May 1 is always a momentous marker on the calendar, but the one just passed had special significance. For sure it's the day that annually commemorates the struggles and gains made by the labor movement. Historically it was the day the U2 plane was shot down over Russia, the polio vaccine was made available to the public and the Empire State building was dedicated. And because this year it fell on a Monday, it was also the night of the Met Gala, the annual bash that celebrates all things related to fashion.
But that all pales in relation to the really big news that broke. Not about JP Morgan buying First Republic, the latest attacks in Ukraine or even that the Super Mario Brothers Movie became the 10th animated film to earn $1 billion. In an announcement that all but flew under the radar, Costco confirmed that their food courts will once again stock chopped onions.
As with many things, the all-you-could eat topping was a victim of a combination of factors, with the pandemic and supply chain issues topping the list. There was angst from the huddled masses at the removal, a groundswell of support for its return, and hosannas when the news finally broke. But it pointed to a passion that many of us harbor: often it is not about the food, but about the condiment.
After all, a slice of pizza isn't complete unless it is obscured under a heavy sprinkling of hot peppers, garlic, oregano and heaps of parmesan. A bowl of chili is barely consumable until it is piled with a covering of jalapenos, hot sauce and grated Colby. And while the aforementioned onions were usually directed at the Kirkland All-Beef frank that was the base, I for one don't consider a hot dog worthy of consumption unless it sports mustard, relish and sauerkraut. And then it is very worthy indeed.
Each of those toppings fits the technical requirement for a condiment as opposed to an ingredient. In general that means it goes on top of food after it is cooked to enhance or supplement the flavor. While often a sauce-like preparation, it can be any liquid or solid that is its own foodstuff. That's not to say that a condiment can't be used in cooking: soy sauce can be part of a marinade, or mayonnaise can be used in macaroni salad. Another view comes from Pizza Loves Emily's executive chef Matt Hyland, who says that consistency helps to define it: "A condiment needs to be thinner than guacamole but no thicker than ranch." The consensus and defining characteristic seems to be that if the consumer adds it to the dish as opposed to the cook, it generally makes the cut.
And sprinkle/pour/slather/dribble it on we do. The total US market is about $200 billion and expected to grow at more than 5% a year. Put on a more personal scale, every man woman and child in the country spends about $31 a year on toppings, and that's expected to double to about $64 by 2027. Any way you look at it, that's a lot of ketchup on your burgers.
But while the aforementioned tomato king is part of the Big Five which are the bedrocks of the category (mayonnaise, ranch, ketchup, hot sauce and mustard), growth is expected to be in international flavors. With Sriracha showing that there is room on the table next to Hellmann's and Heinz, we're seeing new and more exotic accents grabbing for a toehold. There's Poi Dog Guava Katsu, a Hawaiian inspired thick brown sauce with the sweetness of guava. Or Epis, a green, herbaceous, sharp and spicy sauce best described as the Haitian equivalent of Argentinian chimichurri. Or Chili Crunch, a blend of Mexican chiles, fried garlic and shallots, sesame seeds, and shiitake powder. That there is a world of flavor in your mouth.
Whether any of these will elicit the fandom that occurred with the Costco crowd remains to be seen. In the meantime, visitors to that establishment will once again be able to top their dogs as they wish, save for the fact they will now have to request an individual cup of chopped onions vs. self-serve as before. The same, yet different: and so the next battle begins.
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford is a spicy brown mustard guy. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online a, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
No comments:
Post a Comment