Two Istrian producers, OPG LJUTISTRA near Pula and OPG Hey Chilli in Umag, have won four medals at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 (heatawards.eu), Europe's flagship hot sauce competition: three Golds and one Bronze across four different categories.
Istria is already a working European food region, with Istarski pršut cured in the bora wind, Malvazija Istarska off the Buje hills, the truffle forests inland from Motovun and extra virgin olive oil on every konoba table. Both producers are OPGs (obiteljsko poljoprivredno gospodarstvo), the Croatian family-farm structure that ties production to a named household and to land the family works directly. The food story Istria already exports, olive oil, wine, truffles and pršut, runs on the same smallholder pattern. The four EHSA 2026 medals add hot sauce to the regional craft list, made by people growing chili peppers on Istrian land and bottling sauces in small batches from their own kitchens.
THE MEDALS
Gold: - EL KLASIKO by OPG LJUTISTRA (Extract Based Chili Sauce) - FARABUTO by OPG LJUTISTRA (Garlic Chili Sauce) - MIRODIJA by OPG LJUTISTRA (Salt & Condiments)
Bronze: - Cowboy Candy by OPG Hey Chilli (Sambal, Chutney and Pickles)
Republic of Heat's Tasting Editor on the Istrian cohort:
"Two OPGs, four medals, four different category disciplines. Both are smallholder producers that grow their own chili peppers on Istrian land and bottle in small batches. That production pattern is what Istria is already known for in olive oil and wine, and it shows up here in the hot sauce category through two unrelated farms at once." – Nathan Austin, Tasting Editor, Republic of Heat
OPG LJUTISTRA, run in the Pula and Fažana area by chef and producer Patrik Prnjak, took three Golds at EHSA 2026 across three different categories. EL KLASIKO took Gold in Extract Based Chili Sauce, tomato-led with rosemary and habanero pulled into a Mediterranean register. FARABUTO took Gold in Garlic Chili Sauce, built around smoked roasted garlic and smoked chili peppers. MIRODIJA took Gold in Salt & Condiments, with porcini, citrus and sea salt held together by habanero heat. Three different sauces across three different categories from one producer.
OPG Hey Chilli, an Umag family farm run by Sandra Vuica and Jan-Matija Stella, took Bronze in Sambal, Chutney and Pickles with Cowboy Candy. Both founders are lawyers by profession who took agriculture on as a hobby and built it into a chili producer. Every product is handmade in small batches from peppers they grow themselves from seed, to their own recipe, with no thickeners, preservatives, flavourings, flavour enhancers or other artificial additives. Cowboy Candy is the farm's second European Heat Awards placement.
The European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 ran over 200 sauces from across the continent through blind tasting this year, scored on five criteria by a deliberately mixed panel of chefs, sommeliers, critics and chilli specialists. Two Istrian producers placed in this edition, across four different EHSA categories.
"Four medals out of one peninsula, from two unconnected family farms, is a regional pattern. They are not working together, but they are working from the same Istrian smallholder logic, and the judging room registered both." – Neil Numb, Founder, European Hot Sauce Awards
EL KLASIKO, FARABUTO and MIRODIJA are available through OPG LJUTISTRA. Cowboy Candy is available through OPG Hey Chilli. Full EHSA 2026 results across all 16 categories: heatawards.eu/results/2026?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=ehsa2026&utm_content=cluster-istria.
The European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 are announced ahead of the Berlin Chili Fest, 29–31 May 2026.
PRESS RESOURCES Reveal video on YouTube, embeddable: - Garlic Chili Sauce (FARABUTO, OPG LJUTISTRA): https://youtu.be/7ATiV-ZJHU0 Press kit (photos, logos, AI lifestyle composites credited Republic of Heat / European Hot Sauce Awards 2026): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EFfKrbtVoK89pdNLRrSLUNsvosEx-wv-?usp=drive_link
ABOUT OPG LJUTISTRA OPG LJUTISTRA is a craft Istrian chili producer based in the Pula and Fažana area, founded and run by chef and producer Patrik Prnjak. The farm grows its own chili peppers and produces hot sauces in small batches, with a gourmet pitch built on home-grown ingredients, balance of flavour, and no compromise on quality. The range, including EL KLASIKO, FARABUTO and MIRODIJA, is available through OPG LJUTISTRA.
ABOUT OPG HEY CHILLI OPG Hey Chilli is an independent family farm in Umag, on the northwest Istrian coast, run by Sandra Vuica and Jan-Matija Stella. Both are lawyers by profession, with agriculture as their hobby. Chilies are grown on the farm from seed, and sauces, chutneys and pickles are handcrafted in small batches to the founders' own recipe, with no thickeners, preservatives, flavourings, flavour enhancers or other artificial additives. The range, including Cowboy Candy, is available through OPG Hey Chilli.
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 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 Press: Republic of Heat, on behalf of European Hot Sauce Awards Si "Scoville" Gardner contact@republicofheat.com +49 176 41601284
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