About Barbaro Mojo — Cuban Hot Sauce from Miami

¡Qué bárbaro! = Spanish for "Amazing," "Fantastic," "Tremendous," "Savage"

Serial entrepreneur Mario Cruz hosts an annual Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) pig roast for friends and family. On Noche Buena in 2015, his son Kevin wanted to add more heat to their meal. A traditional Cuban pork roast uses a marinade known as mojo which usually contains sour orange, garlic, and other spices. Kevin believed they could use their family's mojo recipe as a base for a killer hot sauce. So that same day, while the pig cooked in the caja china, the duo began cooking up what would be the first unofficial batch of Bárbaro Mojo Cuban Hot Sauce. They poured the first batch into an empty soda bottle for anyone who wanted to eat spicy pork!

The results were amazing! People raved about the taste of the roast and inquired about the secret ingredients. Instead of spilling the beans, he began making a few bottles of his signature sauce every Noche Buena and noticed that every year supplies vanished, often before the end of the meal.

People loved the spicy kick in the "mojo" based hot sauce! On Noche Buena of 2019 (just before COVID-19 hit), they made a tiny batch of 100 bottles and gave them out as gifts on Noche Buena.

When COVID-19 finally hit, while people were stuck at home cooking for themselves, friends started to ask for refills of the Christmas gift they had given them. While quarantined, Mario enlisted his wife to start a business around sharing his newfound passion with the rest of the world. The lockdown also gave them extra time to build and plant their very own pepper garden which is where the base of his amazing sauces came from.

With Mario's background in tech, he quickly made a website and began taking orders. The process of developing new recipes went on for several years after that. Additional flavors were developed, using different peppers and levels of heat.

The name Bárbaro comes from Mario's date of birth and the traditional Cuban celebration that occurs on that day, the feast of Santa Barbara. The label with Mario's face on the bottle began as a joke, but eventually evolved into a branding tool that his kids would not let him change.

Today, Bárbaro Mojo is proudly available in select regional grocery stores and restaurants across the United States, while continuing to bring the heat online. In 2024, Barbaro Mojo's Cuban hot sauces were recognized by top industry judges worldwide for their incredible flavor. With two prestigious Scovie Awards, multiple wins at the Fiery Food Challenge, International Flavor Awards, and Zest Fest, their bold, authentic Cuban flavors are earning top honors and winning over heat seekers everywhere!

Mario & Kevin are incredibly proud of these achievements and can't wait to keep growing in 2025! If you haven't tried Bárbaro Mojo yet, what are you waiting for? One taste, and you'll be saying, "¡Qué Bárbaro!"

Looking for a gift? Browse our Cuban Hot Sauce Gift Sets — curated bundles for foodies, grill masters, and anyone who loves bold flavor.