We make Western-style hot sauces using fresh Taiwan-grown produce and chilis.

Meet Jane and Denner, two people who left their laptops behind in NYC and moved to Taiwan, Jane’s home country. Every morning they would wander through their neighborhood wet market (菜市場), tasting fresh fruits and getting to know local vendors and farmers. Along the way, they began experimenting with Taiwan’s unique fruits to create hot sauce. Several Irwin Mangos later, they’d created their first hit: a sweet, tangy, and spicy Taiwanese mango hot sauce, and well, the rest is Empress history!

Say hi to pineapple farmer Wu

Hello from the Kingdom of Fruits

We capture Taiwan’s fruits at its peak flavors, just for you.

Located between tropical and subtropical climates, tropical fruits grow abundantly in Taiwan throughout the seasons. Paired with Taiwan's unique geography (small in land mass, but rich in topography) we can quickly deliver fresh ingredients from the land right to the factory to turn into Empress Hot Sauce.

Think of Empress as our way of bringing you today’s Taiwan—spicy, fresh, and full of flavor.

say hi to mango farmer huang

Farmers are at the core of what we do

We maintain close, long-term relationships with our farmers. Our farmers keep us in the loop on their produce—like how much crop is coming in, the quality—so we can plan our production during prime harvest season and capture when the fruit is at peak ripeness.

Every fruit is the outcome of our farmers' diligence in maintaining healthy soil, adjusting to climate change while insisting that our fruits ripen on the tree to capture the most nutrients and flavor.

Our farmers are true experts on the food they grow, we're lucky to get the chance to experience it and bring it to you.

say hi to ghost pepper farmer wu

So, why hot sauce?

We say - Why Not? In a world where Taiwanese farmers are getting squeezed on all sides - rising living expenses, export restrictions from China, climate change threatening their livelihoods - hot sauce is our way to creatively and safely share their expertise with the world. By incorporating their produce into our sauce, not only do we gain all the flavor from their hard work but also help to create a steady income stream all year round. This allows our farmers to plan ahead, invest in facilities to continue growing their amazing produce.

We're excited to bring these flavors straight to you in every Empress bottle!

If food is a love language, then Empress Hot Sauce is our love letter from Taiwan (to you!)

You can experience the beauty of Taiwan in every bottle of Empress Hot Sauce

Taste for yourself