Spring is here and summer is on the horizon, and with them come the first harvests of the year, including a new crop of herbs and spices.
This time every year people begin to rethink the way they have been eating for the past several months. Our appetite for heavy casseroles and hearty stews to keep us warm is replaced with the renewed desire for light, bright, herbaceous flavors. This is the moment when our favorite herbs, spice mixes, salts and seasonings finally have their time to shine.
As spring and summer herbs begin to sprout, food processing companies ought to be thinking seasonally and internationally in the same way that our consumers are. If your experience is anything like the spice market overall, herbs like cilantro, dill, basil, oregano and thyme are on the rise. These herbs give a special boost to any meal without weighing it down with added calories. Plus, they are central flavors in some of the world's most popular cuisines.
The beginning of this delightful herb season corresponds perfectly with the time of year when families and friends are cooking, eating and gathering outside. To mark this transition, families and restaurateurs tend to reflect the seasonal change with menus that include more use of spice rubs and marinades as well as cooking techniques like grilling and smoking.
Marinades, rubs and other grilling seasonings are the culinary amalgamation of seasonal herbs and spices, along with salt, sugar and pepper. They ramp up the flavor of whatever you’re cooking. Some creative cooks swear by their special blend of seasonings, but the majority of home cooks prefer the convenience and dependability of the expertly mixed products that come out of food processing companies like yours and mine.
Newfound respect for salt
But herbs and spices aren’t the only products that shine in the warmer months. Over centuries and across continents, salt has had a profound impact on the way we produce food. Salt is the most frequently used flavor enhancer of all time. Unfortunately, over time, salt developed a bad reputation. As more and more food families depended on highly processed and oversalted foods, concern was raised about its impact on blood pressure and ultimately cardiac health.
You might think this fact would preclude salt from being included in this article about healthy seasonings for spring and summer. However, in recent years sea salt has gained popularity as a healthier alternative to traditional table salt.
Championed within fitness and diet communities like Whole30 and Keto, there is evidence that sea salt may be an outlier among its peers. Sea salt is comprised mostly of sodium chloride which is known (in moderation) to regulate fluid balance and blood pressure within the body. Additionally, sea salt is usually minimally processed and contains no added preservatives.
Studies lead many home cooks to use sea salt over the alternatives, and many more choose the product simply because of its rising popularity. There is a great opportunity for food processing companies that capitalize on the popularity of sea salt while finding ways to combine it with seasonal herbs and spices and produce flavor profiles that leave their customers wanting more.
The international palate
Prioritizing health isn’t the only reason consumers are driven to seasonal herbs and spice mixes. Today, the average family’s palate is more expansive and accustomed to international foods than in generations before. And with the complexities of modern family life, there is more of a need than ever for easy, healthy seasoning mixes that enable families to re-create their favorite flavor profiles right at home.
While many families crave the traditional foods of their heritage, not all have the time to create such flavors from scratch on a weeknight. For spice manufacturers, this is an ideal moment to meet the growing need of our customers by focusing on adding fresh, international flavors into our products.
The average home cook may be surprised to learn the significant role seasonal herbs play in the international flavors they love the most. Italian spice mixes celebrate the delightful combination of basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Greek spice mixes dependably include oregano, dill, parsley and marjoram. Thai flavors include ginger, basil and lemongrass. I could go on, but the point is that as varied as these flavors are, they all depend heavily on the beautiful herbs that are a product of this season.
International cuisines require the perfect combination of herbs and spices, and these blends and many others have stood the test of time. For the home cook who wants to create flavorful meals for her family, finding just the right blend of fragrant and seasonal herbs and spices can make all the difference.
Over the past year, likely as a direct result of the combination of food shortages that occurred early in the pandemic and more time spent at home, the trend in home gardening has skyrocketed. For now, fresh food grown and prepared at home is one of the biggest trends in home cooking.
Among the items grown at home are likely a bevy of fresh herbs to enhance every dish they touch. As a part of the food industry, I’m thrilled to see people get excited about preparing food at home. I’m also curious to see how this trend changes when the pandemic is over and life returns to normal. Will families keep up with their Victory Gardens when we all return to our busy lives?
Home cooks are as ravenous as ever for more healthy, flavor-packed, convenient options to raise the bar on their at-home menus. Regardless of what is happening in the world around us, companies will continue providing high-quality seasonings because ultimately, consumers want convenience. Trends in food will come and go, diets will change, but there will never be a shortage in desire for the seasonal herbs and spices that are so central to the modern culinary experience.
When it comes to the health food industry, most people think of protein bars and powdered smoothies. But these products are virtual newcomers to the health food world. Herbs and spices have always been part of a healthy diet, and we can claim our corner on this market using nothing more than the herbs and seasonings that grow fresh during the beautiful days of spring and summer. These fresh flavors cross borders, add flavor in a health-conscious way, and enhance the flavors everything they touch.
