The Schwäbischer Wald is known for Schwäbisch-Hällisches Landschwein, the Maultaschen and Spätzle tradition, and the Trollinger and Schwäbischer Wein that comes off the slopes around Heilbronn. This week the region adds another credit to the list. Chilma, a kitchen in Murrhardt run by Gerd Ihle, has taken three Golds at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 (EHSA, heatawards.eu), Europe's flagship hot sauce competition: Gold in Chili Ketchup with Salsa Habanero, Gold in Chili Oil with Spicy Chili Crisp, and Gold in Salt & Condiments with Carolina Reaper Salz. Three Golds in one year, in three different categories, from one Schwäbischer Wald kitchen.
Nathan Austin on Chilma's range:
"Chilma's three placings sit across three different product formats: ketchup, oil and finishing salt. That's a wider production range than most kitchens this size attempt, let alone land medals on." – Nathan Austin, Tasting Editor, Republic of Heat
Chilma is an independent small-batch hot sauce, condiment and spice label run by Gerd Ihle out of Murrhardt in Baden-Württemberg. Gerd started growing chilies in his garden in 2012 and spent the following years producing only for friends and family, before strong feedback pushed him to launch Chilma commercially in 2018. The range covers chili ketchups, chili oils, seasoning salts and hot sauces, made in small batches for flavour and balance. Distribution runs through Chilma's own shop at chilma.de and specialty hot sauce retailers across Germany.
Salsa Habanero (Gold, Chili Ketchup): a habanero-led ketchup that earns the name, sitting well above the standard Tomatenketchup category. Sweet Chili Sauce added a Silver in the same Chili Ketchup category, giving Chilma two podiums there in one year.
Spicy Chili Crisp (Gold, Chili Oil): a crispy chili oil from the Chilma range, in a category Western European producers have only recently reached the level Asian production has held for decades.
Carolina Reaper Salz (Gold, Salt & Condiments): Carolina Reaper finished into a seasoning salt, the kind of dry-good that earns its place in the spice rack.
Knobi (Bronze, Garlic Chili Sauce): a garlic-led chili sauce from the Chilma range, picking up a Bronze in the Garlic Chili Sauce category.
"Five awards at the European Hot Sauce Awards is an absolutely overwhelming milestone for us, and the finest confirmation of our path. Hot sauce was never simply a product meant to burn. Our aim is to give every dish a particular, gourmet character. We firmly believe you can taste the attention to detail, the honest craft and the natural origin of our chilies. That an international jury now honours exactly this philosophy at this level makes us incredibly proud." – Gerd Ihle, Chilma
A small-batch Schwäbischer Wald kitchen landing three Golds in one year, in three different categories, says something about what the German hot sauce scene is producing right now. The European Hot Sauce Awards ran across 16 categories in 2026 with over 200 entries from producers across the continent. Republic of Heat, a European hot sauce subscription, is its press partner. Every sauce was tasted blind in coded bottles, scored on five rigorous criteria by a deliberately mixed panel: professional chefs, sommeliers and food critics on one side, serious chilli specialists and fanatics on the other.
"Three Golds in one year, from one kitchen, judged blind across three different categories. That's not luck, that's range. Chili Ketchup, Chili Oil and Salt & Condiments are three very different briefs, and Chilma's bottles took Gold in all of them. EHSA exists to surface exactly that kind of result, and we'll be watching what Gerd does next." – Neil Numb, Founder, European Hot Sauce Awards
German hot sauce production is showing real depth in 2026, with Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin and the rest of the country posting multiple medals across categories. The strongest entries this year worked from proper recipe technique, regional craft and the kind of depth only small-kitchen production gives. Anyone who's only met supermarket condiments should try a bottle from a Schwäbischer Wald maker and see what European craft producers are doing.
Salsa Habanero, Spicy Chili Crisp and Carolina Reaper Salz are available through Chilma at chilma.de. Full 2026 results across all 16 categories: heatawards.eu/results/2026?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=ehsa2026&utm_content=chilma.
The European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 are announced ahead of the Berlin Chili Fest, 29–31 May 2026. Republic of Heat's EHSA 2026 Top 3 winner box is live at republicofheat.com/de-en/discovery-set/euhsa_top3, with further EHSA selection boxes at republicofheat.com/de-en/hot-sauce-sets.
PRESS RESOURCES Press kit (photos, logos, AI lifestyle composites credited Republic of Heat / European Hot Sauce Awards 2026): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12Uyvlr4oWaIuKnBzXPIub5_grVMDJpt9?usp=drive_link
ABOUT CHILMA Chilma is an independent small-batch hot sauce, condiment and spice label based in Murrhardt, Baden-Württemberg, in the Schwäbischer Wald, run by Gerd Ihle. Gerd started growing chilies in his garden in 2012, produced only for friends and family for several years, and launched Chilma commercially in 2018 after strong feedback. The range covers chili ketchups, chili oils, seasoning salts and hot sauces, made in small batches for flavour and balance. Three of its products, Salsa Habanero, Spicy Chili Crisp and Carolina Reaper Salz, took medals at EHSA 2026 in Chili Ketchup, Chili Oil and Salt & Condiments. The full range is available through chilma.de and specialty hot sauce retailers across Germany.
ABOUT THE EUROPEAN HOT SAUCE AWARDS The European Hot Sauce Awards (EHSA) is the professional competition for commercially produced hot sauces in Europe, run annually since 2024 from heatawards.eu. EHSA was born out of the Berlin Chili Festival, which has run since 2019 and returns 29–31 May 2026, and became an independent competition in 2024. Over 200 sauces from producers across the continent were entered in 2026. Entries are judged blind across five criteria: aroma, heat profile, flavour, creativity and finish. The 2026 edition covers 16 categories, with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals awarded across multiple positions in each. Each category also names a Best in Category, the top Gold. EHSA is run independently of any single producer or retailer.
ABOUT REPUBLIC OF HEAT Republic of Heat is a European hot sauce subscription designed to show off the flavours coming out of Europe and help solve the distribution problem independent makers face. Founded June 2025 in Berlin by Nathan "Naga" Austin and Simon "Scoville" Gardner. The Discovery subscription delivers three handpicked craft sauces plus a spicy extra to subscribers across the EU each month. Press partner of the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026. republicofheat.com.
PRESS CONTACT Simon "Scoville" Gardner Press, European Hot Sauce Awards contact@republicofheat.com +49 176 41601284
On behalf of: European Hot Sauce Awards (heatawards.eu)
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