business
Caribbean hot sauce producers warn of shortages and higher prices
Key takeaways
- The fiery flavouring is a staple of dining tables regionwide, the obligatory accompaniment for everything from rice and peas, to curries and stews.
- But a shortage of the particular chilli pepper used to create the quintessential Caribbean condiment is threatening to stifle supply, while sending costs for the region's producers soaring.
- A confluence of extreme weather, disease and pests is making core ingredient Scotch bonnet peppers particularly hard to source, manufacturers tell the BBC.
Gemma Handy Business reporter, St John’s, Antigua Walkerswood Hot sauce producers in Jamaica are struggling with a shortage of key chilli peppers Hot pepper sauce in Caribbean cuisine is as pervasive as ketchup in the US.
The fiery flavouring is a staple of dining tables regionwide, the obligatory accompaniment for everything from rice and peas, to curries and stews.
And as international palates continue to heat up to the potent taste, a growing number of brands are exported to North America, Europe and Australia, appearing on the shelves of major supermarket chains, from the US's Walmart, to the UK's Tesco, and Woolworths in Australia.
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