How do you spice up your life?

For Christian Ortiz, Senior Brand Manager for Frank's RedHot, who spoke with Latin Post in an exclusive interview, it's his passion for both his Guatemalan and American cultures, American football and Latin American fútbol -- and of course a dash of Frank's RedHot sauce!

Ortiz, a native of Guatemala, shared his hankering for Frank's RedHot, its new-found inclusion into favorite Latin American dishes and what it stands for as a longtime American brand.

While Frank's RedHot is often associated with American football, tailgating and Buffalo Wings, it's reaching a grander scale along with the Latino audience's growing affection for the game, as well as Frank's RedHot as an additive to Latin American staples, such as tacos, empanadas, etc.

This trend is also occurring in Mexico and Brazil, where Frank's RedHot sauce has become a huge hit, according to Ortiz.

"We just started in Mexico this year. It's going really well. What happens is that it's incremental. They weren't using this kind of spice, but now they will add it in. It's flying off the shelves, in Brazil as well," Ortiz told Latin Post.

This writer can attest to this tasty infusion of flavors and suggests adding Frank's RedHot not only to empanadas or tacos, but scrambled eggs, wraps, sandwiches and pizza, etc.

While Frank's RedHot seems very "Americana," we have to ask ourselves what is really considered to be "Americana?" Frank's RedHot is a great commercial example of how our taste buds in the U.S. continue to evolve and incorporate many ethnicities and nationalities from around the globe.

When it comes to savoring flavors, it's safe to say that Latinos have a strong palate for flavor and know a good hot sauce when they taste it. While Frank's RedHot isn't targeting Latinos directly per say, but the overall general market, its flavors are more often being incorporated into Latino households.

"From Texas to California there is a high incidence of hot sauce usage, but it's not like the Buffalo flavor. It's more the Tobasco and the flavors in the South and West that are more the authentic Mexican hot sauces," Ortiz explained. "So when we go into these markets, we don't expect them to replace their hot sauce. We know that our hot sauce goes with certain flavors."

"We try to get into their household by being relevant with Buffalo Wings, the Buffalo Chicken Pizza, the Buffalo Chicken Dip," he added. "There is a lot of acculturation that plays into effect in the general market -- and we just hope to bring them (Latinos) along."

Another trend that is seeming to catch on with some Latino sports fans is the inclusion of tailgating parties, which the U.S. witnessed in some parts of the country during the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014.

While Ortiz pointed out that "nothing compares, or nothing comes close to what happens during a Super Bowl, or even during the November-December play-off games to the World Cup," yet it's important to note Latinos' gaining interest in tailgating in the U.S. as well.

"I have been to only one tailgate in was in Roth, Michigan, that has 120,000 people," he said. "It was a very good experience and going there took me to the flavors I experienced, which included Frank's RedHot...  added to anything that goes with the grill. That's all the flavor you need -- and a beer of course!"

"The first time that I saw it, as a person (not as a marketer) I was in San Francisco 49er's game. I saw people grilling, watching the game. It was a totally new experience ... Outdoor exposure, doing it there, where you just be there and you just have fun. You are sharing, but you are there," he explained.

"In Guatemala, what you would do is gather at someone's house and have some drinks and then go to the stadium. It's almost the same approach. But in the U.S. you go 10 hours earlier to avoid traffic, but it's a similar concept," he said.

Frank's RedHot was first created in 1964 in Buffalo, New York, the recipe for the original Buffalo Wings was "as simple as combining Frank's RedHot sauce and butter."

Dubbed the "perfect blend of flavor and heat," Frank's RedHot was inducted into the Buffalo Wing "Hall of Flame" in 2008 as part of the National Buffalo Wing Festival "for its contribution to elevating classic Buffalo wings from pub fare to a menu mainstay all across America."

"Because of the Buffalo wings' heritage is based in the Buffalo New York area, we stay true to that, to that core," Ortiz said. "Frank's RedHot spices up food and life! We're proud of our heritage and our association with Buffalo Wings, which celebrates 50 years this year. As a flavor, we've evolved and are proud to be a versatile condiment that consumers use on a variety of their favorite foods."

In 2005-2006, the brand needed to break away and distinguish itself from the rest, Ortiz explained. "In order to build up the brand, break away from the mold, we really had to change the communication -- and one of the break-throughs that came through for us came in 2008 is what we still use to this day." It was the "I put that **** on everything" campaign, which was also a hit on social media using the popular hashtag, #iptsoe.

"Based on consumers who were putting the sauce on everything -- and we though, we could leverage that and in turn this spiraled its growth," he said. "We also tried to expand flavors. We created a particular version of hot sauce. Sweet chili, a sweet and spicy sauce and a Siracha."

Ortiz also shared Frank's RedHot with friends who live in Guatemala and they can't get enough of it and are asking him to send more. Looks like Frank's RedHot has yet another market to tap into!

As a native of Guatemala, who now lives and works in the U.S. for Frank's RedHot, Ortiz is a perfect example of how Latinos are expanding their palates.

"It's a good spice to get into," as a marketing person, "you have to live it and breathe it," but on his own, Ortiz pointed out, "Now, I can finish a bottle in a week."