Hot and spicy are the latest crazes in the food industry, said Dave Andersen of Newly Weds Foods, a processor and supplier.
Speaking to the Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association annual conference in Saskatoon Jan. 13, he said demand has surged for hot spices like red pepper, mustard seed and black and white pepper.
Look no further than hot wing menu choices in restaurants or the Tabasco sauce shelves at the grocery stores for proof of the vast numbers and varieties of these products, he noted.
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“Baby boomers are looking for new foods,” Andersen said.
“The hotter they are, the better people like them.”
The trend is due to Canada’s increasingly ethnically diverse and well-travelled population, coupled with a large number of baby boomers looking for new food products, he said.
Andersen said many also believe eating hot spices produces a kind of euphoria in humans.
He said prairie growers and greenhouse operators could tap into markets for these warm-season specialty crops, including paprika, garlic and parsley.
Mustard also holds much potential in a world seeking to reduce fats in the diet, Andersen said.
Mustard is used like a glue to hold moisture and fat in sausage processing to create gluten-free products. It improves flavour and serves as a natural antioxidant, inhibiting deterioration in the body.
Rosemary extract, which also has antioxidant properties, is an alternative ingredient to hydrogenated fats that work well in protecting other oils from going rancid.
Andersen said smaller scale operations on the Prairies could find markets among consumers wanting to know where and how their food is grown.
Organically grown crops also hold much potential, but must maintain quality levels the same or better than conventionally produced crops, he said.
