BY: MARISA BUCOLO
LifeSpice’s yearly collection of seasoning blends reflect today’s food trends inspired by regional flavors, international influences, and what’s popular on grocery shelves and in home refrigerators. Made to enjoy with meat, veggies, popcorn, chips and more, these jars pack powerful flavor while looking just as good in your spice cabinet (thanks to our friends at Sticker Mule*, who print amazing quality, waterproof, food safe labels!). As 2021 begins and new flavor concepts are on the rise, let’s take one last look at our delicious blends from 2020.
When brainstorming these profiles, our team draws inspiration from travel and marketing trends to develop flavors that fit the interests and needs of our customers and their customers. Our collection houses flavors for every meal, from bolder blends like our “Smokin’ Butt Rub”, to our “Awesome Anything” blend pairing well with … anything! Our Calabrian Chili Ssamjang from LifeSpice’s trip to New York City in 2019 is a twist on a classic Korean flavor profile, which gained momentum in 2020, combined with the smoky spicy Calabrian chili of Southern Italy. Culinary Scientist Alberto Lopez adds, “It’s a savory, funky seasoning with a little bit of a kick” and suggests mixing it with sour cream to create a delicious dip. Similarly, our Black Lime Soy blends Middle East and Far East influences. This was created out of seeing black lime’s use as an ingredient in various Middle Eastern dishes, great for marinades or a sprinkle on your favorite crunchy snacks.
When looking to marketing trends for inspiration, our Umami Ranch blend came from the growing interest of new twists on familiar comfort flavors, building on ranch dressing. Our Chili Crisp blend is also one to draw on both international inspiration and growing popularity, with forward flavors of chili peppers and garlic, perfect as a dry seasoning or cooked with oil to mimic the original chili crisp condiment hailing from China that is delicious on literally everything. Lastly, Yuzu Chili reflects the growing popularity of Japanese flavors inspired by the condiment “Yuzu Kosho”, which features a citrus-y, spicy flavor combo of fresh yuzu and chilies. These flavors represent popular, flavorful food trends that can be incorporated into any meal, dish or snack. From spicy, bold flavors to sweet, tangy notes, LifeSpice blends are sure to spice up any tasty creation. Be sure to request a sample of one of these blends on our website before we welcome in our 2021 collection!
