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                       Why “Save The Datil”?
 ​We love the Datil Pepper! The Datil Pepper, "Florida's fiery hidden gem", holds a special place in our hearts. We love the vibrant flavor, heat, and especially all the amazing people we have met along this journey. Families, who for generations, have been handcrafting Datil Pepper hot sauces, chowders, marinades, relishes, and jellies. The Datil Pepper infuses a distinctive flavor that adds depth and character to every dish.  
  • Our Minorcan Tradition- The Datil Pepper represents not only a unique ingredient in Florida's culinary landscape but also the legacy of Minorcan heritage and the love that our Minorcan grandmother, MeMa, poured into her datilicious family meals. She played a pivotal role in shaping our love for the Datil Pepper when she first made her Datil Pepper hot sauce, called “Hot Stuff”. MeMa's heritage and her culinary mastery brought the family together, creating cherished memories centered around this spicy pepper. The plight of the Minorcans is linked here - https://sites.rootsweb.com/~pudig/Minorcans.html  
  • The Datil Pepper is endangered. Our cry, “Save the Datil” is a way of bringing awareness to this amazing and versatile chili. In the book Chasing Chiles, by Friese/Kraft/Nabhan, the author, notes that the datil pepper was “boarded” on “The Ark of Taste” - a catalog of endangered foods - because it is in danger of being lost. We hope #savethedatil will direct chiliheads to the datil pepper in much the same way New Mexico helped grow the popularity of the Hatch Chile.  
  • Can’t find Datil Peppers- When we began making MeMa’s recipe, we found it very difficult to find datil peppers. We wondered why until we started growing our own and found out that Datil Peppers are very finicky and hard to grow.
  • Datil Pepper Plants require much more hands-on attention than other pepper crops.
  • Datil Plants do not like excessive water or heat!
  • Datil Plants are susceptible to many pests such as aphids, white flies, lubber grasshoppers, thrip, and even tomato worms which each require the right approach to neutralize, using as little pesticides as possible.
  • Deer and rabbits love to eat the plants down to a nub so we must fence in all our plants-fixing it on regular basis.
  • You must replant every year or see a drastic decrease overall production per plant.
                        For all the above reasons, large commercial growers stay far away. 
  • Florida’s only heritage pepper. The Datil Pepper’s mysterious lineage is perplexing because is does not have a pioneer genus, like all other peppers. Even we differ on where they originated.  
  • What makes The Datil Pepper truly remarkable? In the vibrant tapestry of Florida's culinary scene, the Datil Pepper stands out as a true local treasure and has been a culinary staple for generations. This unique sweet, fruity, and tangy pepper is native to St. Augustine, Florida, and is surprisingly unknown in most of our nation and the world! Its distinct heat and sweet fruity flavor make it a favorite among spice enthusiasts, food connoisseurs and Chefs alike.  
  • Please help us Save the Datil.  We invite you to enjoy anything with Datil Peppers, whether we created it or not! Order some fresh Datil Peppers or a bottle or two of our own award-winning sauce, Mayhem “Original”. Honor the cultural tapestry it weaves within the Sunshine State's rich gastronomic heritage.
​       We hope that our passion comes through with our
Fresh Datil Peppers & Mayhem Sauce!
Thanks for helping us Save The Datil!
Contact us for wholesale and volume pricing. ​
Email: wholesale@savethedatil.com​
Postal mail: 138 George Main Dr.
Pomona Park, FL. 32181.