HOSA is woman owned and operated in the Pacific Northwest. We make Louisiana style hot sauces out of locally farmed ingredients in small, wild fermented batches.

☽Made with Mystery☾

Fermentation is the fifth step of alchemy, a transformational process that at one time was as much philosophy and art as it was a forerunner to science. HOSA fosters that timeless mission and brings it to life in the drizzling shadow of Mt Baker, just a stones throw from the bay. We make fermented hot sauce with very few ingredients and a lot of patience, to get that heat and magic to your kitchen and table.

Every ounce of HOSA is made in the Pacific Northwest by visual artists turned alchemists. We value art, music, honest food, real ingredients, and the power of food to bring people together. We believe in the importance of a beautiful thing done well.

Our short and spicy lists of ingredients add up to sauces and spices that are full of flavor, vegan, gluten free*, and totally nutritious.

HOSA is a complex and spicy condiment for snacks or meals AND it adds slow-cooked character and acidic heat to any of your favorite recipes. Each screen-printed bottle of HOSA is made with love and a bit of magic, turning chiles+vinegar+salt into gold.

CHILES

Primarily grown by local organic farms.

VINEGAR

Currently evolving our own mother source.

SALT

Sun dried waters of San Juan Islands.

± SUGAR

Organic brown sugar when necessary.

The Album

You May Have Questions

Here are some common questions; check our FAQ for more.

Is HOSA gluten-free/vegan?

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Hosa is naturally vegan and *gluten-free.

*Our sauces are free of gluten, with one exception. The Teacher may contain immeasurable amounts of barley gluten as a result of the addition of malt vinegar. Malt vinegars contain some gluten but may be safe for some with gluten intolerance, as the gluten proteins have been broken down by multiple fermentation cycles before processing. However, it is currently unclear how to correctly test gluten levels in hydrolyzed products. Because of this, the NIH (and HOSA!) recommends that people with celiac disease avoid malt vinegar (and The Teacher) “until hydrolyzed product testing improves”.

Where do you source your ingredients?

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Our salt comes from San Juan Island, where the sun dries the ocean waters that we share. Most of our chiles are grown for us by nearby organic farms in the Skagit Valley and Everson.

Should I refrigerate my HOSA?

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Our fermentation process creates a robust flavor but your HOSA is no longer a live culture and is high in acid, so it does not need to be refrigerated.

Shipping is expensive, can I pick up from you locally?

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Yes, we appreciate the direct support! Our kitchen is located in downtown Bellingham and free pickup is available at our fantastic neighbor's storefront, Champlin Guitars, during their normal business hours Tuesday-Sunday. We are both located in the alleyway above the Farmer's Market. [Directions here.]

We know shipping is an unfortunate expense so we do all we can to use the most affordable shipping for your order. We reduce our environmental impact and costs by gathering used shipping materials from local businesses and re-use them for our mail orders. While large online retailers are able to absorb shipping costs, smaller companies like ours can be terribly damaged by those fees. Local pickup and delivery are a great alternatives to shipping.