About — JNSQ fermented hot sauce

…started with a humble habanero plant in a garden

the plant soon grew pods and come harvest time the question sprouted what to do with all of this heat? One strikingly flavorful ferment later, a temporary solution had become a life changing passion….

… JNSQ (je ne sais quoi “that special little something”) is a small-scale, hyper-local, all-natural fermented hot sauce operation. We started this company on Madison’s East Side with the intention to push the culinary boundaries and uses of traditional cooked and vinegar-based hot sauces.

Combining the ancient technique of fermentation with innovative processes and technology allows us to make a unique and exciting variety of high quality, natural sauces. The culinary and geographically diverse condiments range from pure organic cacao Mole to a fabulously hipstery WTF Japan sauce, from a fiery north-African Harissa inspired condiment, to a flavorful citrus extravaganza dubbed Habanero Sunset. Putting flavor and heat on even keel, all of the over 30 flavor and counting strive to be joyful and inventive collaborations between the locally sourced ingredients and cuisines from around the world.