Den Haag's food register is built on layers of imported cooking: Indonesian rijsttafel inherited from Surabaya, Surinamese roti from the Transvaalkwartier, and the Haagse hopje that Baron Hop left on a stove in the 18th century. Don Cabron, a small-batch Mexican sauce maker run in neighbouring Rijswijk by Karla Carral, has added a Mexican line to that register and taken a Bronze Medal in Chili Oil with Salsa Macha de dos Chiles at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 (heatawards.eu), Europe's flagship hot sauce competition.
Don Cabron is built on northern Mexican home cooking, with chilies sourced directly from Mexico and the rest of the ingredients worked by hand in Rijswijk. Karla Carral founded the brand earlier in 2025 after moving from Mexico to the Netherlands, producing a small range of salsas, including Salsa Verde, Salsa Chipotle y Piña and two Salsa Macha builds. Production is single-founder, small batch, sold direct at doncabron.nl and through Heatsupply across the EU.
Nathan Austin on Salsa Macha de dos Chiles:
"Salsa macha is the Mexican chili-crisp tradition, and most of what's sold under that name in Europe is a long way from the source. Karla's build is two dried Mexican chilies with roasted peanuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds held in oil, so you get texture in every spoonful, not just heat. The garlic stays in the background where it should." – Nathan Austin, Tasting Editor, Republic of Heat
Salsa Macha de dos Chiles took a Bronze Medal in Chili Oil: two varieties of dried Mexican chili infused into sunflower oil with naturally roasted peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, garlic and salt. Salsa macha is a Veracruz tradition that predates Spanish arrival, dried chilies steeped in oil, and Karla makes hers by hand in Rijswijk in small batches.
"We've put Rijswijk on the European chili map. A small operation, our own recipes from northern Mexico, going up against producers from across the continent and coming out with a Bronze in Chili Oil. That's the result, and we've earned it." – Karla Carral, Don Cabron
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 drew 10 entries from across the EU, a category covering everything from Calabrian olio piccante to crisp-style chili oils, and Don Cabron's salsa macha placed into the medal range against that field.
"Salsa macha is hard to do well outside Mexico, the references aren't local and the chilies have to travel. Karla is doing it from a small operation in Rijswijk and the panel scored it into Chili Oil's medal range. EHSA exists to surface producers like this, and we're watching closely for what Don Cabron brings next." – Neil Numb, Founder, European Hot Sauce Awards
Salsa Macha de dos Chiles is available through Don Cabron at doncabron.nl and through Heatsupply at heatsupply.nl. Full EHSA 2026 results across all 16 categories: heatawards.eu/results/2026?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=ehsa2026&utm_content=don-cabron.
PRESS RESOURCES Press kit (photos, logos, AI lifestyle composites credited Republic of Heat / European Hot Sauce Awards 2026): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PorBB_hKE2pgB1O8ABK7nyfeCkKqwMdG?usp=drive_link
ABOUT DON CABRON Don Cabron is a small-batch Mexican sauce maker based in Rijswijk, in the Netherlands, founded and run by Karla Carral. The range is rooted in northern Mexican home cooking, with dried chilies brought directly from Mexico and the rest of the ingredients worked by hand. Founded in 2025. The range, including Salsa Macha de dos Chiles, Salsa Macha Miel, Salsa Verde and Salsa Chipotle y Piña, is available at doncabron.nl and through Heatsupply across the EU.
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 4–6 September 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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