I Love Chamoy From Shark Tank: 4 Things You Didn't Know
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Chamoy is a spicy-sweet Mexican sauce that goes with almost everything. Born and raised in Mexico, Annie Leal grew up eating candy and treats drizzled with this sauce, traditionally made with fruit compote, chilis, and lime juice. However, many Chamoy varieties on the market often contain sugar as one of the first listed ingredients, next to commercial food dye. After Leal's father was diagnosed with diabetes, he struggled to find sugar-free versions of his favorite Mexican candies. Leal became determined to use her background in marketing to create a newly formulated Chamoy — one that could satisfy her dad's cravings without the use of sugar and other additives.
Leal and her family's I Love Chamoy recipe contains zero calories, is made with monk fruit extract instead of sugar, and contains 50% less sodium than most commercial varieties. The Mexican-born entrepreneur's dedication to her thriving product has made I Love Chamoy expand in a short amount of time, after first launching in 2021.
While Leal has already experienced success selling her Chamoy products online and in H-E-B locations across Texas, she's ventured to "Shark Tank" prepared to take her thriving business to new and expansive heights.
What happened to I Love Chamoy on Shark Tank?
Fast forward to late October of this year, and Annie Leal took her booming business center stage on "Shark Tank" with the hope of scoring a deal with one famous ABC investor. On Season 15 Episode 5, Leal made a picture-perfect pitch by entering the "Shark Tank" stage with a full Day of the Dead mariachi band and frutero cart.
Not only did Leal have impressive numbers to back up her company's growing success, but she made her goals and intentions clear to the on-screen entrepreneurs. Leal hoped that by potentially gaining her intended request of $300,000 for 5% of the I Love Chamoy business, she would be able to get her foot in the door when it came to making more of an impact within the retail marketplace.
While all the "Shark Tank" investors were impressed with her business acumen and astounding sales, only Kevin O'Leary made a monetary offer. He initially offered Leal $300,000 for 15% equity, but after a few counter offers, he stated his final offer of $300,000 for 12.5%. Leal ended up turning down O'Leary's deal and walked away from the 'Tank' with her head held high.
The I Love Chamoy business continues to grow, especially since the brand's debut on "Shark Tank." If you're after some sugar-free Chamoy for your next chili-spiced watermelon rosé granita, there's a strong chance you'll be able to score a bottle at your nearest supermarket by next summer.
I Love Chamoy's signature recipe was a labor of love
Finding the right balance of ingredients for a tangy Mexican sauce isn't an easy feat, especially for die-hard Chamoy lovers who expect sugar to be a main component. When Annie Leal began her journey into recipe testing, she didn't realize how difficult making a healthier version of the signature sauce would be. After testing more than 40 concoctions, Leal landed on a distinct blend of ingredients that worked, thanks to the use of monk fruit extract as the perfect sugar substitute.
Leal was so dedicated to making I Love Chamoy products a healthier alternative for Chamoy lovers that she hired a food scientist to approve and back her products. While the journey to creating this one-of-a-kind sugar-free formula took six months, she eventually landed on the brand's signature recipe.
The company first sold more than 700 bottles online that were made with artificial red dye. But after receiving feedback from the social media community, Leal reformulated her Chamoy recipe to include the naturally vibrant hibiscus powder instead of food coloring. And speaking of social media feedback, part of why I Love Chamoy products became so popular is because of Leal and her family's consistent, honest presence on social media.
I Love Chamoy found stardom on social media
While stumbling upon a lemon juice hack that will change your life seems to be a normal occurrence for TikTok users, finding an online community that supports and funds your entrepreneurial dreams is an entirely different scenario. Leal first began selling her sugar-free Chamoy through her TikTok shop at the end of 2021 and quickly discovered that she had way more support than she could have anticipated. The company's first line of bottles sold within a week, thanks to Leal's dedication to keeping fans updated and in the know regarding the business's development.
"I think sharing our business on TikTok and on Instagram and growing it that way has allowed for a feedback loop that is quick and effective," Leal said to Thrillist in September 2022. The business owner has adjusted certain aspects of her sugar-free Chamoy based on product reviews and direct communication with customers. The fact that Leal has also shared parts of the manufacturing process behind her Texas-based company with committed fans on TikTok only bred more trust and loyalty between the I Love Chamoy business and the brand's followers.
With such a large following on social media, Leal has decided to focus her efforts on releasing new Chamoy flavors for her hungry fan base.
More I Love Chamoy products are on the horizon
If you enjoy dousing your food in an even blend of sweet and sour spice, making homemade Chamoy might be worth the extra effort. However, if you're after a Chamoy that contains zero sugar, you may want to consider the upcoming varieties that will soon be released by the increasingly popular I Love Chamoy brand. Currently available on the I Love Chamoy website are the company's two best-selling flavors: original and chili mango Chamoy, both of which are sold in 10-ounce bottles.
Based on consistent updates from company owner, Annie Leal, the brand has been hard at work in the hopes of debuting two new flavors. In an October TikTok video, Leal showcased bottles of I Love Chamoy sauce in pickle and spicy watermelon flavors. According to the company owner, the pickle-flavored Chamoy should be released by the end of October, but the brand's new watermelon flavor is still in the works.
I Love Chamoy has also experienced a great deal of unexpected success for the brand's chili mango flavor. Even though the company has attempted to streamline the manufacturing process by moving shipping and handling to a large warehouse, getting your hands on a bottle of one of the new flavors may require some patience. In the meantime, fans can score the original I Love Chamoy sauce at Texas-based H-E-B supermarkets or purchase bottles in bulk on Amazon.