…It all started in 2010, while we were living in the mountains of Boone, NC. I started growing a wide variety of hot, sweet, mild, and exotic peppers for personal use and to distribute to local chefs. I would pick them from my garden and string the mixed varieties with twine in long lines, about five feet long. The chefs could then hang them up in their kitchen as décor and use them as needed in their food preparation.
I was experimenting with the use of these hot peppers in gourmet dishes that I was creating for family, friends, and college students. I noticed that each pepper had a unique flavor and that by using them sparingly in the food creations, the natural flavor of the food was not being changed (like when using common spice blends.) The flavors were instead enhanced, bringing out the rich flavor of whatever I was making.
I made a lot of winter squash dishes at the time and by using a blend of certain peppers with salt, the bland squash came alive with flavor. Since that time, I have experimented with these peppers and I have learned to arrange them in categories, like sweet, hot, earthy, fruity, and sometimes fiery.
Over time, I developed a formula of seven different peppers combined with powdered salt and together, ground up in different consistencies. The formula I finally settled on brings out the natural flavor of the food being prepared.
One day, we were having dinner and my daughter said “This stuff is like ‘magic,’” and the name “Magic Salt” was born. Twelve years later, we have changed the product name due to trademark considerations. After talking with my daughter and 100’s of customers, they chose the name “HEATSEEKER Salt.” The salt is fiery and enhances the natural flavor of food.
I started packing this proprietary blend in small jars and selling it at the local Farmer’s Market, spice stores, and even restaurants. Today, this product is available to everyone.
