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As Hot As It Gets WRITTEN BY Kathryn van Roosendaal | PHOTOS BY Steve Wood
Some like it hot. Jeff Jacobs, owner of Southwest Specialty Foods, likes it as hot as it can get.
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acobs grew up in the farm country of South Dakota and earned a degree in agriculture from South Dakota State University. At that time there was a shortage of jobs in the agriculture field, so he decided to make a go of it on his own.
He moved south to the Phoenix, Arizona, area and moved his attention from the farm fields to the kitchen. With his grandfather’s barbecue sauce recipe as a starter, he developed Señor Jakes BBQ Sauces. He didn’t have much luck marketing the sauces to the major food chains, but that didn’t slow him down. He switched his focus to hot sauces and found his niche in the specialty foods market. Southwest Specialty Foods now has more than 200 products available worldwide, the most popular of which are the Ass Kickin’ line of hot sauces. Jacobs’ not-so-secret ingredient is the Red Savina Habanero, the hottest chili pepper available. And he has brought his agriculture background back into play by growing his own peppers on an 80-acre farm next to the company plant in Goodyear on the outskirts of Phoenix. “The farm actually came first,” says Jacobs. “I knew [the Red Savina Habanero] would do well in the Phoenix area and I liked those peppers because it’s unique and has a good flavor.”
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Jeff and his wife, Linda, have utilized the Ass Kickin’ theme not only throughout all of their products, but also on site. The ranch is home to their production plant, general store, acres of farming, and open space for their herd of, well, ass. Not only do the operate a successful business, but a visit to the ranch makes for an ass kickin’ day.
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“And because of the heat level,” he adds, “you don’t get any hotter than our peppers.” He worked out of a different location at first, then built the plant and gift shop next to the farm. And he has spent hundreds – if not thousands – of hours in the test kitchens getting the perfect blend of taste and heat in each and every recipe. “It took a long time to figure out how to do it, how to formulate a recipe,” he says. “I spent weeks at a time in the kitchen at the beginning.” He’s learned some tricks since the beginning, but he still spends 8 or so hours per week in the kitchen working on recipes. “I still have one or two taste buds left,” he laughs. The Ass Kickin’ line now includes salsas, cooking sauces, nuts and snacks, the most popular of which is still the original Ass Kickin’ Hot Sauce. Jacobs’ personal favorite, though, is the Barbecue Popcorn – a tribute to his first sauce recipe. Southwest Specialty Foods is still a small company run by Jacobs and 25 or 30 regular employees, but it has a global impact. Those hot and spicy snacks and sauces travel the globe to specialty shops or direct to Internet customers. And more still come into the gift shop in Goodyear, drawn off the highway by the sign out front daring you to “Have an Ass Kickin’ Day.” “I work with a great group of people and we all work extremely hard,” says Jacobs. “I love this job!”
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Interested in More Information?
Southwest Specialty Foods runs the gamut of all things spicy. There is the original Ass Kickin’ Hot Sauce, of course, but the Ass Kickin’ line doesn’t stop there. It includes rubs, marinades, salsas, margarita mix and even peanut butter, all featuring the Red Savina Habanero. If you don’t want your food to Kick Ass, you can try Southwest’s Products from Hell – Mustard From Hell, Salsa From Hell, Bloody Mary Mix From Hell and Habanero BBQ Sauce From Hell, just to name a few. Jeff Jacobs and his team have also put together the Don’t Make Me Open This Can of Whoop Ass Chili Mix and Spontaneous Combustion: The World’s Hottest Pepper. If you like things just a bit milder, they offer the Chit’s Gormay line, which features jalapeño peppers instead of the sizzling habanero. You can visit the Southwest Specialty Foods Gift Shop at 700 N. Bullard Avenue in Goodyear, just outside Phoenix, Arizona. Just look for the “Have an Ass Kickin’ Day” sign out front. Or you can order from their online General Store at www.asskickin.com.
Since relocating from Los Angeles almost a decade ago, Kathryn has embraced the Southwest lifestyle with vigor the landscape, the art and, most of all, the food.
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