Originally published in The Produce News, October 2023.
Spice World’s wide variety of prepared garlic, onion and ginger offerings meets consumers’ demands for ease in meal prep and for variety in global flavors for family meals. At the 2023 IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show, Spice World highlighted the versatility of its ingredients with recipes featuring Asian, Italian, and Caribbean cuisine, among others.
Taste of Home magazine surveyed more than 4,000 people over age 18 in 2022 to see how eating habits changed since 2020 and found that 60 percent cook at home more than five days a week. The survey also showed that 53 percent of consumers want ways to make meal prep easier.
“Convenience for consumers is a leading factor in developing Spice World product lines,” said Chris Kiser, CEO of Spice World. “Many consumers take a hybrid approach to meal prep by combining scratch and pre-prepared items in their recipes. When you combine need for convenience with the demand for global flavors, Spice World pre-chopped garlic, onion and ginger are often the key ingredients consumers reach for to create distinctive and authentic ethnic meals at home.”
According to Datassential, 58 percent of Gen Z consumers eat globally inspired foods each week; followed by 48 percent of Millennials, 34 percent of Gen X and 19 percent of Baby Boomers and older. Some of the most popular global flavors noted were Japanese, Korean, Thai, Greek and Middle Eastern cuisines — and they all prominently feature garlic, onion and ginger.
“Spice World products work in a wide variety of cuisines, especially Asian and Latin cuisines that combine chiles for heat and garlic for bold flavors,” said Kiser. “Our garlic, onion and ginger options help provide a great variety of meal options for consumers.”
Spice World will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2024 and is extremely proud of its history. The company was started by Andy (Pops) Caneza in 1949, with the help of a $10 loan from his fiancé, Ann, and has been trusted by consumers ever since to provide the freshest possible garlic and other flavorful products. Spice World’s garlic is grown in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and the company also has a team that travels the globe to source the freshest garlic beyond California’s growing season.
Among the menu samples at the 2023 IFPA show, Spice World highlighted its minced garlic, chopped onion and minced ginger in recipes including cheesy garlic bread, karaage marinated garlic Chicken, ginger scallion pesto cold noodle salad, onion Meatballs, and an Agua Fresca drink.
