Back when he lived in New York, Andrew had a private collection of 150 bottles of hot sauce. Then, while living in Shanghai, he ran into future collaborator Kobe, who carried bottles of Huy Fong Sriracha wherever he went (and when they met). Partnering with Greg of Co. Cheese , where they often hung out, was a natural step — the three teamed up to create Hot Box , a hot sauce shop, servicing all your spicy needs. They carry over 85 hot sauces, from the savory to the “omg, my mouth needs a fire extinguisher”, from all over Asia, to the US, to Russia. They talk about hot sauce the way a brewer talks about craft beer, the way a Wizard of the Coast, talks about his Magic The Gathering cards. If your tastebuds enjoy any measurable quotient of heat, you should probably check this out.

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Hot Box’s biggest selling point is that you can try every hot sauce that they sell before buying. They’ve got tortilla chips that they’ll dab some hot sauce on, so you can get an idea of what you’re in for, should you make a purchase. Prices range from 15-150rmb, though most stay under 40rmb. Some hot sauces are imported in through special distribution deals Hot Box has with suppliers. Others are brought in suitcases.











You'll find locally-made favorites like BYFO, as well as expat hot sauce projects that you've never heard of (yet). Their huge collection includes common and uncommon Chinese sauces, mainstream favorites like Huy Fong and Cholula, hard-to-find sauces like Indofood's Sambal Pedas and Spank!, strange Chili-flavored toothpaste from Russia, and various pepper spray alternatives. On top of that, they're growing their own mutant peppers in the back of the store to produce their own sauces. That's not fully operational yet, but they've already got a few house-made sauces for sale.











Andrew is a professional when it comes to dealing with their top level hot hot sauces. And by professional, I mean he has the experience of accidentally rubbing his eyes after partaking in a hellfire concoction and had to run his face under cold water for 15 minutes. Now he uses gloves when it comes to his fire-starting wares.







When I walked in, I was surprised to see Andrew in short sleeves (a Huy Fong Sriracha t-shirt) — the doors were wide open, and this was winter. By the end of the tasting session, I was sweating so much I had to take off my jacket and dab my dainty face with a tissue. Don’t be greedy with your tasting when you come. There are far less painful ways to test your mettle.



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Hot Box is located at No 4, 273 Jiaozhou Lu, near Xinzha Lu.