18 June 27th-July 3rd, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Chiltepin Champ Meet the Arizona veteran making award-winning salsa. BY RUDRI PATEL A rizona local Marcos Amaya III and his family-owned business, Los Amaya’s Salsa Co., won four accolades at Dallas’ ZestFest in May. For the last 17 years, The ZestFest has offered vendors from across the country the opportunity to showcase their spiciest culinary delights. Amaya and his team were awarded two Golden Chili Awards and two second-place finishes. “We are beyond thrilled and honored to receive these awards at such a prestigious event,” Amaya said in a press release following the festival. “Our team has poured their heart and soul into creating salsas that not only reflect the bold flavors of Arizona, but also resonate with a wide range of palates. Winning these awards, especially the People’s Choice, is a testament to our commitment to quality and our passion for bringing authentic, delicious salsa to our customers,” Amaya said. Winning awards is becoming common- place for Los Amaya’s. At the first-ever Arizona Salsa Fest in March, Los Amaya’s took top honors in the category of most unique salsa for their prickly pear chilt- epin flavor. “It was the first time we’ve done this event and we weren’t sure how it would go, but it brought together many different vendors and restaurants,” Amaya told Phoenix New Times. Amaya started the company in 2021, debuting at the Chandler Farmer’s Market and then the Scottsdale Farmer’s Market. “We slowly started to build our reputa- tion and now we have six flavors and chips,” Amaya says. Flavors include salsa verde, traditional (restaurant style) and chiltepin plus the chiltepin-based flavors of mango, prickly pear and “Fuego.” “The Fuego salsa includes chiltepin, chipotle, roasted serranos, ghost peppers and Carolina Reaper,” Amaya says, “It is super hot, but full of flavor.” According to Amaya, the chiltepin pepper can be hard to find. “If you go to the grocery store and ask for chiltepin peppers, they’re gonna look at you and say, what are you talking about?” he says. But in areas such as Bisbee and Naco, the small Arizona town that the Amaya family hails from, they’re a more common ingredient. Chiltepin peppers are regional to the Sonoran desert have three distinct characteristics. “It will have a light and natural smoki- ness, an earthy flavor and a burn,” Amaya says, noting that when you eat a chiltepin, there is a delay in how quickly people taste the spice. “So people are eating it and they’re like, oh, that’s not so bad, but then it comes on very strong,” Amaya says. The unique peppers hold a sentimental place for Amaya. Growing up, he liked to cook with his father and they made chilt- epin salsa together. When Amaya’s dad passed in 2016, he returned to making the salsa as a way to honor his father’s memory. Three years ago, after spending some time in Lake Tahoe, Amaya started reflecting on his life and had an epiphany. “The idea to market this salsa came out of nowhere. I started looking up research on how I can mass produce the salsa,” Amaya says. Although Amaya had the idea, he fully credits his family for helping him establish the business. “I’m the owner and founder, but my sister, Angie, I couldn’t have done this without her. She works behind the scenes, helps coordinate with logistics, event coor- dination and planning. She literally tells me where I got to go,” Amaya says. The brother-sister duo also share another bond. They are both veterans. Amaya served in the army from 2008 through 2014. Amaya hopes his salsa brand continues to grow. “Ideally we are trying to get Arizona behind our brand because we want to represent the state throughout the nation,” Amaya says. Currently, at least two of the salsas are available at Fry’s and local farmer’s markets. Los Amaya’s products can be found at a host of local butcher shops and specialty food stores and the salsa bottles can also be purchased online. For those people who may hesitate to try Los Amaya’s spicy creations, Amaya lets people in on a little secret. “At the bottom of our salsa bottles, we have the phrase ‘pruebalo,’ which in Spanish means to try,” Amaya says. “My dad would always make different things and he would push the food toward you or what- ever he was making and say ‘pruebalo.’” Los Amaya’s picked up several awards at Zest Fest in Texas this year. (Photo by Los Amaya’s) ▼ Food & Drink