Frequently Asked Questions SPika Oil - FAQ

SPika Oil is a chili oil, not a traditional hot sauce. Most hot sauces are vinegar-based and contain multiple added spices. SPika Oil contains only two ingredients: Scotch Bonnet peppers and canola oil. This is why it enhances the flavor of food rather than changing it — it adds heat and the pepper's natural fruity complexity without the sharpness or acidity of a vinegar-based sauce.

SPika Oil is handcrafted and bottled in Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island located in the southern Caribbean Sea. Every bottle is produced there from a traditional family recipe refined over generations. Born in Curaçao :)

SPika Oil contains two ingredients: blend of locally grown scotch bonnet / habanero peppers (called
"promente" in Papiamentu, the local language of Curaçao) and canola oil. No preservatives, no artificial additives, no fillers.

Thirty-five years ago in Curaçao, the woman (mom) behind this recipe made a deliberate choice: canola oil, because it was the healthiest cooking oil widely available at the time. That was the reason. Not convention, not cost — a health-conscious decision made before "health-conscious" was a marketing category.

It also turned out to be the right call for the pepper. Canola's neutral flavor profile means nothing competes with the Scotch Bonnet. The oil carries the heat and the depth of a 35-year recipe without adding its own opinion. The pepper is the story — the oil gets out of the way.

Nutritional science evolves, and so does this brand. The same commitment to health that drove that original choice continues to shape how we think about every ingredient. That has always been the standard here, and it remains the standard now.

"Promente"is the Papiamentu word for Scotch Bonnet / habanero pepper. Papiamentu is the native creole language of Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba. The Scotch Bonnet are hot chili peppers, measuring 100,000–350,000 Scoville Heat Units, and it is the single defining ingredient in SPika Oil.

SPika Oil started more than 30 years ago in the family kitchen of Sonja, in Curaçao. Using only two ingredients — local Scotch Bonnet / Habanero peppers (promente in Papiamentu, the native language of the island) and canola oil, nothing added — her recipe became the bottle everyone reached for at every gathering. Her family believed it deserved a wider table, so they built SPika Oil around it and now ship it worldwide. Same recipe. Same two ingredients. A flavor enhancer first — the heat follows.

Unlike traditional hot sauces that focus only on heat, SPika Oil delivers a complex flavor profile with a perfect balance of heat, umami, and richness. It’s designed to be used on everything—from fries, meat, salade and BBQ to cocktails and sauces or even adding it to popcorn. Try it, it really enhances what you are eating.

While our hot sauce has a long shelf life, it can lose its potency over time. Discard if you notice changes in color, smell, or texture.

SPika jhas a long shelf life. Just store SPika Dark and cool and it will stay good for at least 1-1,5 years.

Unopened bottles last up to 12-24 months. After opening, consume within 6 months for the best taste.

Traditional hot sauces are vinegar-based and with alot of added spices suck as onion, garlic and more, while SPika Oil is a pure oil only made with habanero peppers. This is what makes the biggest difference to any hot sauce, as SPika Oil doesn't change the taste of your food, it elevates whatever you are eating.

SPika Oil is available on our official webshop, select supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and specialty food stores. Visit our store locator to find it near you!

Yes. SPika Oil is 100% vegan. It contains only Scotch bonnet / habanero peppers and canola oil, with no animal products, no by-products, and no additives of any kind.

Yes. SPika Oil contains no gluten containing ingredients. It is made exclusively from Scotch bonnet / habanero peppers and canola oil.

No. SPika Oil contains no nuts of any kind. It is made exclusively from Scotch Bonnet / Habanero peppers and canola oil, produced in a nut-free environment.

Yes. SPika Oil contains no mustard of any kind and is produced in a mustard-free environment. It is made exclusively from Scotch Bonnet / Habanero peppers and canola oil — nothing added.

SPika Oil's Scoville rating reflects the natural range of the Scotch bonnet / habanero pepper (called "promente" in Papiamentu): 100,000–350,000 SHU. Natural variation in pepper heat is expected and normal — it is influenced by growing conditions, harvest timing, and variation between individual peppers. This range is a characteristic of the pepper itself, not a sign of inconsistency.

es, significantly. Standard Tabasco sauce measures approximately 2,500–5,000 SHU. SPika Oil, made from Scotch bonnet / habanero peppers (locally called "promente" in Papiamentu), measures 100,000–350,000 SHU — roughly 20 to 140 times hotter than Tabasco. Taste wise, not comparable!

