Texas Pete Hot Sauce Was Not Invented In The Lone Star State

Texas Pete may score five out of five for flavor, but it only rates a single star for naming conventions. For starters, the sauce really has nothing to do with Texas, since it was invented in North Carolina in 1929. According to the Texas Pete website, the newly-fledged company first considered the name "Mexican Joe" to capitalize on the country's association with spicy foods, but it fortunately sidestepped this brush with casual racism by opting for a "more American" moniker along with a cowboy mascot. (The "Pete" part comes from the nickname of one of the company founders.)

Ironically, Texas Pete isn't even made in a Mexican style but is instead what's known as a Louisiana-style hot sauce. These sauces often have a fairly moderate heat level but a tangy flavor thanks to vinegar. In fact, the main ingredients are typically nothing more than chiles (usually cayenne or jalapeños), vinegar, and salt, plus the usual preservatives and thickeners found in many commercially-produced sauces.

You may be familiar with several other Louisiana-style grocery store hot sauces, including Franks' Red Hot and Louisiana Hot. However, if you can't think of a single Texas-style hot sauce, that's because there doesn't seem to be any one specific style associated with the state — unless you count Tex-Mex-style salsa or spicy barbecue sauce. Since the Lone Star State does share a border with Louisiana, Texas Pete could claim to be inspired by East Texas culinary ways, but that might be a bit of a stretch.

While one cranky Californian actually sued Texas Pete for false advertising by implying that the sauce was from Texas, that lawsuit was dismissed, as well it should have been. Most of us, after all, realize that a name is just a name, which is why we also accept that neither Burger King's french toast sticks nor its french fries are imported from France.

In fact, so little flak does Texas Pete get from its name that a 2022 data crunch conducted by Instacart found it to be the top-selling hot sauce not only in its native North Carolina but also in neighboring South Carolina. It was also the seventh-most popular sauce in the U.S.

It comes as no shock to find that Texas Pete didn't rank quite as high in its adopted homeland, but the best-selling hot sauce in Texas was a bit of a surprise: Instead of opting for Tex-Mex, the state went with Huy Fong sriracha. What's more, Texas wasn't even listed among the top states for hot sauce consumption, as the state's hot sauce purchases averaged out to 2.3 ounces per customer, putting it in the middle of the pack. North Carolina, on the other hand, came in fifth out of 51 (including D.C.), with 3.1 ounces. Should Texas Pete, perhaps, consider a name change to Carolina King?