Best Food Event

'Austin Chronicle' Hot Sauce Festival

Salsa isn't America's favorite condiment just because it's fun to say (sorry, Seinfeld, we have to disagree) – at least not here in Austin. Salsa is serious business, much like Texans and their barbecue pits or the many local taco trucks and their connoisseurs. The possible combinations of tomato, jalapeño, cilantro, onion, habanero, chiles, mango, vinegar, and love (among many, many other ingredients) are no joke and are not taken lightly by the restaurants and hopeful individuals competing for the glory and your adoration. Yes, beer is on hand at this annual event, but we highly recommend water to wash down all those tasting chips as you try red salsas, green salsas, chunky salsas, salsas so hot you only need a toothpick-tip's-full. This fiesta is a spicy one, both in your mouth and in the Texas sun.

The Austin Chronicle
4000 N. I-35, 512/454-5766
austinchronicle.com