by Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: “I was born in Libreville, Gabon, but raised in Togo Lomé, West Africa. I moved to the United States when I was a teen.”
Q: When did you move to Wisconsin?
A: “When I was 14 years old, I moved to Wisconsin.”
Q: How did you get interested in cooking?
A: “My mom’s great cuisine got me into cooking. Spicy foods have always been a staple in our kitchen from generation to generation. I like to cook healthy 30-minute meals, like couscous, plantains, yucca cassava root and salads. I don't like to spend hours in the kitchen.”
Q: How would you best describe the style of food you make to someone who has not had one of your sauces before?
A: “My Ernie’s Kick Sauce is a tongue-sizzling, party-in-your-mouth, finger-licking sauce. It’s a flavoring sauce that enhances the natural flavor of your meal without overpowering it.
“Kick Sauce is not hot sauce and not salsa. It’s the tastebuds-awakening experience you have never had. The beauty of our Kick Sauce stems from its versatility. It can be used on all types of dishes—fish, chicken, beef, or vegetarian. It can also be served as a condiment or dip with an appetizer and as marinade. Kick Sauce takes your ordinary meal to extraordinary.”
Q: Who is your biggest influence?
A: “Besides my mother, I liked to watch Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. He is exciting to watch and make food fun.”
Q: As an immigrant, what kinds of challenges have you faced in the U.S.?
A: “Besides the language barrier I had to adapt to a new culture. After 30 years of living in Madison, Wisconsin we were missing the spicy elements of our West African culture and wanted to share our authentic cuisine with consumers. Spicy food has been a staple in our household. We eat peppers every day. It makes you feel alive! More Americans are realizing the benefits of peppers. They are good for your immune system.”
Q: What is the best part of your work?
A: “I like introducing my sauce to potential new customers, as well as meeting people. I love selling Kick Sauce every weekend at our local Westside Community Market. My sauce is being shared by people with their families and they are telling their friends about it. That makes me feel good.”
Q: What are your favorite ingredients to work with and why?
A: “Pepper, garlic, and onions are my favorites, because they enhance the natural flavor of your meal and make it tastier.”
Q: When did you start making your sauces? What was the inspiration behind them?
A: “In 2016, I lived in Chicago, IL and would often commute to Madison to visit my mother. Typically, at the end of my visit, my mother (Ernestine) would cook for me; and make her homemade sauce for me to take with. I would then share the sauce with my friends and give out samples. I continued giving out samples at gathering events I attended. The positive feedback I received was so invaluable and positive, which indeed ignited my curiosity to further explore the possibilities of offering my mother’s amazing sauce to others. I then started doing research on the hot sauce industry; in doing so I learned so much and discovered a renewed passion for being an entrepreneur. I knew we had a winning product because our “Kick Sauce” is enriched with flavors that enhances the natural flavor of your meal without overpowering it, unlike most leading hot sauce brands in the market, which are mostly infused with vinegar and salt. We love making it and people love using it. We would like to thank all our supporters.”
Q: Which of all your creations are you most proud of?
A: “I’m mostly proud of being the founder of Ernie’s Kick Sauce. Although it was challenging from the beginning I never did give up on my aspirations of being an entrepreneur. When we started this journey, it was scary, but we had the good people of FEED Kitchens helping us. We did not have a vision of the bottle or logo, and now seeing the final product I am very proud. I am so glad that I turned my idea into something tangible. Even though I was scared, I kept pushing on because I knew I had something special, Kick Sauce.”
Q: What motivates you to keep creating?
A: “I like solving problems and that is the main motivation for me. I solved the need for flavor in hot sauces industry. Kick Sauce is the new hot sauce.”
Q: Do you have any other hobbies or interests?
A: “I like to exercise and write funny stories. I like to go to movies. I like to talk to people about my Kick Sauce.”
Q: Do you have any new products in development?
A: “Not right now. We are focusing on expanding our production. In the future, we will likely develop a hotter version for the people who like it scorching hot. Also, thinking about creating a Kick Sauce salad dressing.”