Friuli's hills carry San Daniele prosciutto and Montasio cheese on the slopes between the Carnian Alps and the Adriatic. B-Orto Peppers, a Friulian fermentation micro-farm in Gemona del Friuli run by Filippo Bortolon, has taken two Bronze Medals in Asian Style Hot Sauces at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 (heatawards.eu), Europe's flagship hot sauce competition, with Bau Bau Miso Miso and Kimchi di aglio orsino.
The B-Orto range is built on rice koji fermentation, with Capsicum varieties grown directly on the farm, wild garlic foraged from the surrounding Friulian hills, and a finishing salt smoked by regional producers. Filippo Bortolon runs the micro-farm solo, working small batches against seasonal Friulian ingredients. Two of the three Asian Style podiums went to one micro-farm this year, both sauces using the same koji-on-Friulian template.
Both sauces took bronze in Asian Style.
Bau Bau Miso Miso: a thick, dark, intensely savoury hot cream made from a hand-crafted blend of three Capsicum species, fermented with koji. Designed as a deep dive into umami and rich pungency, the kind of sauce that brings unexpected depth to whatever it lands on.
Kimchi di aglio orsino: hand-crafted and naturally fermented on a rice koji base, combined with locally foraged wild garlic and Gochugaru chillies grown on the farm itself, finished with a touch of smoked salt. A vibrant, aromatic fusion that brings Korean-style fermentation onto Friulian wild agriculture.
"Honestly still speechless! Taking two Bronzes from a blind European panel proves how wonderful it is to bring our local ingredients into these culinary fusions. This success is the result of amazing teamwork, and getting this kind of recognition for what we craft by hand in Gemona del Friuli is an absolute dream come true." – Filippo Bortolon, B-Orto Peppers
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. B-Orto Peppers took two of the three Asian Style podiums in the same year.
"Asian Style is one of the hardest categories to enter as a European producer: the lineage is long, the technique is honest, no room to fake the fermentation. EHSA exists to help identify and recognise outstanding hot sauce producers from across Europe, and B-Orto Peppers is a worthy double winner." – Neil Numb, Founder, European Hot Sauce Awards
Bau Bau Miso Miso and Kimchi di aglio orsino are available through B-Orto Peppers at b-orto.it and on Instagram (@b.orto.pepper). Full EHSA 2026 results across all 16 categories: heatawards.eu/results/2026?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=ehsa2026&utm_content=b-orto-peppers.
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/1ndzK_LF-_PaTsy2m1lFWZAAjmQa8vpYJ?usp=drive_link
ABOUT B-ORTO PEPPERS B-Orto Peppers is a Friulian fermentation micro-farm based in Gemona del Friuli, in the foothills of the Carnian Alps, run by Filippo Bortolon. The range is built on naturally fermented sauces using rice koji bases, with Capsicum varieties grown directly on the farm. Wild garlic is foraged from the Friulian hills, finishing salt is smoked by regional producers. Bau Bau Miso Miso and Kimchi di aglio orsino, both bronze-medal winners at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026, headline the range. Website: b-orto.it. Instagram: @b.orto.pepper
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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