Thanh Hoa Chili – Why did Spico choose chili from this land?

Where does every bottle of delicious Spico chili sauce for family meals begin? Is it the fermentation process or the recipe that creates the finished product? All are correct, but before there are clay jars for fermentation or months of waiting for the flavor to mature, everything starts with the main ingredient – Fresh chili.

At Spico, the journey of creating natural fermented chili sauce begins with finding the right chilies to create a balanced, rich flavor after a long fermentation process. After many trials, we found the answer in a familiar land: Thanh Hoa Chili.

Thanh Hoa Chili – The land of chili fields along the river

Along the dykes of the Ma and Chu rivers, chili plants have been present in Thanh Hoa fields for generations. The locals here have been attached to chili farming for decades. Each harvest season, the bright red chili fields stretching along the river create a very characteristic landscape of the countryside.

It is not by chance that chili plants grow well in this area. The Ma and Chu rivers have long carried rich alluvial silt to fertilize the fields. This natural source of nutrients helps the plants grow healthy, producing evenly colored fruit, shiny skins, and stable quality across many harvest seasons. Most importantly, it is the flavor of the chili that this land creates.

Why did Spico choose Thanh Hoa chili?

Spico chose Thanh Hoa chili because of its clear but not too harsh heat. The spiciness is just enough to wake up the taste buds and balanced enough for users to feel other layers of flavor.

Chilies grown on the alluvial soil along the Ma and Chu rivers usually have a more balanced flavor. The essential oil content that creates a pungent feel is not as strong as in some other ingredient regions, making the spiciness more pleasant when processed.

Fermentation is not magic that turns average ingredients into excellent ones. On the contrary, the fermentation process is like a magnifying glass. It highlights the inherent characteristics of the raw ingredients. When the ingredients have a balance between aroma and taste from the start, fermentation helps those characteristics become richer.

The moderate heat of this chili provides a very good foundation for the fermentation aging. After weeks and months, the spiciness gradually softens, blending with the natural mild sourness and rich notes formed during the conversion process.

That is why Spico chose Thanh Hoa chili.

From fields along the river to clay jars for fermentation

At harvest time, Spico only selects chilies that have reached full maturity before processing. When turning from green to red, the chili does not just change color. At this point, the natural sugar content in the fruit increases, the aroma fully develops, and the color becomes more intense and beautiful. These are key factors for the natural fermentation of chili sauce.

After selection, Thanh Hoa chilies continue their new journey. They are pre-processed to remove impurities like branches and leaves, stems are removed, and they are washed before being crushed and placed into clay jars to age with sea salt for 3-6 months.

In those clay jars, beneficial bacteria convert natural sugars into lactic acid. This process helps create a mild sour taste, supports natural preservation, and opens up many new layers of flavor.

This is also why lovers of fermented food often describe the flavor with words like “deeper,” “rounder,” or “richer.”

Behind each bottle of chili sauce is not just a recipe or a production process, but a story from the chili fields along the Ma and Chu rivers, fertilized by silt in each water season. Through the diligent hands of farmers who have been attached to chili plants for many years. Then to the small Spico workshop, where fresh ripe chilies transform through slow fermentation in clay jars.

Thanh Hoa chili – the chili that brings balance: naturally beautiful color, harmonious flavor, moderate essential oil content, so it is usually not too harsh when aged – all create a fermented chili sauce with depth and rich flavor.

Each bottle of chili sauce sent to you is carefully selected from such raw ingredients. Spico is still persistent with the desire to bring healthy and delicious sauces to your family meals.