Taking The Big Bite Deep In Gippsland
The Age
Saturday February 14, 2004
Obsessed by vindaloo? Does your mouth water for piping hot salsa? Then full steam ahead to the Hot Sauce and Fiery Foods Festival in Gippsland at the weekend. Now in its fifth year, the annual two-day family event focuses on chilli culture in Australia with cooking competitions, tastings and stallholders showcasing all manner of spicy products. About 35 local, overseas and interstate exhibitors will present their fiery wares. These include chilli jams from Sweet Heat Adelaide, chilli wines from Disaster Bay in Eden, spicy condiments from the Chilli Factory on the NSW Central Coast and, for the first time, from legendary chilli country comes Pepper Creek Farm with its fiery pickles from Texas.
Tomorrow budding chilli chefs can enter the chilli cook-off, starting at 11am. Anyone can enter, just BYO ingredients, equipment and secret recipe. A panel of eight judges from the media, hospitality and the public will be on hand to decide who takes away the $1000 first prize, but according to Victor ``Horrible Haggis" Vogt, there is a better way to tell if a chilli is any good. ``When my cheekbones are buzzing and I can feel it go behind my eyeballs with the first bite, well, I know (it's) hit the spot," he says.
Take a break at about 2pm from the chutneys, relishes and hot sauces when the fancy dress competition starts. Open to children of all ages, there is a prize pool of $500 up for grabs. Then, if you dare, try your luck at the ``Shoot and Holler", where you can line up for a shot of an extremely hot chilli sauce mixed with tequila. After enduring the drink it is customary to impress everybody by exclaiming how much you enjoyed it. Rockabilly and blues bands play today, followed by Latin American groups tomorrow. -- Peter Barrett
GETTING THERE
The Hot Sauce and Fiery Foods Festival is on from 10am to 5pm today and tomorrow at the Redback Chilli Company, 1420 Jacksons Track, Jindivick. The drive from Melbourne takes about one-and-a-half hours via the Princes Freeway (Melways reference 512 U5) and entry costs $11 for adults, children 11 to 16 and seniors are $5.50 and children under 10 are free. For details phone 5628 5252 or visit www.hotsauceandfieryfoods festival.com.
Camping is available at Glen Cromie Caravan and Camping Park. Phone 5626 8212 for bookings. For other accommodation phone 1800 621 409.
© 2004 The Age
