2011 Summer Fancy Food Show - Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS ■ SEPTEMBER 2011 ■ www.gourmetnews.com SEASONINGS & SPICES UPDATE 3
Spicing up sales
Not to be outdone, spices are racking up
sales as well. Southeast Asian spice blends
are popular, and multicolored peppercorns
are now a staple in kitchens of upscale consumers.
At a more emerging stage is dill
pollen, riding the wave of upscale pickles
and joining fennel pollen as a staple in
chefs’ pantries.
New names to look for include vadouvan,
a French-influenced curry blend, and
berbere, an Ethiopian mix that expands the
African-spice palette beyond harissa and
ras al-hanout.
Also driving growth are perceived health
benefits for certain spices, such as cinnamon
and turmeric. These make them appealing as
ingredients in foods targeting wellness, such
as chais, teas and various tonics. Oregonbased
The Tao of Tea has released a line of
chai concentrates in five blends. A line of
party drinks introduced last year, Prometheus
Springs, is built on capsaicin, the substance
that gives chili its heat.
Amid all the interest, customers are watching
their money. “We sell you any amount
you want, no minimum,” said Bucks Fifth
owner Anne Buck, “And we’re selling a lot
more “pinches” lately.” She points out, however,
that while they are belt-tightening, consumers
still find a way to experiment. Other
sales winners for Buck are curry salt and salt
infused with herbs de provence.
However, Buck’s top online seller is
telling: it is a $14.95 set of the seven hottest
blends in the shop, called “Taste the Pain.”
The latter is a reminder of one other spice
trend: the continuing reign of the ghost pepper.
It seems consumers cannot get enough
of this eye-watering chili, because anything
labeled with it—from Mrs. Renfro’s blockbuster
Ghost Pepper
Salsa to Theo’s sofi-
Gold winning chocolate
bar—just marches
out of the store.
An interesting place
where spices have appeared
is cheese—and
not just Monterey Jack
with jalapenos. British
firm Coombe Castle is
selling well in Central
Market, an upscale Texas retailer, with three
unusual English cheddars: Fiery Spice, Thai
Curry and Harissa.
Extracting value
The quest for flavor extends to the world of
extracts. Vanilla continues to reign, but demand
is growing for unusual tastes.
Just awarded a coveted sofi Gold for Best
Baking Ingredient, Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar
Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
combines the company’s bestselling extract
with real seeds from the vanilla pod. It provides
the distinctive look of vanilla seeds in
a portable, spoonable paste, and can be substituted
measure for measure for extract or
whole vanilla beans.
Bakto Flavors is a New Jersey-based company
that specializes in scientifically extracting
vanilla and other flavors. Its Vanilla
Collection (extract, beans and vanilla cane
sugar) is a strong seller, and owner Daphna
Havkin-Frenkel is excited about a new product
that packages whole coffee beans with vanilla
beans and spices, to be ground together.
The company also does a brisk business in
flavors: its “Original Flavors” is a set of 12
1oz bottles for $34.99, and they can barely
keep it in stock.
The extracts can also be bought individually.
“Surprisingly, the fastest-selling flavors
are exotic ones. ... We sell a lot of apple, cardamom
and rose, though the number one is
mango. Cherry and raspberry, hazelnut and
pistachio have particular uses, and anise is
popular for the holidays. Even our boutique
flavor bergamot is doing well,” says Havin-
Frenkel. The lavender extract is supplied to a
local chocolatier, and citrus and ginger are
popular for drinks.
Vanns Spices has recently revitalized its
line of all-natural extracts, with new flavors
and packaging. “People are using extracts for
much more than baking, for coffees and
drinks,” said Vanns owner Mick Whitlock.
“We saw the need for better-performing extracts,
and wanted to serve the customers
who depend on us.”
Introduced first to valued customers in a
new 2oz. size, the extracts debuted to enthusiastic
response at the Summer Fancy Food
Show. “We’ve had some great orders, and
are very pleased. Vanilla and almond still
lead, but black walnut and chocolate are
doing great right out of the gate,” says Whitlock.
Cherry is also doing well, reflecting the
current food trend for the flavor.
Extracts are also drawing interest from
an unexpected area: cocktails. Bartenders’
search for uniqueness has resurrected the demand
for bitters, turning the forgotten ingredient
into a hot commodity. Bittermen’s, a
Brooklyn-based manufacturer of “very small
batch bitters and culinary extracts”, makes
six permanent flavors and some seasonal
ones, to enough success that they have
opened both a retail storefront and a bar in
which to taste them. GN