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 – MILD | 29 |
| A2. Hot Sauce – MEDIUM HEAT | 28 |
| A3. Hot Sauce – STRONG HEAT | 24 |
| A4. Hot Sauce – EXTREME HEAT | 30 |
| A5. Hot Sauce – NATIVE LABUYO | 9 |
| A6. Hot Sauce – FRUIT BASED | 36 |
| A7. Hot Sauce – DESSERT | 13 |
| A8. Hot Sauce – LIQUOR & BEER | 10 |
| A9. Hot Sauce – FLAVORS OF THE WORLD | 19 |
| A10. Hot Sauce – BRING THE PAIN | 7 |
| A11. Hot Sauce – SUMMER HEAT | 16 |
| B1. Chili Garlic Sauce – MELLOW FIRE LEVEL | 16 |
| B2. Chili Garlic Sauce – WILD FIRE LEVEL | 18 |
| B3. Chili Garlic Sauce – HELL FIRE LEVEL | 11 |
| B4. Chili Garlic Sauce – CRUNCHY CRISPY | 13 |
| B5. Chili Garlic Sauce – YELLOW | 8 |
| C1. Other Condiments – MAANGHANG NA PINOY SAWSAWAN | 9 |
| C2A. Other Condiments – SPICED VINEGAR (MILD) | 25 |
| C2B. Other Condiments – SPICED VINEGAR (SUPER HOT) | 11 |
| C3. Other Condiments – HOT & THICK | 12 |
| C4. Other Condiments – SPICY DIPS & SPREADS | 9 |
| C5. Other Condiments – FIERY SALSA | 7 |
| C6. Other Condiments – DRY SPICY SEASONING | 12 |
| C7. Other Condiments – HOT JARS | 16 |
| C8. Other Condiments – INFUSED SPICY OIL | 10 |
| D1. Hot & Spicy Food – SPICY SNACKS | 7 |
| D2. Hot & Spicy Food – HOT SWEETS | 10 |
| D3. Hot & Spicy Food – FIERY & SWEET | 10 |
| D4. Hot & Spicy Food – HOT PICKLES | 19 |
| D5. Hot & Spicy Food – SPICY PRESERVED GASTRONOMY | 15 |
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 Diaz | Our Awesome Planet |
| Chef Martin Narisma | Chef/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 Evangelista | Culinary Arts Chef Tag Philippines Project Manager/R&D Head Chef/Consultant/Owner-Beda’s Take Away/Licensed Food Technologist |
| Chef Nolie Jay Ope | Culinary Arts Chef Tag Philippnes/Professor |
| Chef April Amon | Owner – Food Scape food truck |
| Chef Cindy Santos | Chef – Koban Japanese Restaurant |
| Chef May Camacho | Food Research & Development Specialist in Four Seas Chemicals, Inc. (flavoring company) |
| Chef Katrina Almanza | Culinary Arts Chef Tag Philippines – Chief Treasurer/Owner – Spice & Jar Restaurant |
| Chef Maybel Fabie | Owner – ABN Foods/Owner – Bhel’s Fruit & Vegetable Shop |
| Chef Richard Fabie | Executive Chef – SDW Premium Korean BBQ, Inc. |
| Chef Abraham Capito | Commis 2 chef at Enbu Japanese Restaurant – Okada Manila |
| Chef Rachel Romblon | Culinary Arts Chef Tag Philippnes/Cake Up Philippines/Nutrition Staff |
| Chef Jose Miguel Gianan | Restaurateur/Chef – One World Butchers |
| Chef Fara Pakdamanian | Owner – Charlie & Angus Home Kitchen |
| Chef Marilyn Mesias | Freelance Chef/Digital Creator |
| Chef Ina Bilbao | Owner – The Blue Apron |
| Chef Monica Marchadesch | Owner & Executive Chef – Prawn Star PH |
| Chef Juan Vincent Bautista | Chef/Consultant/Celebrity Chef |
| Chef Jesterex Roferos | Chef – Tagum, Davao |
| Mark Dizon | Digital Creator/Showbiz Bro – Machong Chismisan Podcast |
| Dannah Panelo | Digital Creator – Maanghang Ba/Instagram: @maanghang_ba |
| Eric Teodoro | Digital Creator – Lamon Gaming/Instagram: @guesswho1217 |
| Angel Francisco | Digital Creator – FrankieangelouTV |
| Czarina Regino | Brand Manager – Agri Pacific Corporation – L’Artisano Flour |
| Mikko Cordova | Owner – Daddy Mikks Chili Garlic Crunch |
| Marlon Tong | Owner – The Basic Peanut Butter/Foodsource PH |
| Ivin John Yumul | Pitmasters Club of the Philippines/Owner – Smoke ’em Out |
| Gus Tus de Lima | Admin – SiliPinas |
| Perfecto Eric Acosta | Admin – Carolina Reaper Growers Philippines |
| Gabriel Dizon | spicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge |
| Michael Candelaria | spicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge |
| Dian Adora | spicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge |
| Nichola Peña Chua | spicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge |
| Alex Valdez | spicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge |
| Christian Buenafe | Chili Growers Philippines member |
| Ma. Cristina Vargas | Chili Growers Philippines member |
| Francis Panuncialman | spicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge |
| Jay Flora | spicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge |
| Ibarra Arcilla | spicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge |
| Mikhail Lawrence Ramrod | spicy food enthusiast, seasoned Fiery Cup judge |
| Ces Fernandez | spicy food enthusiast |
| MJ Pacleta | spicy food enthusiast |
| Marco Moran | spicy food enthusiast |
| Patrick de Guia | spicy food enthusiast |
| Daryll Panaligan | spicy food enthusiast |
| Yca Dizon | spicy food enthusiast |
| Noel Baclao | spicy food enthusiast |
| Ana Jacinta Trinidad | spicy food enthusiast |
| James Kenneth Catacutan | spicy food enthusiast |
| Rachel Penilla | spicy 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
