Spices and herbs, a blend of which when used in the right proportion, give the food a distinct flavour, colour and aroma. An ounce more or an ounce less is bound to spoil the taste, and also the mood. And for the millennials on the go, sourcing spices to tickle their taste buds, and adding the much-needed zing to the varied cuisines from across the world, seems just a click away.
Thanks to a plethora of options from Sprig, Urban Platter, Urban Flavorz, Keya, Weber, Nutty Yogi, Asa, Earthon, and On1y, among many others that make their food taste better, and lives much more comfortable. From whole, ground to blends, and concentrates, from everyday spices to gourmet, there’s something or the other to make the culinary experience one of its kind. Every player has chosen their area of expertise. While Weber is ruling the world of seasonings, Keya bring a premium range of spices from their lands of origin. Be it the Srilankan cinnamon powder, the Kashmiri paprika powder or the authentic nutmeg powder from Travancore.
Viren Desai, AVP, Jayanti Herbs and Spice, the company behind On1y, says, “Capturing the essence of herbs and spices, On1y is an attempt to bring the luxury of fresh ground spice to every household. Our recent launch includes a range of 11 international seasonings.” The owners started Urban Platter with a vision to deliver ‘simply good food’ to people who seek a personal connection with what they eat, while Earthon lives by the motto, “Every time you buy organic, you’re persuading more farmers to grow organic.”
The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa Executive Chef Ashish Juyal remembers how sourcing spices used to be a tough task in the earlier days. “During my stint with Atlantis The Palm in Dubai the gourmet spices used to be sourced from across the best places in the world to make the cuisines special. From getting vanilla beans from Madagascar to importing green cardamom, nigella seeds and whole black pepper from Kerala, to sourcing oregano leaves from Greece and paprika from Hungary, we did whatever possible to get the best. But with the online sellers dominating the market, ordering everything original and authentic has become trouble-free.”
Culinary expert, food blogger and food consultant chef Reetu Uday Kugaji also believes the easy availability of spices and spice blends such as Za’atar powder, Ground Allspice, Mexican Chile Chipotle, Garlic Sriracha Powder, Harissa Seasoning/Rub, Pumpkin Pie Spice and Ground Mahleb have given delectable options to the growing tribe of foodies.
“These spices and spice blends are mostly used in almost all cuisines the world over. The popularity of Indian cuisine is on the rise. These spices are no longer region-specific,” she says. On one hand, the foodies are happy, on the other hand the entrepreneurs are elated enough that they are serving their customers with the best of everything.
Ashok Mani, MD and CEO, Intergrow Brands Pvt Ltd, which manages Sprig, says, “It successfully caters to global tastes and has 50 SKUs under it. Our best-selling product, vanilla extract, is the only alcohol-free vanilla extract in the market and uses vanilla beans sourced from Madagascar.”
Not only professional chefs, even home chefs are catching up with the new trend because getting home-made spices was never this convenient. So get set for a culinary ride!
keya
Product portfolio: Apart from a variety of premium herbs, spices, sprinklers and seasonings, the brand sells over 100 other products.
USP: Modern avatar of the age-old smartness and state-of-the-art automated processes.
Must try: Sriracha spice mix, Travancore nutmeg powder, pizza chilli, Himalayan black salt.
Weber
Product portfolio: From shake-on spices to marinades, there's everything to up your grill game.
Must try: Kick'N Chicken Seasoning, Honey Garlic Rub, Black Peppercorn Marinade Mix, Beer Can Chicken Seasoning, Chicago Steak Seasoning.
Sprig
Product portfolio: Ranges from spices, natural extracts, food colours to exotic sauces and gourmet
green tea.
USP: Cutting-edge processing
techniques.
Recent launches: Sauces made from Bhutjolokia and Mexican chile peppers, the exotic mango jalapeno and the oriental ginger teriyaki complete the range. Spreads include unique flavour combos: chocolate and peanut butter, coconut and ginger caramel, classic slated caramel, coffee and chocolate.
On1y
Product portfolio: Has 31 varieties of gourmet spice seasonings and herbs.
USP: User-friendly packaging, ingredients sourced from best origin farms from across the globe, premium range of built-in grinders and two-way flip cap sprinklers.
Recent launches: In August 2018, a range of 11 international seasonings such as Piri Piri, Mexican, Chinese Five spice and Paprika was introduced which is a hit among people.