SPika Oil is hot — made from Scotch Bonnet / Habanero peppers (100,000–350,000 SHU). Kids who love spicy food handle it just fine. For little ones new to heat, one small drop is enough to start. They usually surprise you.

SPika Oil is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive hot sauces and chili oils from the Caribbean. Unlike vinegar-based hot sauces, SPika Oil is made from only two ingredients — Scotch bonnet / habanero peppers ("promente" in Papiamentu) and canola oil — handcrafted in Curaçao. It enhances food flavor without masking it, which is what sets it apart from most other hot sauces in the category. Its been called addictive, once you try it, you will use it daily on everything.

SPika Oil enhances food without overpowering it — and that starts with the pepper itself. Scotch Bonnet (promente in Papiamentu) is how Caribbean cooks have always created a dish: a whole pepper dropped into a soup or stew, not to make it hot, but to lift the aroma and deepen the flavor. SPika Oil bottles that exact effect. Because it's oil-based — not vinegar based — it carries the promente's natural depth directly into your food without adding sharpness, acidity, or masking what's already there. The dish still tastes like itself. Just more so.

SPika Oil is the best finishing oil for fries. A few drops over fresh-from-the-fryer fries and the potato flavor doesn't disappear — it comes alive. No coating, no masking, no vinegar sharpness. Just fries that taste more like fries. That's what SPika does.

Yes — SPika Oil works beautifully in cocktails and mocktails. A drop or two in a margarita, a Bloody Mary, or a rum-based tropical drink and something clicks. The Scotch Bonnet's natural fruity depth lifts the whole glass without turning it into a heat challenge. It doesn't fight the drink — it finishes it. Start with 1–2 drops and see where it takes you.

Yes — SPika Oil is a versatile cooking ingredient for stir-frying, sautéing, marinating, and building sauces. One thing to know: at high heat, some of the Scotch Bonnet's more delicate fruity notes fade — the heat stays, but some depth goes with the steam. For the full SPika effect, add a few drops after cooking. Finish with it and the difference is immediate.

Yes — SPika Oil is a natural addition to smoothies. The oil base blends seamlessly into any liquid without the texture of chili flakes, and capsaicin — the active compound in Scotch Bonnet peppers —has been associated with metabolic benefits. Start with 1–2 drops in a fruit forward smoothie. It elevates the whole glass without tasting like a hot sauce experiment.

The most effective fix is dairy — yogurt, sour cream, cream, or butter. Capsaicin is fat-soluble, meaning it binds to dairy proteins and the heat fades fast. A sweetener like honey or sugar works too, as does adding more of the base ingredient to dilute. Starch — rice, potato, or bread — also helps absorb the heat. One of these will save your dish.

Do not rinse with water — it spreads capsaicin rather than removing it. Instead, apply a paste of baking soda and water to the area, or rub with a cloth, dampened in alcohol such as vodka or rubbing alcohol. Dairy works too — milk or yogurt on skin for the same reason they work in food. Relief comes quickly.

The 30ml is perfect for first-time buyers or as a gift — enough to discover what SPika does to your food. The 50ml is the everyday household size. The 100ml is for those who already know and want the best value for regular use and cooking. The SPika2Go is for the bag, the desk, the restaurant table — wherever you eat. All the same oil, all the same effect.

The SPika2Go is SPika Oil's travel-size bottle (3ml or 5ml)— small enough to carry in a bag, pocket, or toiletry kit. It is designed for people who want SPika Oil available wherever they eat.

Yes. Under EU and most international airline carry-on rules, liquids must be in containers of 100ml or under. SPika Oil's 30ml and 50ml bottles and the SPika2Go are well within this limit. The 100ml bottle is at the maximum — check your airline's rules before packing it in carry-on. All sizes can travel in checked baggage without restriction.

Yes — and it makes a genuinely good one. SPika Oil can be ordered at www.spikaoil.nland shipped worldwide, so the recipient doesn't need to be around the corner. A bottle of something this good, from Curaçao, that makes everything taste better — that lands well. Gift wrapping, gift notes, and gift sets are coming soon.

