In the mere six months since its first bottle came off the assembly line, KimKim Korean Hot Sauce has blazed a fiery trail through Richmond and beyond, and — as of this writing –is closing in on the sale of its 10,000th bottle.Born in April 2012, KimKim Sauce-the creation of Richmond’s Steve Kim — was only three months old when it won a gold medal in the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade’s (NASFT) sofiTM awards.

To put this honor in perspective, note that Kim’s entry was one of 30 specialty food items in a field of 2,000 competitors to be placed at the top of their categories by a panel of nationally renowned restaurateurs, chefs, and other foodie notables.

Taking first prize in the cooking sauce or flavor enhancer category, the young enterprise began to draw interest from all over the country. “Since then, what’s been great is just the demand for it. There are a lot of these specialty retailers — like the mom-and-pops with one or two locations — that have really reached out and wanted to carry this stuff,” explains Kim, who — in the course of our conversation –received requests for KimKim Sauce from a high-end restaurateur in Boston, a purveyor of gourmet foods in Grand Rapids, and an upscale grocery chain in Texas. But these businesses are only recognizing what KimKim Sauce’s local supporters already know.

“Whenever we get it, it just flies off the shelf,” notes Noelle Archibald, co-owner and general manager of Lamplighter Roasting Company. Archibald, who says her coffee shop was introduced to the sauce’s earliest batches, recalls buying the first case that Kim sold. Her customers, she explains, like to use the spicy condiment as an accent to their cheese grits and sandwiches.

Todd Johnson, Mezzanine Restaurant’s owner and executive chef, found a place for KimKim Sauce on his menu, featuring it in his Buddha Bowl entr?e. The sauce’s appeal, Johnson says, is in the balance of heat and robust taste. “It has a nice actual flavor to it,” he notes. “It’s not just saying, ‘I’m going to set you on fire.'”

Delivering heat is easy. But finding that bold foundation that can back up inflammatory fighting words-neither overpowering nor retreating-is trickier. Kim creates this worthy base through “whole fermentation,” a practice that produces some of the richest of flavors and can yield that elusive, savory taste sensation known as umami.

“These are the things that generate this traditional, distinct flavor,” he says. “It’s that fifth taste sense that comes alive when people try it.”

While the pleasingly earthy quality of umami occurs naturally in some ingredients, such as mushrooms and seaweed, it can also be achieved through processes that allow flavors to develop over a period of time. Examples of this, Kim points out, are spaghetti sauces and stews that have simmered for hours and fermented products, such as miso and kimchi.

Kim, who was born in Korea and came to the U.S. when he was eight, says his sauce is based on a traditional Korean red pepper paste called gochujang and evolved from his desire to find a more convenient way to enjoy the beloved condiment of his youth.

“I said, ‘you know what…why don’t I just make it into a little bit more of a sauce form?'” he recalls, explaining that he could then start storing it in squeeze bottles.

Rave reviews and encouragement from dinner guests prompted Kim to consider putting his unique invention on the market. But a chance reunion with former associate Tim Ashman, whose Virginia Beach-based Ashman Manufacturing and Distributing Company produces and bottles sauces, made the theoretical enterprise seem destined to happen.

The amazing success of KimKim Sauce, Kim says, is due in part to a national rise in the popularity of hot sauce. But Kim, who analyzes customer data for a living, says it’s his culinary passion-rather than numbers and demographics-that has driven this endeavor.

“I love to cook. I love food. I love eating it and talking about it,” says Kim, who once owned a restaurant. “As long as I focus on those things, and not what I think the market’s going to bear, I’ll have fun along the way and be surprised by some of the results, like what I’ve seen with the KimKim Sauce.”

And it doesn’t hurt that the personable Kim is just the kind of guy who people want to see succeed. “He’s just a great guy with a great product,” Johnson points out.

Currently creating a new marinade, which should be available for distribution next year, Kim does see a big future for the KimKim line of products. Perhaps, he imagines, it will grow into the first global Korean food brand.

But for now, Kim continues to find joy in simply sharing the flavors he loves. Enthusiastically recommending his favorite vehicle for KimKim Sauce, he says, “My number one use for this sauce is mac and cheese. I don’t care if it’s homemade mac and cheese or Kraft mac and cheese. You’ll put the sauce layer, then you’ll put more of it on. It’s crazy good.”

In April 2012, Richmond’s Steve Kim launched KimKim Sauce. Three months later he won gold at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade’s (NASFT) sofiTM awards. Kim’s entry was one of 30 specialty food items in a field of 2,000 competitors to be placed at the top.