I'm Dana, and with my husband Todd, we started CRUSHN because we got tired of basic red pepper flakes. Here's how it really happened. Living in Asbury Park, New Jersey - a town that knows both great music and incredible pizza - we were having way too many pizza nights during the pandemic. While everyone else was just eating pizza, Todd and I were obsessing over it. I've always had what I call a serious pizza crush. One night, mid-pandemic, eating some amazing local pizza and maybe enjoying a little wine, we had our eureka moment. We loved using crushed red pepper on our pizza, but honestly? The experience wasn't living up to our expectations.

We started asking questions that nobody else seemed to care about: What kind of pepper is actually in crushed red pepper? Does it really provide enough heat or flavor? How long has that pepper been sitting on the shelf? Todd's always been the guy who takes a good time and pushes it even further. Me? I inherited my love for great flavor from my dad Anthony, who was both a skilled cook and musician here in Asbury Park. Together, we decided pizza lovers like us deserved something better.

What followed was 12 months of research and development and an absurd amount of pizza and pepper tasting. We tasted dozens of pepper varieties from around the world, selecting 10 different peppers to create three custom blends. We created three blends that would change everything: CRUSHN Original brings the heat with Cayenne, Red Jalapeño, Cobanero, and Criollo Sella peppers. CRUSHN Sweet creates unexpected sweet heat with Red Bell, Aleppo, Paprika, and Cobanero peppers. CRUSHN Smoke delivers smokehouse flavor through Paprika, Chipotle, and Ancho peppers. Why take one of your favorite food experiences and dull it down with something boring? By late 2022, we launched Pasciuto Sisters CRUSHN - the chili pepper spice you didn't know you needed, but actually can't live without. Because variety can literally be the spice of your life. We decided that pizza and great food should never be ordinary. And neither should the spices you put on them.