Tank trucks and railroad tank cars are also used to move the mash to destinations. The Cervantes operation also make mash from jalape os, yellow hots, habaneros, and peri-peri chiles, most of which are grown on their farm. Depending on a number of factors, they try to grow at least 40 percent of their needs, and can grow up to 60 percent. Cervantes quality assurance manager Rubin Cascio shows some of the 30 blends of custom made mash for customers. The mixtures include cayenne, habanero, yellow hot, jalapeno and peri-peri varieties, many of which are grown the on the company farm.
Cayenne pepper is the lingua franca of chile.
It one of the oldest known varieties of chile and was introduced into the Old World in the early 1500s. It has been taken around the world and is grown in Europe, Africa, Asia, and in South, Central and North America. Cayenne is the basis for most hot sauces or is used in many commercial sauce recipes with other chiles. Much of the Cervantes cayenne used in sauces is grown on contract, both in the U.S. and in Mexico. Cervantes Enterprises provides seed to their contractors who must grow the chile to certain specifications including strict controls on the use of pesticides and herbicides.