product focus At newcomer The Art of Curry, founder Sameena Thompson has made it her mission to reproduce the deep flavours of authentic Indian cuisine rather than Punjabi, Gujarati, Bangladeshi or Kenyan versions of curry. King Korma, Raging Raja, Queen Bhuna and Royal Dopiaza are the first four chilled sauces (trade £3.50, 350g) to come out of the Surrey-based kitchen. www.theartofcurry.co.uk
sauces & ingredients
Badu’s has treated its collection of curry masala kits to new look labels. All of the fresh and dried spices in its kits are sourced from organic suppliers where possible. The line-up includes mild, medium and Kashmiri Hot as well as mild and medium versions of a masala kit with coconut & almond. Each pack weighs 165g-265g (RRP £5.50-£6) and takes up to 900g of meat, fish or vegetables, enough for 4-6 portions. There is also a Tandoori masala marinade for meat and fish, an almond Pasande kit and an Aloo Gobi masala kit.
O Quay Ingredients’ herbs, spices and seasoning blends are sporting new matt black packaging. www.quayingredients.co.uk
O “Succulent” tomato sauce for pasta or meatballs is the latest creation to come out of the Susannah Sauces kitchen in Berkshire. www.susannahssauces.co.uk
www.badusindianfeast.co.uk
O Greece’s Tzekos
Capsicana claims to have brought to market the first Peruvian cooking sauce. The chilli & lemon sauce is based on the Peruvian Aji Verde sauce and uses Peruvian grown Aji Amarillo chilli peppers. It is part of a new fourstrong range of Latin American sauces (RRP £1.99-2.29, 100g) that also features Brazilian chilli & coconut, Mexican chilli & honey and Mexican chilli & garlic sauces. www.capsicana.co.uk
The Scullery in Tipperary is one of only two producers in Ireland making premium pasta sauces. The newly created range includes tomato & basil, vine tomato & jalapeno pepper and roasted pepper & garlic sauces. RRP is €2.99 for 320g.
Following the success of its Chef’s Stocks, Essential Cuisine has introduced a line of ‘professional gravies’. Each 76g pot makes a litre of either beef, chicken or gluten-free savoury gravies. The beef and chicken gravies contain real meat stock, dripping and fat. RRP £2.50.
www.thescullery.ie
www.essentialcuisine.com/homechef
The language of taste... SPICES AND SEASONINGS
FIND OUT WHAT GREAT TASTE JUDGES LOOK FOR IN KEY PRODUCT CATEGORIES, WITH SILVIJA DAVIDSON Can a simple spice mix really be considered for a Great Taste award? That was a question genuinely asked by this year’s judges as the product appeared at the table. They were soon convinced by a dessert spice blend of True Cinnamon, Coorg Cardamom, ginger, fennel and nutmeg with its appealing sweetness, bright, fresh aromas, good balance and pleasing warmth on the finish. Single spices can wow, too. Both True and Cassia cinnamons exhibited “gorgeous, fresh, light,
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yet warming and fully aromatic character”, with the latter’s intrinsic heat making it “dramatically pungent in a very rounded way” and earning it two stars. And how about a 3-star pepper? Described as “gloriously aromatic with flowery notes when crushed”, a Cambodian red pepper proved a
showstopper. Judges hailed it as a “firework of flavour” while fennel pollen and Iranian saffron have won similar plaudits in previous years. Then there’s the “value added” products, like a smoked saffron submitted this year. Judges liked the sweet, bright notes pitched against the deep smoke but, crucially, they could envisage many practical uses for it. Oak smoked water was deemed acridly tarry sampled neat but clearly had many intriguing and transformative applications earning it a star. Another growing trend is flavoured sea salts. At one level it’s a
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Single spices can wow, too. Both True and Cassia cinnamons exhibited “gorgeous, fresh, light, yet warming and fully aromatic character”.
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Organic Herbs is now selling its oregano and thyme in naturally dried bunches. tzekosorganicherbs@ gmail.com
O The Smokey Carter’s new Pitmaster BBQ rub combines natural hickory flavour with a mild heat from Mexican Ancho chillies. www. thesmokeycarter. co.uk
O A blend of ginger, garlic, chilli, lemon juice and fish sauce, Red Chilli Kitchen’s new Vietnamese Miracle Dressing & Marinade is said to be a “beautiful balance of sweet, salty and sour”. www. redchillikitchen. co.uk
concept as old as the hills (or the salt pans) but the modern incarnation is all too often a pretty conceit without the taste to match. Flower petal salts rarely convey the essential oils in actual use and few red wine salts (however dramatic in colour) give a hint of vinous complexity. Amongst the innovators, Icelandic liquorice salt is one to watch, but invariably it’s the almost natural pairings that win out. Salt when paired with local seaweed can yield a distinctive iodine tang and the smell of freshly tanned leather, while a peat-smoked salt won those elusive three stars for the versatility of its lingering smokiness. Perfection in simplicity. • Food writer and editor Silvija Davidson is chief judging coordinator for the Great Taste awards.