Catherine Koivogui (qway-vo-geee), a successful local entrepreneur widens her range and reach with a line of super African style hot sauces, made in Minnesota called “African Fire Hot Sauce – Made in Minnesota.”
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| Hot Sauce |
The tribe, known as the Loma, lived in the area that was divided by France and England and now would be separated by the border between Guinea and Liberia.
The sauce stems from the Loma people’s wish to liven up a diet that was typically bland. This recipe is unique and different from other sauces because of its rich flavor. It has a blend of ingredients that gives it the ability to maintain its great flavor while having plenty of heat.
West African Hot Sauce maker and owner, Catherine Koivogui said, “All of this hot sauce is made by me from a recipe that dates back over 100 years and has been handed down from mother to daughter for generations. The recipe stems from efforts to liven up a diet that would have otherwise been thought of as bland. My recipe is unique and different from other sauces because of its rich flavor. It has a ‘secret blend’ of vegetables and spices that gives it the ability to maintain its great flavor while having plenty of heat.”
Catherine went on to say, “The making of this sauce for market came about from a need that arose while spending time with friends at their cabin. They were out of hot West African Hot Sauce “African Fire” is available for sale online by going to http://africanhotsauce.com/ or call the company to order at (612) 870-3583.
About Catherine Koivogui:
Catherine was born in 1960 and raised in the tribal city of Macenta, in the African country of Guinea. Macenta is a small city located in the northern part of Guinea near the Liberian border. Guinea is a colony of France and French is a second language to Ms. Koivogui, who speaks English, French, and Loma, which is her tribal language – the language of her childhood. Catherine is fluent in 5 languages.
After high school Catherine left Macenta and went to live with her uncle and his family in the city of Conakry, the capital of Guinea. Her uncle, Louis Lansana Beavogui, was Prime Minister of the country at that time. Catherine went to school to be a nurse.
After finishing school in 1984 Catherine entered the work force as a nurse. The President, Ahmed Sékou Touré died in 1984 and a military coup took place as a dictatorship. The military took Catherine’s uncle into prison. He died in 1985.
Catherine continued to work as a nurse and in 1996 became an active leader with the RPG Party and a proponent of women’s and children’s rights. This made her a political enemy of the government. In 1999 the military began to put opposition leaders in jail or to simply kill them. Catherine was fortunate enough to be able to hide near her childhood home long enough to get a visa from the US embassy in Conakry through political friends. Catherine came to the US in January of 2000 and was granted political asylum in 2001. Her three children were sent ahead by several months to make escape from Guinea possible.
Catherine came to Minnesota, staying with friends while she begin a new life. With the help of friends from her church Catherine soon opened an African Hair Braiding Salon in Brooklyn Park, which quickly became successful. Catherine gave this salon to a relative to run and opened another salon in Minneapolis that she operates presently.
Both salons are successful businesses but Catherine’s first love is cooking – which brings us to the Mild Sauce, Fire Sauce, and Volcano Sauce. Three versions of the same basic sauce but with increasing heat levels and subtle differences in flavor. We hope you try them all!
