1.
The beginnings
La Pimenterie was founded in 2016 by filmmaker Julien Fréchette with the support of his girlfriend, photographer Frédérique Ménard-Aubin.
2016. Iraq and Syria.
An unexpected spark
The idea for La Pimenterie was born in 2015, from a slightly crazy and drunken discussion between friends about oak-aged Sriracha sauce, during which filmmaker Julien Fréchette declared that he would be launching a new line of gourmet Quebec hot sauces. Not waiting to be reminded, he applied Ernest Hemingway's famous phrase to the letter: "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."
At the same time in his life, he ventured onto a film set to document the daily lives of volunteers from North America, Europe, and Australia who had spontaneously joined the ranks of the Kurdish forces in Iraq and Syria fighting against Daesh. It was there, near the front line, that he began to imagine hot sauce blends that would become the brand's first classics.
"I heard bullets whizzing past my head. It happened in two seconds."
2016. Montreal
The kitchen as a workshop
Back in Montreal, he decided to take action. He bought hot peppers and spices and locked himself in his kitchen, determined to reproduce what he had first imagined. His dream: to create balanced and original hot sauces, different from those on the market. He approaches the creation of a hot sauce as if it were a work of art, with an aromatic universe all his own. Through his creations, Julien tells us about his travels, his inspirations, his encounters—not just about spice.
After a few months, he emerged with a range of seven hot sauces that he would share with those around him. The Pimenterie was born.
Stir the chili pepper
"La Pimenterie" is where chili pepper meets brewery. It's a name that says it all: a place where we brew. Here, the word "brew" isn't just about mixing: it evokes a living know-how, a work of precision and intuition, a taste for time well spent.
Here, we mix ingredients and ideas: with patience, rigor, and always the desire to create sauces that have depth, character, and a hint of freedom. La Pimenterie is our workshop, our playground, our laboratory for trial and error. It's where it all begins, every day. Life is too short not to explode with flavor!
made in Montreal
Today, our sauces travel from Quebec to Europe, on the shelves of more than 1,000 delicatessens, supermarkets, gourmet counters, wine shops, and restaurants. A remarkable trajectory for an idea first born and executed in a small Montreal kitchen. Despite this reach, nothing has changed in our passion for reproducing, rethinking our work, and surpassing ourselves. The latest sauce to come out must always be more spectacular than the last.
Each recipe is always brewed in our workshop in the Rosemont district. We carefully choose our ingredients, measure them precisely, taste, adjust, and ensure that each recipe respects the idea and taste of the product, until the balance is there: the one that reveals the chili, that lets the aromas of the different ingredients, the textures, the lengths, and the contrasts speak!
2.
lasting ties
After several years of hard work, effort, doubts, and sweat, La Pimenterie has taken root. We've forged lasting relationships with local hot pepper producers and cultivated an artisanal vision of collaborations with other local businesses and public figures. Each project becomes an opportunity to create together and continue to put down roots with heart and conviction for future generations.
improve people's lives
Each of the recipes we develop is a blend of original and balanced flavors , where the spiciness finds its balance. Respect for the ingredients and their quality therefore occupy a central place in our creative process.
We believe food has the power to improve people's lives, empower small, local businesses, and build bridges across continents. We believe the food and condiment market can be less centralized, with more local, smaller, and more environmentally and socially responsible players.
The future is built here
The future is built here, every day. La Pimenterie , located in the heart of Montreal , strives to embody a model of corporate social responsibility by focusing on local sourcing and quality of life , allowing its employees to come to work every day by bike. By sourcing peppers grown within 50 km of its factory, it contributes to the economic and environmental sustainability of its region. Some peppers are even produced using urban agriculture and have been grown on the rooftops of buildings within 6 km of their processing site… it’s hard to get more local than that!
3.
Chili pepper, the forbidden fruit.
Through our story, we also tell the story of a thousand-year-old, fiery, and fascinating plant. Each of our trips is always motivated by chili peppers, by the discovery of the cultures, traditions, and people who have shaped them over time. Our passion is to taste, our desire is to discover, and our mission is to experiment to better share with you the best of our spicy journeys. For us, biting into the forbidden fruit means opening ourselves up to a fascinating, tasty, and, yes, a little addictive world! This fruit must inspire respect, since it awakens the senses and blurs the lines between pleasure and pain.
chiliheads
A journey along the hot pepper trail, through five countries: Canada, the United States, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and India. Meet the chiliheads , the chili enthusiasts who have made fire a culture.
Chiliheads is the film that concluded Julien's documentary career. This film was intended to be a true bridge between the two things he loved most: cinema and chili peppers! This journey immerses us in the traditions, culinary practices, and communities that revolve around this fruit, as fascinating as it is feared. Between burning and ecstasy, we discover a rich, often misunderstood universe where chili peppers are not just an ingredient: they are a way of life.
The film deconstructs the incredible history of the hot pepper and explores our crazy, sometimes masochistic, always passionate relationship with this unique fruit, a symbol of warmth, challenge, and pleasure.
The Forbidden Fruit
$13.99 CAD
4.
New Horizons
These encounters pave the way for new ways of thinking about hot sauce. With Hot Ones, content creators like Gurky, gastronomic luminaries like François Chartier, and chefs in search of originality, we push the boundaries. Each collaboration becomes a field of exploration, a unique way to take our recipes to new places, always with passion.
2021 season
Hot Ones
Royal Bourbon , Queso Sin Queso , Le Fruit Défendu and Cari Vert : four artisanal hot sauces produced by La Pimenterie have been selected to participate in the cult show Hot Ones . This internationally renowned series showcases the most daring sauces on the planet and the biggest stars in the world. An accomplishment.
Each recipe reflects our commitment: locally grown peppers , a French-speaking name, and masterful blends of intensity and flavor . A fine example that Quebec hot sauces can shine internationally, without compromising on taste or quality.
Hot Ones
Challenge Box
$115.00 CAD
Challenge Box
$115.00 CAD
Royal Bourbon
$11.99 CAD
Royal Bourbon
$11.99 CAD
The Forbidden Fruit
$13.99 CAD
The Forbidden Fruit
$13.99 CAD
Curry Verde
$12.99 CAD
Curry Verde
$12.99 CAD
Queso Sin Queso
$12.99 CAD
Queso Sin Queso
$12.99 CAD
2023
KUMQUAT CRUSH
in collaboration with Gurky
Kumquat Crush was born from a colorful collaboration with creator/YouTuber Gurky, who enlisted the help of his community to create the product. Their challenge: to integrate kumquat, this small, tangy citrus fruit from Asia, into a spicy sauce that resembles it. The result: a fruity, lively creation, punctuated with vanilla and spices, designed to surprise while maintaining balance. A limited edition, between audacity, indulgence, and YouTube touch. Watch the video detailing the creation process!
2025
antipode
The world's most gourmet hot sauce
in collaboration with François Chartier.
The result of a collaboration between the capsaicin artisan (La Pimenterie) and François Chartier, the flavor specialist (described as the "world's number one flavor expert" by Ferran Adrià of elBulli), ANTIPODE draws inspiration from Chartier's science of molecular harmonies to create a unique taste experience. Two sauces. Two opposing worlds. And the same quest: to re-enchant spiciness and propel it into the upper echelons of global gastronomy.
Antipode Duo
$29.99 CAD
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Collaborations
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Customizable Box Set
$10.00 CAD
Customizable Box Set
$10.00 CAD
