People of color who want to start a business often face unique challenges, especially within the food space. The specific reasons for this vary based on the community in question. When it comes to Black people, for instance, decades of systemic racism have made it incredibly difficult to build up the type of personal or generational wealth that can be so helpful when starting a business. Plenty of research suggests that having less money is associated with a lower likelihood of starting a business, partly because it’s easier to start a business when you have savings, and also because a larger amount of personal wealth helps you get bigger loans and negotiate better credit terms. Instead, Black entrepreneurs are more likely to rely on credit cards than business owners of any other race, which can make it tough to keep a business afloat year after year. COVID-19 has complicated things even more as service industries, including food services, are at a higher risk for disruption and these industries also have the highest share of POC-owned small businesses.
Continuously investing our dollars into POC-owned companies is vital to those companies’ survival and success. One great way to do that is by buying cooking products and ingredients. As devastating as COVID-19 has been, many of us have been spending more time in the kitchen. In case you want to support POC-owned businesses and up your cooking game with quality products at the same damn time, here is a roundup of 19 POC-owned businesses that sell incredible spices, sauces, and condiments. Instead of making a one-time purchase, consider regularly stocking your pantry with these items. Also keep in mind that due to the increased demand of Black-owned products in particular, some of these items may be sold out, be on preorder, or have delayed shipping. Please be considerate and patient when placing your orders, since businesses are trying to meet this increase in demand.
Sauces and Condiments:
1. Bas Baas Somali Foods
Hawa Hassan was born in Somalia, and her sauces are an homage to her family and culture. She uses vibrant ingredients like dates, tamarind, coconut, and cilantro to make sauces that are versatile in the kitchen.
Product to try:
Coconut Cilantro Chutney
Image Courtesy of Basbaas Foods
2. Omsom
Founded by two sisters, Vanessa and Kim Pham, Omsom brings “proud, loud Asian flavors to your fingertips.” They offer Omsom starter packs—which are basically kitchen shortcuts—for Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino dishes. Their starter packs combine all the sauces, aromatics, and seasonings you need, and they also provide recipes so you can customize with your own protein and vegetables.
Product to try:
Lemongrass BBQ Starter 3-Pack
Image Courtesy of Omsom
3. Loisa
Loisa is a Latinx-owned business, named for the Lower East Side barrio of downtown NYC, one of the hearts of local Latin cuisine. They offer organic sazon and adobo spice blends made with quality spices like oregano, cumin, coriander, achiote, and more. They also have ready-to-heat rice products that are ready in less than two minutes.
Product to try:
Organic Adobo, 2-Pack
Image Courtesy of Loisa
4. Trade Street Jam Company
Ashley Rouse has been a chef for more than 15 years and founded this Brooklyn-based company in 2008. Her vegan jams are fruit-forward and can be used in craft cocktails, BBQ sauces, glazes, and more. Once you realize you’re hooked, you can become a jam member to get auto-shipments, discounts, recipes, and first access to new products.
Product to try:
Plum and Rose Jam
Image Courtesy of Trade Street Jam Company
5. Shaquanda Will Feed You
Shaquanda is the drag persona of Andre Springer, who started this company as a way to incorporate food and flavor into his drag performances. Shaquanda’s Hot Pepper Sauce, inspired by Shaquanda’s Barbadian roots, launched in 2014. Aside from adding the mouthwatering hot sauce to your kitchen, your purchase helps to bring queer representation to the food industry.
Product to try:
Hot Pepper Sauce
Image Courtesy of Shaquanda Will Feed You
6. Cutino Sauce Co.
Cutino Sauce was founded by Jacob Cutino, who started selling sauces in farmers markets and small shops. Its reputation spread, and the company has expanded to include new varieties and products, like their habanero, chipotle, and jalapeño sauces. You can buy the sauces individually or in bundles, or you can sign up for a subscription.
Product to try:
Miso Hot Sauce
Image Courtesy of Cutino Sauce Co.
7. Fly by Jing
Made in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, China, Fly by Jing was created by Jenny Gao to share with us the flavors she grew up eating. The Sichuan Chili Crisp sauce is aromatic, savory, and has spices, mushrooms, and fermented soybean. Fly by Jing also sells a spice mix, dumpling sauce, and more on the site.
Product to try:
Sichuan Chili Crisp
Image Courtesy of Fly By Jing
8. Jones Bar-B-Q
For sisters Deborah and Mary Jones, barbecue is a way of life. They carry on their family legacy by making their family’s secret BBQ sauce from scratch daily at their restaurant in Kansas City, which was featured in an episode of Queer Eye. Their sweet and tangy BBQ sauce works well as a marinade or dipping sauce, and there’s also a coconut pineapple variety available!
