The story of our sauces actually begins at my family’s Chinese restaurant in California— my second home, making sauces and wontons in the kitchen starting at 8 years old as a restaurant kid. My saucier days started young! They came full circle in 2020 when the pandemic forced me to revive my home cooking skills. While reintegrating the classic bottled sauces I grew up with into my daily routine, I started noticing the preservatives, additives, and excessive sodium & sugar that seemed to overpower the sauce itself. I made the connection to my dad’s health issues (hypertension, diabetes, etc.) and with no alternatives on the market, I was inspired to adapt our family recipes and traditional sauce techniques into new, healthier versions of my childhood staples. By making Asian flavors healthier and more approachable, we believe we can also scale the impact food has to bridge cultures at a time when the AAPI community needs more support and visibility than ever. In Asian culture, food is a symbol of welcome to guests all kinds. We created Bowlcut in the spirit of this.