The History of the Hydro-Volcano
The group that is Pete's Hydrohot enjoys a cherished family history. Thirteen generations have participated in the perfecting of this famous blend. Below is the true to life history of how the whole thing got started . . .
Around 1650, there were two brothers, (Robert and Elias Ware), who were getting ready to leave Scotland. They were two brothers who were dissatisfied with Europe and were in search of their own personal freedoms, but for two very different reasons. Robert was leaving Europe due to excessive religious persecution. At that time pilgrims were getting pushed around due to their strong religious beliefs and really bad clothes. Robert wanted to express himself religiously without receiving the brundt of public ridicule, so he jumped on a cheap imitation of the Mayflower (Mayflower II) and headed to the new world. Robert immediately found work as a cooper. (barrel maker) He made some of the best barrels in New England. We would like to say that some of those same barrels are used today to store Pete's HydroHot, but we don't because most of those same barrels are really kind of dirty. Those pilgrims were constantly working and saving and preserving so Robert's business thrived. Blah, blah blah, Robert was a great guy, but he was kind of boring so enough said about Robert.
Elias on the other hand was a one man gang. He was a self-described inferno. He had his own battle to wage but on a different front. Elias was dissatisfied with Europe due to the really bad cuisine. He was tired of all those boiled potatoes and boiled corn beef and cabbage and boiled this and overcooked, salted that. The only guy doing anything good with Scottish food back in those days was was old man McDonald, but that's another story.
Robert was a man ejected from many a tavern due to his belief that dishes made by locals were lacking in that certain savory zest. They looked at him a little funny when he brought his own special seasonings to the table. Skeptics declared that his mixing of flavorful herbs was the "work of the devil." Elias was less concerned about politics and religious freedoms like his brother and more concerned about agriculture and self gratification. He spent a lot of time over at the Oxford library learning about the ancient farming techniques practiced by the ancient Mayans and Babylonians. He learned how the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (One of the seven wonders of the world) was really one of the first hydroponics systems known to mankind. He admired how the ancient Mayans use to float rafts underneath waterfalls and grow aquatic plants. If you were to compare the two brothers we could say that Robert was the pragmatist and Elias was more of the romantic. He used to enjoy dazzling the local maidens with some of his spicy food dishes that he made from the vegetables he grew. Sometimes the local maidens were so excited by certain dishes that they would exchange certain favors for the work Elias had done in the kitchen. Despite his occasional victories, deep down Elias knew there was a whole world out there full of rice dishes and chicken wings that were not even invented yet. Fed up and feeling confined as an artist, Elias jumped on a boat and headed for Tahiti.
Due to a wild storm in the capsicum sea, he ended up on an a little island called endorphina. He immediately found work as a gourmet cook/farmer. During this time period (1660-1680) he made a promise to himself to learn all the secrets of the islands. He learned about the ocean, he learned about fish, he learned about the local island girls, and he learned about the indigenous roots and herbs of the region. During those excellent, long island days he spent much time foraging the hill side in search of items that would help enhance the flavor of his cooking as well as the presentation. To make a long story short, the man took his knowledge of cooking hot to new levels. Elias wasn't the hardest working guy in the world so he learned how to utilize those same techniques used by the ancient Mayan's and Babylonian's to irrigate his crops. This meant he wouldn't have to get his hands dirty cultivating soil or transporting water from one side of the island to the other. Soon the islanders got word of this man from Europe who was blessed in more ways than one and was showing them a thing or two about local island cuisine. Back in those days, the islanders didn't have much of an economy, so they would trade things, kind of like the barter system. They would trade shells, or fish or favors of one type or the other. Soon Elias was prospering by bartering a unique brand of hot sauce with all sorts of goods and services. Needless to say, Elias was a happy man.
Elias's good fortune came to an end in 1681 when a terrible earthquake rocked the region. Evidently, around that time there was a settling of the earth's inner plates and the entire region became unsettled. A terrible volcano followed an earthquake. Molten lava spewed down the hills of the entire island. Elias escaped with his life, his recipe books and journals that were the result of years of research. He paddled his escape canoe to the New World and settled in the South Florida region. The rest is hot sauce history.
Today, the tradition that Elias started is continued by his great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandson Perlite Pete.This great sauce is made from the same recipe and technology documented by Elias Ware 350 years ago. Our label commemorates this great man with an artist's rendering of the island that Elias put on the map before it blew up.
The tropical splendor that was once the island farm near Tahiti has now been replaced by a fully interactive hydroponic farming machine that reproduces wonderful island flavor. It is a fascinating technology and it is yours for the taking. Visit modern day Hydro-Mountain and learn how we utilize current state of the art technology to make the perfect pepper which in turn helps create the perfect hot sauce. Get to know the gang behind the sauce. Don't be afraid to jump on Pete's Bandwagon today
Perlite Pete, The widely misunderstood renegade hot sauce guy
Plans to build hydroponic farming machines