Product to try:
Sweet & Tangy BBQ Sauce
Image Courtesy of Jones Bar-B-Q
9. Brooklyn Delhi
Founded by chef and cookbook author Chitra Agrawal, Brooklyn Delhi makes sauces and condiments inspired by Indian culinary traditions, with ingredients Agrawal finds around Brooklyn. Enjoy the chutneys, hot sauces, curries, and ketchup. The achaar is super flexible—try it with rice, pizza, pasta, soups, and more.
Product to try:
Roasted Garlic Achaar
Image Courtesy of Brooklyn Delhi
Spices:
10. Diaspora Co.
Diaspora Co. was founded in 2017 to create an equitable vision of the spice trade that pays farmers fair wages and highlights indigenous spice varieties made in India. Founded by Sana Javeri Kadri, Diaspora Co. works with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to provide ongoing support to farmers practicing regenerative and sustainable agriculture. They offer a range of spices including pepper, turmeric, cardamom, and more!
Product to try:
Sannam Chillies
Image Courtesy of Diaspora Co.
11. Essie Spice
Founded by Essie Bartels, Essie Spice offers spices and sauces inspired by Bartels’s West African roots and travels. She combines different flavors to make products like her Mekko Dry Rub, which offers a blend of Asian and West African spices.
Product to try:
Mekko Dry Rub
Image Courtesy of Essie Spice
12. Spicewalla
Founder Meherwan Irani has four restaurants, one bar, and now a spice line. He personally manages the sourcing, selection, and grinding of spices, and the recipes draw upon generations of Indian cooking.
Product to try:
Blackening Rub
Image Courtesy of Spicewalla
13. Chef Will Coleman
Will Coleman is a chef and entrepreneur from Detroit. He enjoys cooking fresh foods with bold flavors, and his spice line can help you do just that. Aside from the Hibachi Nights Spice Blend, he also offers other options, including variety spice packs.
Product to try:
Hibachi Nights Spice Blend
Image Courtesy of Chef Will Coleman
14. My Fabulous Food
Chanel Murphy is the founder of this gourmet seasoning and artisan sea salt line. She offers a wide range of salts including black truffle sea salt and Hawaiian black lava sea salt, and also sells salt-free spice blends. In addition to her own products, she offers Black and Gourmet, a luxury subscription box containing a variety of specialty food products by Black-owned companies!
Product to try:
Red Wine Sea Salt
Image Courtesy of My Fabulous Food
15. Chef Curl Ardee
Based out of Atlanta, Rachel started Chef Curl Ardee to create seasonings for people who want low- or no-sodium options. All of her spice blends are either low in sodium or salt-free without compromising flavor. You can build your own spice bundles or select from her cajun, jerk, and lemon-and-herb seasonings.
Product to try:
Cajun Seasoning
Image Courtesy of Chef Curl Ardee
16. Z&Z
Z&Z is a family-owned company that started as a farmers market stand selling Middle Eastern street food. They work with Palestinian farmers to make za’atar with wild thyme sourced from the mountains of Jenin, Palestine. Aside from offering za’atar and sumac, they also have za’atar manoushe, which is a ready-to-eat flatbread.
Product to try:
Z&Z Za’atar
Image Courtesy of Amazon
17. Fit Men Cook
Food and fitness entrepreneur Kevin Curry is the man behind Fit Men Cook, the super-popular cooking app of the same name. Curry recently launched his spice line with flavors inspired by his Southern upbringing and travels. He offers six different spice flavors, which you can also purchase as a bundle.
Product to try:
Southern Creole Spice Blend
Image Courtesy of Amazon
18. Golde Turmeric Latte Blend
Trinity Mouzon Wofford founded Golde with her partner, Issey Kobori, in 2017, with the mission of bringing good vibes to the wellness industry. This Brooklyn-based brand makes face masks, matcha and latte kits, and latte spice blends. Their best-selling Turmeric Latte Blend is made with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, and coconut milk powder and contains 30 servings per package.
Product to try:
Original Turmeric Latte Blend
Image Courtesy of Golde
19. Bounty and Full
Bounty and Full was founded by Kelis Rogers (yes, superstar goddess “Milkshake” Kelis). She personally sources ingredients for her sauces and draws inspiration for the flavors from her culinary experience, education, and travel. She has everything from jams, sauces, and glazes and also sells Gold Mine Boxes, which include an assortment of sauces, condiments, and spices. If you agree with the website’s tagline that “everything is better smothered, dipped, or poured,” you’ll definitely want to bookmark the shop—while it’s totally sold out right now, they’re hoping to restock soon.
Product to try:
Jerk Sauce
Image Courtesy of Bounty and Full