Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/802137
vors that complement the heat—says Noah Chaimberg, hot sauce sommelier and co-owner. Heatonist opened a year ago with less than 10 brands and now carries over 60. Chaimberg notes galangal, the Southeast Asian spice, as well as basil and butternut squash, are fun savory additions. He likes Karma Sauce for its butternut squash base, and Pepplish Provisions Blueberry Basil Shallot that is mixed with ghost pepper and habane- ro. While the ghost pepper is still a universal favorite for heat lovers, Chaimberg notes that newer pepper varieties—like the red jalapeño and the gnarly-looking Carolina Reaper—are beginning to trend. Getting Experimental as an Ingredient Lending its heat to craft cocktails and flavoring everything from popcorn and chips to chocolate and donuts, hot sauce is diversify- ing. It's slowly transitioning from sauce to ingredient to major flavor enhancer. According to global market research firm Mintel's April 2016 "U.S. Salty Snack" report, a new flavor is the most influential purchasing factor for Americans who snack, with spicy being a favor- ite among 30 percent of consumers. "Look at Sriracha," notes Rich Proctor, purchasing man- ager, Heart's Local Grocer, Rochester, N.Y. "It has become more recognizable as a f lavor than as a sauce—it's in everything from chips to ketchup." A few hot sauce trends include: Local. Brooklyn Grange Farms is one example of a growing pattern. Made with a mix of heirloom hot peppers and organic vinegar, this hot sauce is made from peppers grown in its rooftop garden in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York. Interesting Origins. "So many companies are creating hot sauces that are on a different level," notes Seabury. He points out small- batch players like NW Elixirs Artisan Hot Sauce, a company that barrel-ages some of its sauces in bourbon, rum, and aquavit barrels from a local distillery. He also likes Cully's, Heartbreaking Dawns, Lucky Dog, CaJohns, and Puckerbutt Pepper Company. Sweet Heat. While hot sauce does exist specifically for sweets, like Toad Sweat's line of dessert hot sauces, Seabury gives kudos to those imparting hot flavors in sweet treats like Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, Ore., for its Reaper Pepper Doughnut. "Everything is getting a spicy facelift these days," he observes. Creative Uses. Steven Ferreira, head bartender at Bobby Van's Steakhouse, N.Y. uses harissa, the Tunisian blended paste, for its "beautiful bouquet of flavor with some serious heat" in his Maghreb Mary Cocktail. "Incorporation of hot sauces in cocktails is a well- versed technique. It allows you to control acid in a cocktail, heat, or subtly provide a comforting bite when imbibing," he says. Looking Ahead While Sriracha continues to be incredibly popular, retailers agree that other ethnic condiments like gochujang and harissa will soon pique stronger interest. Hart's Proctor says gochujang "sat on the shelves for a while, but recently has started to really pick up in sales." Lone Star Taste's Brown says people will continue to buy varying degrees of heat, and we'll see more limited-edition craft bottles hitting the shelves. "Hot sauce is no longer just vinegar and peppers," concludes Chaimberg. "It's a category that showcases endless creativity. We're just scratching the surface with what can be done." Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. "Hot sauce is clearly part of the diet of many U.S. consumers, and it's a food that crosses gender, age, ethnicity, and income." Tubac Olive Oil Hibiscus Balsamic Hot Sauce SPRING 2017 79