You may or may not know this, but we also produce the Scovie Awards each year. This is where we recognize the latest and greatest products in the chile pepper industry, culminating with our National Fiery Foods and Barbecue Show in New Mexico. Spicy flavor and seafood have a long history together, so we thought you might want to know more about the Scovies.
Who better to give you insight into what goes down at the Scovie Award judging than someone who’s judged them all? Enter Larry Greenly, who has judged every single Scovie competition since the beginning.
“It’s like a gathering of wildebeest arriving for their annual migration, pawing the ground and excited about the experience that lies ahead. On the first Monday of October, 50 to 80 Scovie Award judges converge upon the County Line BBQ, a barbecue restaurant in the shadow of the Sandia Mountains on the edge of Albuquerque. Some are old-timers. Some are newbies. All love the heat of capsaicin.
“By 10 a.m., the parking lot is full, the tasting room is packed, and a half-dozen tables are surrounded by excited foodies. The Scovie judges, who are chefs, restaurant owners, food critics, and other culinary whizzes, are handing out business cards to each other and making small talk. Standing near each table is an assistant who will announce each category and pass around samples of this year’s entries.” Read the rest of Larry’s post here.
