Graz is known for its culinary traditions: Backhendl, Buschenschank culture, pumpkin seed oil and a strong regional food heritage. With CZILLI, a handmade crunchy chili oil from Graz is now entering the European stage. The independent manufactory run by Carina and Christof Ziegler has won four medals at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 (heatawards.eu), Europe's flagship hot sauce competition: Gold in Asian Style Chili Sauce with CZILLI Orient, Gold in Chili Oil with CZILLI Classic, Bronze in Chili Oil with CZILLI Scovilli, and Bronze in Freestyle with CZILLI Steirer.
CZILLI stands for handmade chili oils with crunch from Graz and a clear commitment to quality: carefully prepared spice blends, hot infused oil and hand-filling. The result is an intense chili crunch in which aroma, heat and umami come together in the jar. Wherever possible, Carina and Christof rely on Styria: packaging and labels come from Etivera in the region, the rapeseed oil from Ölmühle Esterer in Graz, and the pumpkin seeds used for CZILLI Steirer come from Styrian farmers. Two Golds and two Bronzes across three categories show that CZILLI is not just one good product, but a manufactory with range, a clear signature and international competitiveness.
Nathan Austin on CZILLI:
"Chili Oil and Asian Style Chili Sauce ask completely different things of a producer, and CZILLI took Gold in both blind. CZILLI Orient is built on toasted sesame, sesame paste and selected spices over umami and a measured heat, and landing Gold in Asian Style from a Graz kitchen is a deliberate result." – Nathan Austin, Tasting Editor, Republic of Heat
CZILLI Classic (Gold, Chili Oil): the original recipe and the heart of the brand, a crispy chili oil built around heat, crunch, umami and aromatic spice depth, made from rapeseed oil milled in Graz.
CZILLI Orient (Gold, Asian Style Chili Sauce): a chili crunch inspired by Oriental and Asian cuisine, with toasted sesame, sesame paste, selected spices, umami and a pleasant heat, designed to pair across both Asian dishes and the wider kitchen.
CZILLI Scovilli (Bronze, Chili Oil): the hotter sister of CZILLI Classic, the same crunchy chili oil format, built on chilies with a higher Scoville rating, for everyone who wants crunch and heat with more intensity.
CZILLI Steirer (Bronze, Freestyle): the regional interpretation of CZILLI. Styrian pumpkin seeds meet chili oil, crunch and spice. With this product, CZILLI Steirer translates the Styrian pantry into a modern, distinctive Freestyle format.
Carina and Christof Ziegler, on CZILLI's two Golds in Asian Style and Chili Oil:
"From the beginning, we wanted to show with CZILLI that chili oil can be more than heat. It is about crunch, depth, umami, good ingredients and a clear culinary signature. Two Golds and two Bronzes at a European competition are a strong confirmation for us, and a sign that a small manufactory from Graz can compete internationally." – Carina and Christof Ziegler, CZILLI
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. Chili Oil and Asian Style Chili Sauce are two of the more technically demanding categories on the schedule, and CZILLI took Gold in both. Further, landing two different chili oils (Classic and Scovilli) on the same Chili Oil podium, Gold and Bronze, is unusual.
"Two Golds and two Bronzes from a single kitchen, across three categories, with two different chili oils both medalling in Chili Oil, that's a deep range. The European Hot Sauce Awards exists to surface exactly that kind of result, and we're watching closely for what Carina and Christof bring next year." – Neil Numb, Founder, European Hot Sauce Awards
CZILLI Classic, CZILLI Orient, CZILLI Scovilli and CZILLI Steirer are available through CZILLI's own channels and retailers across Austria. Full EHSA 2026 results across all 16 categories: heatawards.eu/results/2026?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=ehsa2026&utm_content=czilli.
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/1SY9wxVhICpaK-l3_RqpAJeuGHTYaL61W?usp=drive_link
ABOUT CZILLI CZILLI is an independent chili oil and chili crunch manufactory from Graz, run by Carina and Christof Ziegler. The brand name combines the founders’ initials, C and Z, with the word chili. CZILLI stands for handmade chili oils with crunch, depth, umami and a clear culinary signature. Production takes place in small batches in Graz. Wherever possible, CZILLI works with regional partners and ingredients. CZILLI Classic, CZILLI Orient, CZILLI Scovilli and CZILLI Steirer are the EHSA 2026 medal-winning products, available through CZILLI’s own channels and selected retailers in Austria.
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 Press: Republic of Heat, on behalf of European Hot Sauce Awards contact@republicofheat.com +49 176 41601284
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