Robb Walsh, Head Judge & Founder Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival

Food writer, and three time James Beard award winner, Robb Walsh respects Texas cuisine and its history.

He’s written or co-authored ten books; his most recent is Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook, with More Than 200 Recipes, published by Ten Speed Press.

He says what’s different about his current take on Texas vittles is that it does not stop at one topic, such as previous works on Texas-Mex cuisine or Gulf Oysters (for which he is a passionate advocate). He traveled the state searching for it’s culinary heart and soul and found it and more, and recreated what he discovered in his home kitchen.

Texas Eats is the result of that work.

Preceding, and prompting the writing came the love of food. And among his passions is an affinity for heat — an affection (some might say an affliction), that led him to judge a chile contest at a local farmers market in 1989.

As very few people eat hot peppers raw, he suggested to the market manager that next time the farmers make hot sauce and salsas from the peppers. And that’s just what they did, and the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival was born the following year.

The festival has since become the largest of its kind in the US, attracting 15,000 attendees and more than 300 entries into the contest.

Robb Walsh presides as head judge.