Consistently Convenient

Prepared Foods, April, 2000 by Lynn Dornblaser

Sauces and seasonings made it easier for consumers to give their foods an ethnic twist. Thai food made a splash in products such as Tasty Thai Peanut Sauce, Pacific Rim Noodle House, Arcata, Calif., and Orange Chili Thai Vinaigrette, Yummy Foods, Sun Valley, Idaho. Dahlia's, Costa Mesa, Calif., offered a line of Exotic Flavor Pastes designed to be used in a variety of recipes. One of the flavors is Thai; others include Cuban, Indian and Moroccan.

Surprisingly, other companies introduced Moroccan-inspired products. All Spice, Eugene, Ore., offered sauces such as Bombay Way, Gringo, and Moroccan Madness. British Aisles, Nashua, N.H., imported Picnic Fayre Moroccan Ras Al Hanout Spice Paste (among other ethnic flavors); and Wildly Delicious Preserve, Toronto, offered Spice Elixirs (liquid spices) in Moroccan Rosemary, Spanish Thyme, and Chili.

                          Meals & Meal Components
                   1999  1998
Sauces              610   791
Pizzas & entrees    432   525
Soups               254   299
Seasonings          238   235
Pasta               231   332
Vegetables          158   226
Meal kits            76    81
Other side dishes    71    73
Potato products      60    80
Rice                 59   112
Prepared meals       35    72
Total             2,224 2,826
Source: New Product News/GNPD & PF