Browsing the shelves of H-E-B is a real treat for the eyes and especially for the stomach. One never knows what they might see. Red velvet pancakes, green chile mac n cheese, a variety of afia falafel, shopping at H-E-B is never boring as their products are uniquely authentic. Thanks in part to one of their annual competitions that puts out the call for new products from across the state from budding entrepreneurs.

Entries from 136 cities were submitted for this year’s H-E-B Quest for Texas Best. Of the 824 submissions, 20 were named as finalists and five were from the Houston area. And the big news is ….drum roll please…the grand prize winner is from where? Yup, H-Town! If we are in it, we will win it.

3 Sons Foods, LLC, Diablo Verde Sauce – Houston, TX are the 2019 H-E-B Primo Picks Quest for Texas Best. With their new title comes a prize package of $25,000 plus placement of their product on the store shelves of H-E-B. Be on the lookout for 3 Sons Foods’ devilishly addictive creamy cilantro sauce - Diablo Verde. Available in mild, medium and hot, Diablo Verde combines cilantro, lime, garlic, jalapenos and spices perfect for dipping, flavoring seafood, chicken, tacos, enchiladas, salads, burritos, empanadas, samosas and much more. Made in Texas using the freshest ingredients, Diablo Verde is gluten free, preservative free, egg free, nut free, soy free, vegetarian, 100-percent natural and 100-percent full of flavor. 3 Sons Foods is a mother-son family-owned company operated by sixth and seventh generation Texans, Traci Johannson and her three sons, George (11), Luke (14) and Ayden (16).

Houston Style got to know the grand prize winners a little better and now you will too.

Houston Style Magazine: What made you enter this competition?

Traci Johannson:When the boys & I started our business, it was as a fundraiser. We just wanted to raise money to save Rhinos. We sent out flyers to our neighbors and the boys passed them out at school. The teachers would email & text me their orders with their orders and I would send the sauce with the boys to school, on their bikes. In the beginning each of the boys made $.50 a jar and the International Rhino foundation would get a $1. As the popularity grew, we decided to make a real business out of it, with the vision of someday being on the shelves of H-E-B and to bring awareness to the issue of the illegal poaching of Rhinos. The boys have all grown up in H-E-B and we knew they were a huge supporter of Texas made products, and small Texas businesses. Personally, as a Mom, supporting 3 boys, I loved the potential of being in business with a company that was started by a Mom, of 3 boys, Florence Butts. Though we were already in 11 H-E-B stores throughout Houston at the time of the contest, H-E-B Quest for Texas Best was a great opportunity to expand throughout Texas.

HSM: How long did it take you to develop your product from idea to the actual packaging?

TJ: We first started our business as a fundraiser out of our home, selling to neighbors and the teachers at the boy’s school. From there it took us about 6 months to get a commercial kitchen, create our LLC, 3SonsFoods, create a label, get shelf life studies done and all the other legalities needed to start a food business. From there we started at the Fulshear Farmer's market. Our next step was to get into stores. We loaded samples of Diablo Verde in our car and went to the stores in our neighborhood. Basically, we would just walk in and ask for the manager, tell him our story, hand him our sauce and once he would taste it we were on the shelves! Next, it was time to build a reputation for ourselves, so we started competing in competitions. Just after Harvey, we competed in the Chile Pepper Magazine Salsa Competition and we won 1st Place Best Salsa Hot & 2nd Place Best New Product. That October we traveled to Austin for the Acton Children’s Business Fair and won Best Business Presentation. Austin has been good to us. We competed in the Austin Salsa Fest & won 1st & 3rd place in Green Sauce Judges Award and for People’s Choice we won 2nd & 3rd Place Green Sauce last summer. We have also competed in the Star-Spangled Banner Sals Fest in McKinney, TX here we have won 1st Place People’s Choice & 1st Place Best Green Sauce! Two years in a row! We have loved competing in these festivals where we get the opportunity to raise money for community kitchens and local food banks.

HSM: When did you know you had a winning recipe?

TJ: We knew from the start that people loved not only that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Diablo Verde is donated to help Rhino conservation but that they could not live without their Diablo Verde! Keeping up with the demand has always been a luxury problem of ours.

HSM: Who or what inspired your flavors?

TJ: Fish Tacos is really why I (Mom) started making Diablo Verde. I couldn't find a good taco sauce on the shelves. Diablo Verde was originally what we gave away at Christmas time as gifts to neighbors and teachers, we didn't start selling our sauce until we HSM: Was this your first time cooking or have you been cooking in the kitchen for a while?

TJ: Our background is not professionally from the food industry, but our inspiration is from our desire to eat healthy fresh food! Diablo Verde is Preservative Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free and 100% Full of Flavor! It is perfect as a salad dressing, enchilada sauce, scrambled eggs, vegetable and chip dip, grilled meat, baked fish, sandwich spread, and the list goes on and on.

HSM: Is culinary now a career pursuit for you or hobby

TJ:This is our full time, 7 day a week passion!

HSM: Do you have future plans for the brand?

TJ: Though we started our company to raise money for the International Rhino Foundation, that is not the only cause we care about. As we grow as a company, we plan to bring in more products to help other causes. Our next food product will be to help wolves that are on the United States list of endangered species. We also are concerned with humane farming and would like to bring to market a product line that will help improve the conditions of farm animals. We are open to many more causes; we have no limits on who we can help. Some of our ideas for new products include a Vegan Diablo option and a red salsa to go with our green. Our Diablo enchilada recipe is so popular we could also manufacture and produce a frozen enchilada meal. Basically, we want to make the world a better place and through food is our way of accomplishing this!!!