Caribbean people have an unmistakable gift for infusing spice, heat, and flavour into every occasion, and our island cuisine is no exception!

Hot sauce might be our ‘go-to’ condiment, but many producers across the region have also started introducing a wide variety of tropical ingredients into other types of sauces, dressings, seasonings, and marinades.

Five leading Caribbean food brands are excited to be sharing what they have to offer in the competitive sauce and condiment market at the world’s biggest food fair, ‘SIAL Paris 2022’.

Naledo Belize Ltd, Sishado from Suriname, Vincyfresh Ltd, Flauriel from St Kitts and Nevis, and Barbados’ Superb Blend, are all exhibiting at the major event from 15-19 October with the support of the Caribbean Export Development Agency and the European Union.

SIAL Paris 2022 brings together thousands of producers, importers, buyers, and retailers to network and connect. This prestigious platform will offer these Caribbean agro-processors the ideal chance to show how their products can satisfy the public’s growing interest in Caribbean-inspired flavours, while also ticking the healthy living box.

According to Statista, the global sauces and condiments market is currently worth $227.90bn (US) and is expected to grow annually by 5.78% from 2022-2027. A key factor behind this growth is the consumers’ desire for more tasty, nutritious food.

Naledo Belize is uniquely positioned to capitalise on the upward trajectory for natural sauces and condiments as the world’s first producer of wildcrafted, whole-root turmeric.

The company’s flagship product, ‘Truly Tumeric’, has won countless awards, along with admiration and recognition for its proven health benefits, coupled with the versatility of the product which enhances any meal.

Naledo is managed by mother and daughter team Umeeda and Nareena Switlo. They started the business in 2016 and have focused on keeping their product line as simple as possible, with the contents list containing only whole root turmeric, cold pressed coconut oil, fresh lime juice, and sea salt. The black pepper version incorporates pepper that is cultivated in Belizean forests.

In addition, Naledo is run as a social enterprise that works directly with over 300 small-scale growers based in Toledo, Belize to ensure they are paid a fair price. The company is also a certified B Corporation which means it has met strict social and environmental standards in relation to performance, accountability, and transparency.

Naledo’s ‘Truly Turmeric’ paste is currently sold in over 1,000 retailers in Canada, America, UK, and Europe and online and attracts followers from all over the world who enjoy its deep flavour.

In Suriname, Sishado sauce is a household name renowned for its consistent quality and taste.

Produced by family-owned company, Gom Food Industries NV, Sishado was started in 1996 by mother and son Yvonne and Kenneth van Gom, who based their sauce on Yvonne’s homemade recipe, and initially started bottling the product out of a small shed.

Sishado soon proved popular among family, friends, and acquaintances and was then introduced to the Surinamese public in 1997.

Gom Food Industries quickly expanded within the local market before branching out with exports to the Netherlands, Aruba, and Curacao. Sishado also started exporting to Guyana in 2011, Antiqua in 2014 and French-Guyana in 2016 and has plans to move into more Caribbean and European markets.

Sishado sauces and marinades come in eight different varieties. They are gluten-free, suitable for vegetarians, and do not contain any artificial sweeteners.

Vincyfresh Ltd (a subsidiary of Winfresh Limited) prides itself on offering authentic, high-quality products “filled with the rich history of the Windward Islands”.

Managed by Vincentian entrepreneur Shelly-Ann Fraser, Vincyfresh produces small batch sauces, marinades, and jellies made from familiar island ingredients such as jalapeño pepper, mango, ginger, and passion fruit.

The brand works with farmers all over the region to transform their produce into condiments that give every dish a splash of Caribbean colour and taste. The Vincyfresh range goes particularly well with crackers, chips, and breadsticks.

The Flauriel food brand will also be on display at SIAL Paris 2022. Produced by Kittian entrepreneur Anastasha Elliott, Flauriel is a vegan and organic label which includes ketchup, jams, jellies, and salad dressings.

Every single product is methodically handmade by an all-female team who use traditional extraction and infusion techniques which have been passed down through generations.

The ingredients list is easy to understand and features various fruit and superfoods including coconut, sorrel, soursop, guava, hibiscus, and mango.

Jay Enterprise Inc is a Barbadian-based, family company offering a wide variety of traditional and gourmet condiments, sauces, wet and dried seasonings, and marinades, under the Superb Blend brand.

The Superb Blend range draws on a rich heritage of Caribbean recipes that have been handed down through five generations by the beloved matriarch of the family, Grandma Marjorie.

All Superb Blend products, which include spicy mango chutney, zesty onion relish, and tangy Carambola sauce, are made with the health-conscious consumer in mind and therefore contain less sugar than similar food items.

The Superb Blend offers customers “authenticity and convenience”, as well as a touch of nostalgia as the flavours take you back to Grandma’s kitchen, where the food was served with love, and always tasted good.