 minutes without any liquid intake 10 minutes after finishing the food. Tara!

This is also a learning convention about growing your own chilies and creating your own chili sauces.

The winners of the Fiery Cup VI and the Chili Plant Competition will be announced during the festival!

With such well curated products, you can’t miss the Chili Fest VII next weekend April 22-23, 2023 9:00am to 7:00pm at Whitespace Manila!

Buy your tickets now 1-Day Pass (₱200) or 2-day Pass (₱300).

Note: The Fiery Cup Winners will be announced on Day 1, while the Labuyo 100 rites will happen on Sunday Lunch time.


PHILIPPINE HOT SAUCE CLUB

The Philippine Hot Sauce Club (PHSC) is a group established in 2016, comprising of hot sauce makers, processors of other chili related products (i.e., hot sauce, chili garlic, spiced vinegars, hot pickles, dry spicy condiments, and the like), consumers and enthusiasts. We boast of 13,000 members from all over the country to date.

We are the first ever and most celebrated club in the chili and hot sauce scene in the Philippines.

Get in touch with PHSC via philippinehotsauceclub@gmail.com or contact Larry +63 961 501-7000 or Zarina +63 917 448- 2261.

Live an Awesome Life with Christ,

Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet

Disclosure: Our Awesome Planet is a co-presentor of The Chili Fest and The Fiery Cup . I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.

P.S. Thank you to all the sponsors of the 2023 Chili Fest and The Fiery Cup!

Philippine Chili Festival is co-presented by Our Awesome Planet, Masflex Cookware and Kitchenware, and Delimondo.

 We would like to thank our sponsors: 
–  Kremil-S Advanced 
– Loperamide Diatabs
– Smirnoff Mule
– Charles & James Whisky
– SIP Purified Water 
– Arla Milk
– L’Artisano Flour 
– Pacific Sunrise Chili Oil
– Mama Sita’s 
– Tabasco Philippines 
– Clara Olé
– La Española
– Kitchen Witchery

Other media partners: 
– RMN DZXL 558 Radyo Trabaho
– Bulgar
– Navi Manila
– When in Manila

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