The new blends include Middle Eastern Baharat, Panch Phoron from Eastern India, a spice mix for Persian Ghormeh Sabzi, Egyptian Dukkah and Japanese Togarashi seasoning.
All five can be used by chefs and caterers on meat, fish or vegetable dishes as marinades or dry rubs, and are ‘perfect’ for contemporary BBQ foods incorporating cuisines from around the world.
Just a pinch of Baharat will add a sweet smoky flavour to sauces, soups, grain dishes, vegetables and stews and can be mixed with olive oil to make a juicy meat marinade.
Panch Phoron means ‘five spices’ in Bengali and is a unique blend of five seeds – fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard and fennel. The seeds are left whole and can be dry roasted or fried to bring out the flavours. The blend can be used as a dry rub for meat, fish, potatoes, or vegetables or added to Indian breads and pickles.
Ghormeh Sabzi is often called Iran’s national dish and this spice blend brings those flavours to the UK market. This Persian stew traditionally contains beef or lamb and kidney beans, and fenugreek leaves and dried lime bring a distinctive, aromatic flavour.
Hailing from Egypt, Dukkah is a fusion of toasted and ground herbs, spices, seeds and nuts, which can be used as a coating or crust for meat or fish, sprinkled on soups and stirred into yogurt or hummus dips as a summer appetiser.
Togarashi is a traditional Japanese blend of peppers, chillies, peppercorns, seeds and nori. It has a variety of uses and is commonly sprinkled on noodles or rice, or added to grilled meats, chicken, tempura, rice cakes and crackers.
Tasneem Alonzo, joint managing director at EHL Ingredients, said: “British consumers are looking for international foods from specific regions now.
“Where once cuisines might have been grouped as more general Middle Eastern, Caribbean, or Asian, consumers are now open to more distinct, unusual flavours with exotic sounding names and unique flavour combinations.
“Chefs and caterers would be wise to experiment with our new seasonings as the nation gears up for the summer season. We’re expecting a warm summer again so our new seasonings and blends will spice up BBQ foods, giving diners an alternative to traditional classics, as well as adding authentic world flavours to the mix.
“Authenticity and provenance are highly important for EHL, and we always go the extra mile to ensure that our ingredients are sourced from quality supplierswith full traceability to the country of origin, assuring foodservice operators, chefs and caterers that the product they are getting is 100 per cent authentic.
“In an increasingly competitive marketplace, consumers are more discerning than ever before. We’re always researching the latest food flavours and trends to hit the UK market and we’re delighted to be launching these five new blends. In the same way that Ras El Hanout and Harissa are examples of spice blends that have gone from being relatively unknown in the UK to seasoning staples, we are expecting these five blends to become more mainstream and used on restaurant menus, within casual dining, on street food markets and stalls, and in the wider foodservice sector.
“We plan to continue expanding our offering to provide quality ingredients and blends to the foodservice sector, to add to innovative newinternational organic dishes, meals and accompaniments.
In addition to these five new blends, EHL offers Cajun, Fajita, Cuban sazon, Texan, Brazilian and Korean BBQ, Chimichurri, Piri Piri, Berber, Mitmita. Zhug and Bezar seasonings.