Slow Food – Why We Choose the Slow Path
What Makes Us ‘Slow’?
It’s all in the process. Our approach is about taking time — whether it's sourcing the best ingredients or carefully crafting the final product. Take our Death by Curry Hot Sauce, for example. This isn’t your average hot sauce. We lacto-ferment our chilies for months—sometimes over a year—allowing natural micro-organisms to work their magic. The result? A deeply complex flavor, where the Carolina Reaper, chocolate habaneros, and peppers merge beautifully with our secret curry mix. Fermentation doesn’t just create heat, it builds character.
Compare that to most commercial hot sauces that rely on vinegar or citric acid for quick production. They’re fast, but often flat. Our method adds layers of flavor you can’t rush.
Slow Spices & Syrups
Our approach to spices and syrups follows the same slow philosophy. Here, the focus is on sourcing—finding the right producers and ensuring each ingredient is of the highest quality. This process takes time. Not all ingredients are created equal, and finding the best can sometimes feel like a treasure hunt. That’s why we’ve launched the Transparency Project — a journey towards offering you the full story behind every spice, syrup, and hot sauce we create. Currently, we've implemented QR Codes on all our pure spices, that enable you to track all available information.
The goal is clear: we want to share every detail with you, from where the product was grown, how it was harvested, to the journey it took before landing in your kitchen. Our Black Kampot Pepper is a prime example—it's not only prized for its exquisite flavor but also for the fact that we know the farm, the farmers, and the very conditions under which it was grown. This isn't just about selling pepper—it's about offering you a connection to the source, knowing exactly what you’re using in your meals.
The Fleur de Sel, hand-harvested from the Côte d'Azur, carries the same transparency. Each grain is a product of artisanal, slow production that respects both the people and the land it comes from. And we want you to know the full journey of this product.
But this path to full transparency is a long one. We are still at the start, gathering more and more information from our partners and suppliers. It’s a road with many steps, but we believe the destination is worth the effort. Over time, we plan to give you everything you need to make fully informed decisions—no empty promises, just facts. Transparency in food production is a complex challenge, but we’re dedicated to getting it right. You, as the consumer, should have all the information you need to feel confident about what you’re putting on your plate.
The Community of Slow Food
Being part of the Slow Food movement isn’t just about the products—it’s about the people. We love attending Slow Food Markets to meet like-minded folks who care about local, sustainable food. If you're near Zürich, drop by the markets and visit us in person. You’ll get to try our latest creations, swap ideas, and share feedback. Look for us at events like the Tulpenzwiebel- und Genussmarkt in Schloss Wildegg or the Slow Food Markets in Zürich. The full calendar is available at the Slow Food Agenda.
Slow Food is the Future
For us, Slow Food is more than a movement—it’s a responsibility. It’s about conscious choices, protecting our environment, and securing the future of food. At Gipfelhirsch, we embrace this, and yes—it makes us the underdog, but we wear that badge with pride.
Our noble goal? To create products with purpose, one carefully crafted batch at a time.