Spotlight: Sonya Samuel and Her Bacchanal Pepper Sauce

Ms. Sonya Samuel is, shall we say, a ‘fiery’ person.

Pun intended.

A passionate food advocate, Sonya, for her part, wants to share the love through something she knows really well: Pepper Sauce.

In May 2012, Sonya entered the Great Googa Mooga Festival’s hot sauce contest in Prospect Park, and thus, the Bacchanal Pepper Sauce was born.

The project is currently seeking pledges via KickstarterPlease help by clicking here.

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WikaMag: Can you give us a quick introduction about yourself? Who is Ms. Sonya Samuel?

Sonya:I think my twitter handle says it all – @BacchanalSauce. (I am a) Foodie, Wicked Pepper Sauce Maker, Brooklynite, Word Lover, Print Enthusiast, awed by Holistic Health, Caribbean Culture, Brooklyn & Pie Crust! At the core I love life, people, making hot sauce, writing secretly, and cooking!

WikaMag: How integral was food and cooking in your childhood? What was the experience like?

Sonya: Food was a huge part of my growing up. As a teenager I had to alternate days with my cousin and aunt making dinner for my family. Every gathering or holiday revolved around wonderful dishes and my entire family loves to eat. I asked for a blender the Christmas I was 15.

WikaMag: What was the driving force behind the inception of Bacchanal Pepper Sauce? 

Sonya: The driving force was simply making a hot sauce that had not just heat but phenomenal flavor. I really was going for something unique and different that was Caribbean inspired.

WikaMag: What caught our attention with you was that you launched your project on Kickstarter, and that the awesome Liza de Guia and food. curated. did a show on your project. Can you talk about the experience?

Sonya: Liza is great and I was honored to have her do the video, not only is she a one woman, camera-wielding powerhouse, she has an amazing spirit. She tasted the hot sauce, talked to me about my process and goals and we went from there. She really loved it and wanted to do the piece on me. The process was great. I was a little nervous, as you can probably tell in the beginning.

 

WikaMag: During the interview, you professed your love for peppers, and how they were like chocolates and their sensuality. How long did it take to get a full grasp of the product that you were working with? 

Sonya: It took about 2-3 months. It’s great when you think something is amazing but once I started talking to people about it and having them taste it and seeing them light up, now that’s phenomenal!

WikaMag: How much of the sauce’s influence is Caribbean, and your own personal flavor?

Sonya: A lot of the fruits are definitely Caribbean like the scotch bonnet peppers, papaya, pineapple, and tamarind, but I would say the decision to mix each and every one of those ingredients into a flavorful pepper sauce with a perfect balance was me incorporating my personal flavor and sensibility.

WikaMag: What would be some go-to or favorite dishes that you would put your sauce on?

Sonya: I say this so much but sandwiches, I’m a bread lover fortunately or unfortunately and I love having Bacchanal Pepper Sauce on grilled chicken sandwiches! It’s also amazing on shrimp and you can actually use it in a stir-fry of vegetables. I love roasting vegetables so I’ve roasted carrots with radishes and it’s awesome on that too! The foods you can use it on are (in a) really wide (range); on my Facebook page, someone posted that they used it on steaks, homemade burgers and in a stew.

WikaMag: How would you immerse people who have a low tolerance to heat to your product?

Sonya: I truly believe the heat is not overwhelming but you have to take that with a grain of salt because I grew up on pepper and a few people have eaten it and turned red in the face. I would say as long as you’re having it on something you should be fine. Also you can really adjust the amount to your tolerance. If heat is not your thing just use a few drops or gift it to that pepper head you love.

WikaMag: What is the most satisfying thing about the endeavor for you?

Sonya: The best part of this is being able to do something I love and share it with others.  I’ve gotten amazing support from friends, family and complete strangers; it’s shown me that when you truly choose to do something you love everything falls into place.

To donate to Sonya’s Kickstarter Pledge Page, click here.

Follow Sonya on Twitter: @BacchanalSauce

Facebook: Facebook.com/BacchanalSauce

And, check out her website to get the sauce: BacchanalSauce.com

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