Chili Accompaniments Increase in Heat and Usage
08 Apr 2015 --- New research carried out by UK supermarket chain Tesco shows that British consumers are eating more foods garnished with hot sauces and accompaniments.
The retailer has found that where once a bottle of ketchup, brown sauce or a jar of mustard would suffice, more consumers are now spicing meals up with hot sauces.
In the last five years, Tesco has more than doubled its range of hot chilli sauces from around 20 in 2010, to more than 50 now.
Some of the most popular include:
• East End Very Hot Green Chilli Sauce – 100 per cent growth in last year
• Cholula – up 80 per cent
• Encona Creole Pepper Sauce – up 70 per cent in last year
• Encona African Peri Peri Sauce – up 50 per cent
• Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil – up 30 per cent
• Aunt May’s Bajan Pepper Sauce – up 25 per cent
Tesco world foods buying manager Matt Clark said: “Not only have we more than doubled our range of hot sauces in the last five years, we have also brought in hotter varieties to meet the big demand.
“Now there is something for everyone – from mild sweet chilli dipping sauces for hot sauce novices to mid-range Peri Peri sauces which were even popular with the England football team at the 2010 World Cup.”
“Interest has also been created by popular TV programmes such as Man v.Food which have featured chilli challenges making these sauces popular with young adults in particular.”
Britain’s love affair with hot food began in the 1960s with the great curry house boom.
In those days a regular curry would be hot enough for most Brits but by the 80s a Madras or Vindaloo became the norm for many people.
By the 90s Thai and Mexican food featuring whole cooked hot chilli peppers took taste buds to new levels.
But it’s the last 10 years that has seen an explosion of chilli pepper culture with extremely hot Scotch Bonnets and even the notorious Trinidad Scorpion hitting high streets.
This year Tesco plans to extend its range of extra hot chilli sauces even further.
Flavors company Kalsec released figures from its commissioned market research in the US that supports Tesco’s findings. In its survey, carried out among 1,300 Americans, it found that consumers are eating more chilli-based foods than they were one year ago and that the level of heat is increasing. Kalsec’s survey found that one quarter of people are eating chilli more often than they were, and that 40% of respondents say that savoury foods taste better with some level of heat.
Innova data show that the fastest growing peppers in EU new product launches are poblano chili, Peri Peri, habanero, espelette and jalapeno peppers.
