INDIA'S NEW TASTEMAKERS

From handcrafted sauces, global spice blends to reimagined pantry staples, the condiment market is having a flavourful renaissance. Brands, in turn, are turning up the heat with innovation, reach and diverse product portfolios

- VAISHALI DAR

MAKE A QUICK visit to the pantry aisle at any local store and you will get to see gochujang bottles sitting next to tamarind paste, peri-peri spices rubbing shoulders with garam masala, and artisanal hot sauces blending Indian chillies with Mexican recipes—not to forget miso, harissa, sumac and za’atar, which have now become desi kitchen essentials.

From global gourmet shelves to Indian pantries, condiments are having a flavourful renaissance. Once confined to the familiar realm of ketchup, mustard, or the classic achar, these preparations have now become as varied and inventive as the demands of the modern palate.

On the shelf

With innovation comes variety—and with variety, the pantry becomes a playground. There’s a new wave of culinary creativity reshaping how consumers experience flavours as more brands enter the realm of handcrafted sauces, global spice blends, and reimagined pantry staples.

Last year, Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, introduced two elegant pantry items—an apricot spread and orange blossom honey, alongside her core collection of herbal teas, crepe mix, and flower sprinkles. In the US, actor Glen Powell launched Smash Kitchen at Walmart, offering classic condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayo, and BBQ sauce, elevated with clean-label ingredients like cage-free eggs and organic California tomatoes.

Back home, too, celebrities are helping popularise bold global flavours. While actor Janhvi Kapoor champions gochujang noodles on Instagram, Ranveer Singh continues to endorse Ching’s Secret. Homegrown brands are also rethinking traditional condiments to introduce products like smoked tomato chutneys, jackfruit and mushroom pickles, and gunpowder blends in sauces reformulated for global palates and longer shelf lives.