Unboxed: 7 natural products to spruce up spice racks
Consumers are hopping on the spice train to add flavor and flair to home cooking.
![Unboxed: 7 natural products to spruce up spice racks Unboxed: 7 natural products to spruce up spice racks](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/blt8a73a032fd65f1a4/64ff1a5a57c3de125235d2b2/unboxed-spices.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Made from coarsely ground aji chile from the mountain plateaus of Argentina’s Salta region, this USDA Organic seasoning has wonderfully smoky notes and just the right amount of kick. It is also the first certified organic aji molido in Argentina, backed by the same commitment to people and planet embodied by this Certified B Corporation.
Duxbury Saltworks is a women-owned company that hand harvests its sea salt from Duxbury Bay, Massachusetts, and carefully transforms it into these artisanal blends. This one, one of four seasonally inspired flavor combinations, brightens this classic seasoning with lemon peel and basil.
One in a range of whole and ground spices and blends, Rumi Spice's Afghan Fennel reflects this brand’s mission to cultivate peace in Afghanistan by supporting Afghan farmers, empowering Afghan women through direct wages and building out Afghanistan’s agricultural infrastructure, all while bringing the flavorful spices of the Middle East to the U.S.
Cooking tantalizing meals at home is even easier with this pibil-inspired seasoning packet from Last Bite—one of several varieties in a line that makes it a snap to prepare a meal. Whether it’s pot roast, bulgogi, teriyaki, butter chicken or more, consumers need only follow the three-step instructions on each packet for pressure pot, slow cooker or stove top, for a perfect meal every time.
Get the “Taste of Japan” with this shelf-stable liquid spice—one of five flavors in this new line of concentrated flavor sprays made from pure, extracted spice resins that can be used at any point during the cooking process (one spray = one teaspoon of traditional spices) to give a bright boost of flavor to any recipe.
Pure Indian Foods' Certified Organic blend of whole “DIY” spices releases its full aromatic potential upon grinding right before use. Made from black salt, coriander, amchoor (dried, unripe green mangoes), red chili, cumin, Himalayan pink salt, ajwain seeds and black peppercorn, it is especially great on fruit and salads.
This adobo spice mix is the latest from this fledgling brand, which launched in 2019 with the mission of creating West Indian-fusion spice spends that excite the palate and share “A Little Love” for cooking and great flavors. This handcrafted, small-batch blend contains pink Himalayan salt, garlic, black pepper, oregano, onion, turmeric and other herbs and spices.
This adobo spice mix is the latest from this fledgling brand, which launched in 2019 with the mission of creating West Indian-fusion spice spends that excite the palate and share “A Little Love” for cooking and great flavors. This handcrafted, small-batch blend contains pink Himalayan salt, garlic, black pepper, oregano, onion, turmeric and other herbs and spices.
One of the many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 will undoubtedly be that, for the first time in a decade, food purchases for at-home consumption in the United States will have outpaced those of food consumed outside the home.
Sales of pantry staples have felt the full effects of this shift, with huge increases in year-over-year category growth of items including rice, beans, pasta, flour and other go-to ingredients for home cooks. Another top-growth category of 2020 was shelf-stable seasonings, which had an average growth rate of 37.1% between January and October 2020, according to SPINS.
In the natural channel many retailers are still finding it a challenge to keep these products on shelves. In late fall of 2020, Dean Nelson, the owner of four Dean’s Natural Food Market stores in New Jersey, talked to New Hope Network about ongoing challenges to stock spices leading to expanding from, “maybe two primary spice vendors to six, just to keep the shelves full.”
Natural and organics
Some stocking challenges for spices in natural grocery stores might derive from the fact that certified organic spices only account for a very small portion (1-2%) of the global supply. This share is increasing, driven by increasing demand for these products led in particular by North American consumers. According to a December 2020 report by Market Research Future, the organic spice market is predicted to reach $520 million by 2024 with a CAGR of 6.4% from 2019-2024.
In addition to organic spices, natural channel retailers can appeal to consumers on the hunt for better seasonings by diversifying their selection and seeking products with clean ingredient lists, careful sourcing methods and artisanal production practices—as well as by diverse-owned and mission-based brands.
Whether basic seasonings such as salt and pepper, classic herbs including basil, oregano and thyme, or more globally inspired flavorings and spice blends, consumers are looking to their spice racks to take the bland out of daily meal prep and add a little spice to their lives.
The products featured in this gallery represent a range of seasoning brands and attributes: Women- and BIPOC-owned companies, established brands and up-and-comers, classic formats and at least one novel approach, flavor profiles from near and far, and of course a couple of certified organic spices too.
Read more about:
UnboxedAbout the Author(s)
You May Also Like