11 Things You Didn't Know About Cholula Hot Sauce

Hot sauce might inspire more loyalty than any other condiment. Whether your favorite is a classic label, a hip discovery from your local international grocer or a handcrafted local habanero and carrot sauce, you probably keep the same bottle in your fridge or pantry at all times and slather it all over everything — and you panic if it starts to run dry.

11 Things You Didn't Know About Cholula Hot Sauce Gallery

Cholula, made in Mexico mainly from arbol chiles, is one of those cult-favorite hot sauce brands that certain people absolutely swear by, and it's also become a staple offering on restaurant tables and supermarket shelves all over the United States. But it hasn't actually been around in most of the U.S. for all that long, and most people don't know much about it or about the place it comes from.

That place is the state of Jalisco in western Mexico. Jalisco is the birthplace of mariachi music and tequila (Cholula is actually closely related to a famous tequila brand) and it's a great place to grow chiles. From the factory near the shores of Mexico's largest freshwater lake, that flavor is bottled and shipped to consumers — most of them outside Mexico.

If you're surprised to learn that Americans are thirstier for the taste of Cholula than people anywhere else, read on to find out 11 things you didn't know about the hot sauce.