Menu Development | By Marc Halperin
Get Fresh and Customize
Salsa, as it turns out, is a great starting point for any discussion of where condiments might be headed—not just for its health value, but for its freshness and chunky texture as well. Even modest Mexican restaurants and street-food stands here in San Francisco take pride in salsa-making, and their offerings are as unique as the outlets themselves. At Joe’s Taco Lounge and Salsaria, a funky little hole-in-the-wall in Mill Valley, California, just across the Golden Gate Bridge, locals line up around the block for the homemade chips and salsa (among other choice items), and the establishment capitalizes by charging for the privilege of getting your hands on some.
Salsa bars are already in use at fresh-Mex chains such as Baja Fresh and Rubio’s—why not expand the concept to provide buffet-style fresh condiment bars at other types of restaurants? Chunky fruit chutneys, spicy relishes, chipotle or habañero-infused ketchups, various flavored mayonnaises, mustard, salad dressings made with fresh ingredients, and even freshly made jams or preserves could also find a space amid the more standard offerings. Chimichurri sauces, the Argentinean barbecue accompaniments made with fresh parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and, depending on who’s whipping up the mix, other delectable ingredients as well, also lend themselves to customization. Again, the options are virtually limitless, and with freshness as a hook, consumer interest would almost certainly be piqued.
Pump up the Active-Spice
Accompaniments needn’t be afterthoughts. At their best, condiments complete a dish, put the finishing touches on a sandwich, or turn a salad into something sensational. Active spices—those unique ingredients that actually produce pleasant or unusual physical sensations in the mouth—can be of extensive value here. Novel spices or flavorings such as tamarind and bitter orange don’t just please the palate, they tempt, tease, and titillate it. Using these sorts of active spices or tastes, food becomes a true experience.
And then there’s the creative use of heat. Chipotles and jalapeños, though well-represented in the quick-serve world, represent just a small fraction of the options available to chains interested in creating intriguing condiments through the use of various chilies. Some years ago, we at the Center for Culinary Development developed a special habañero salsa that incorporated several different chilies to achieve a sensation where the heat seemed to rise up the back of the throat and up through the nose, rather than simply lingering on the tongue. It wasn’t overpowering, but it was provocative and memorable. In a similar way, pimento, or smoked paprika—so popular in many Spanish dishes—delivers a unique, smoky flavor that could be used to spice up any number of standard condiments.
By introducing a little more in the way of spice to even standard condiment fare, chains have it within themselves to do something dramatically different for guests without undergoing something as dramatic as, say, a total kitchen redesign.
Let’s relegate those blister packs to the dustbin and start getting creative about condiments.