Condiments are an age-old ingredient that provide a flavor bridge in many dishes. From ancient times until now, relishes, chutneys, jams, aiolis and mustards have really generated a renewed interest on menus. You see them used all over the globe. In Spain, saffron aioli has adorned many versions of Paella. What would a burger be without ketchup? And BBQ sauce certainly has many different forms be it a Carolina mustard or a Korean sweet and sticky. But operators and chefs are delving into unique fusions to create whole new flavor profiles.
One of my favorite crafted condiments is chimichurri. An Argentinian grilled meat condiment made up of fresh herbs, garlic and vinegar. I also love relishes whether they are fruit jam based or pickled vegetable, sweet or sour. What’s a classic Muffuletta without the zesty olive relish that drapes various meats and cheeses served on seeded round bread at the Central Grocery in New Orleans? Our line of unique craft toppings and sauces can be infused as well to create simple unique ideas. Take our Jalapeno Relish for example, add vinegar and allspice for fun play on chutneys.
The expansion of creative or crafted condiments has sprung into unique flavors like caffeinated chili sauces, pork flavored jams and the rise of gochujang as a key flavor booster to everything from mayonnaise to mops.
Custom Culinary Inc., being an expert in sauce and condiments, has had the opportunity to develop many versions of condiments for customers from Smoke and Pepper Ketchup to Balsamic Fig Jam. Recently, I developed a Spicy Aji Amarillo Tequila Jam for a midscale casual dining concept. It was only a year ago that we started to see this unique Peruvian pepper come to the forefront.
Looking ahead, operators will see a proliferation of ethnic flavors. African condiments such as Amba, a mango pickle combination, and Ajvar are showing up on college and university menus that have a craving for ethnic twists due to their increasingly diverse student body.
If you want to spice up your menu with creative condiments, look to us for culinary inspiration and sauce/relish/jam combinations that can bring your menu to the forefront of an exploding crafted condiment trend.
David C. Russell WCEC, CEC, AAC, HGT, CBJ
Corporate Executive Chef
Custom Culinary, Inc.
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