There were eight contenders at the Picton Town Hall Farmers’ Market second annual hot sauce competition.

The winner was Robin “Squiggy” Dutt’s hot sauce extraordinaire, “Black Lightning,” which gets its special colour and taste from huitlacoche, also known as corn smut, or Mexican truffle, a fungus that grows on corn.

Paper Kite Farm provided this very rare, special ingredient, which Mr. Dutt insists is central to the sauce’s flavour.

(Chris Fanning/Gazette Staff)

Mr. Dutt, a sous chef at Wellington’s La Condesa, says that his success comes of his relationships with the farmers who bring interesting ingredients to the market. “It’s a quintessentially County community that is continually evolving, and changing with the seasons.”

The dynamic nature of life in the County sits well with Mr. Dutt’s attitude toward cooking. When asked for the recipe for his special sauce, he protests, “it’s like jazz, you can’t write it down; it’s different every time.”

Did he imagine that a sauce based on corn smut could win the competition? “I made this sauce because I knew it wasn’t for sale! I love the thrill of the game,” said Mr. Dutt, who said he is already planning his entry for next year’s competition — “Black Lightning Strikes Twice.” The key ingredient will be a black vinegar.

In a presentation at Prince Edward Learning Centre on Wednesday, Picton Farmers’ Market donated $600 in proceeds from the competition to the Learning Centre’s Fresh Good Food Market. The competition organizer, Naz Karsan, stressed how important the market is to the community as both a nutritional and a social hub. Helen McLachlan, from the Wellington Community Suppers, also presented a donation from her organization’s volunteers, service groups and local entrepreneurs who help to supply and organize the monthly suppers.

Market Coordinator Robyn Cakebread noted that beginning this Friday, the 17th of November, the Consecon Legion Branch 509 will host a third Fresh Good Food Market, bringing food and friendship to another corner of the County.