The chili pepper market has been growing for the past several years. In fact, since 2017 the sale of spicy products has had a sustained growth. However, we cannot say that it is a homogeneous consumption. On the one hand, there are the favorite dehydrated spicy products to sprinkle on food or to marinate meats; on the other hand, there are hot sauces that are used either in the kitchen or at the table. And then there are also flavored and spicy ready-to-eat foods , spicy snacks and more recently spicy drinks. This explosion of spicy options has given the flavor profile of each spiciness and preparation a lot of depth.
The result is that in recent years the consumer of spicy products has become more demanding with respect to what they are looking for in their flavour. What at one time was an interest in the level of spiciness, and in general the market was looking for the spiciest products possible, today has changed towards a greater knowledge of the flavor tones of each type of chili and the functionalities of those flavors and how the combination with other flavors can give an even more varied and interesting range.
This is how there is a lot of interest in chili peppers of all kinds, from those that do not sting to those that few can bear. The fruity, the earthy, the ones that give a Mexican touch, the ones that give an Asian touch, the exotic ones, the ones that few know about and an endless number of other characteristics. This happens because the interest in spiciness comes from many directions. Some consume it for its health properties, others to remember travel flavors, others to add flavor to their vegetarian or vegan meals. For each direction there is a flavor profile and combination of spiciness that suits better. We have also seen chefs both at restaurants and in the food industry to play with the combination of flavors and spiciness.
The possibilities are great and the challenge for the food industry and for the end customer is the authenticity of the chilies that are used or consumed. There are many varieties in the market that are sold under the wrong name, unfortunately they are sold under the name of the variety that gives the greatest value. There is also a wide range of chili peppers with color enhancers and/or flavor enhancers. All practices that are detrimental to the final consumer. There are in fact more and more chefs looking for products of origin and taking great care to make sure the products they use are true to their label, their flavor and consistency promise. In some cases, the difference between the real variety and a fraud is noticeable by the size of the fruit or some color characteristics.
At Hugo Restrepo y Cía we care about providing our clients with a high-quality chili. We sign harvest contracts with farmers to whom we provide all the technical assistance so that the resulting fruits meet the sanitary and microbiological requirements accepted by the authorities of the United States and Europe. To know the source of your ingredient and visit the site of production is more and more necessary in the raw material markets.