No refrigeration needed — a cool, dark cupboard away from direct sunlight does the job perfectly. That said, the fridge works too and actually extends shelf life. The only thing to keep in mind: cold oil on hot food. It still tastes just as good, but if you want that immediate hit the moment it touches your dish, keep it at room temperature.

Yes, over time — but you'll notice immediately. The oil may turn lighter or clearer in color, or develop a musty smell. Either of those is your sign to replace it. One thing that speeds it up: air. The more air gets in, the faster it turns — so close the bottle properly after each use. Stored dark and cool, SPika Oil stays exactly as it should be. It rarely gets the chance to find out.

SPika Oil is available worldwide at www.spikaoil.nl — we ship internationally from Curaçao. In person, you'll find us at the Marriott Hotel Curaçao and select local retailers. For the full list of stockists and directions, visit our Find Us page. Restaurants, hotels, and specialty retailers interested in carrying SPika can apply there too.

Yes — SPika Oil ships worldwide from our warehouse in the Netherlands. Every bottle starts its journey in Curaçao, where it's handcrafted. Island life is beautiful, but shipping individual webshop orders daily from a Caribbean island to the rest of the world is neither practical nor affordable — so we ship in bulk to the Netherlands and get your order out from there. Wherever you are, we get it to you. Delivery times and costs are shown at checkout. Questions?  Please email us at hello@spikaoil.nl

That depends on where you are. Delivery times and costs are calculated at checkout — no surprises. We ship from the Netherlands, so European orders are typically quick. For our SPika fans in the USA — we hear you, and we're sorry. Shipping to the US is taking longer than we'd like right now. We're working on it. Good things are worth the wait, but we know your patience has limits.

Shipping costs are calculated at checkout based on your location and order size — no hidden fees, no surprises. We offer free shipping above a certain order value for most destinations. Check checkout for the current threshold. Worth stacking up on SPika while you're at it.

One exception: free shipping to the US & Canada is currently paused. We know — it stings a little. The good news: we're working on getting SPika stock stateside, which will fix both the shipping costs and the delivery times for our Canadian and American fans. Watch this space.

As soon as your order is shipped we will send you a track & trace code by mail. This way you can track your order. Keep in mind that it can take up to 48 hours before the track & trace is available. Can't track your package after 48h? Please send us an email and we will contact the shipping
company. hello@spikaoil.nl

You have 30 days from delivery to return your order — no hassle. Once we receive it back, your refund is processed within 14 business days.

Not happy with your order? Reach out at hello@spikaoil.nl and we'll sort it out.

Yes you can, within 24 hours after your order you are able to change your order. Please send us an email at hello@spikaoil.nl and state your name, order number, and what you would like to adjust of your order.

Yes — and it belongs on every table. SPika Oil works in professional kitchens and as a table condiment in restaurants, food trucks, hotel dining, and catering operations. It enhances every dish it touches without changing the chef's intent. Reach out at hello@spikaoil.nl with your monthly volume and we'll take it from there.

Yes — we're actively looking for distribution partners across Europe and
the United States. If you move specialty food, Caribbean products, or premium hot sauces, we'd love to talk.

SPika Oil is made in Curaçao from a 35-year-old family recipe. Two ingredients. No preservatives. Strong repeat purchase behavior and a loyal following that keeps growing. The product sells itself — we just need more shelves to put it on.

Create a free account on our B2B portal, tell us a bit about your business, and we'll take it from there. That's where the conversation starts.

TBD uploaded :B2B
account → (update
link once portal is live)

Prefer to reach out directly? hello@spikaoil.nl

We use recyclable materials wherever possible, and we've built a return system that goes further than recycling — our bottles come back, get cleaned, and go back out as new. Resellers receive a refund on every empty bottle they return. Restaurants replace bottles when empty — and the empties come back to us. The best packaging is the one that never ends up in a bin.

Local. We source our Scotch bonnet / Habanero peppers (promente) directly from farmers in Curaçao. We work with different growers on the island — keeping it close to home, keeping the quality consistent, and keeping the money in the community where this sauce was born.