Embellish With Relish – Condiments, Preserves, Spreads and Honey

We are not all blessed with the culinary expertise that turns everyday ingredients into works of delectable art. That’s where condiments, preserves, spreads and honey come into play. Some dishes don’t just benefit from a bit of enhancement, they truly sing as a result of it! When was the last time you ate a humble bowl of chips without adding a little something extra? Our guess is it was tomato sauce, gravy, aioli or even some delicious gourmet relish. Beyond chips, there are countless dishes that beg to be elevated to higher flavour status with a little squirt or drizzle – or a dip – of a tasty condiment.

Accessorising dishes

Without condiments, preserves, spreads and honey, life might as well be presented entirely in black and white. Just as scarves, jewellery and makeup lift our outfits, so too do these knights in shining armour of the culinary world add extra oomph, extra pizzazz and extra light on the shade of what we eat.
In favour of flavour – snobbery abandoned

There was a time when food snobbery dictated that condiments, preserves, spreads and honey were unnecessary embellishments upon perfectly created dishes. Chefs were molly-coddled and indulged folk who would take great personal offence if a patron requested any modification to their order. But in more enlightened times, chefs understand that personal taste cannot be denied and custom requests are embraced and even encouraged.

The word ‘condiments’ refers to any foodstuff that is added as seasoning to improve, enhance or customise the taste of a dish. At the most basic level, we’re talking about ketchup, tomato sauce, vinegar and mustard. Think hot dogs, think chips, think divine comfort foods that we can kick up a notch to really drive the taste sensation home. At the other end of the scale are condiments that are created from expensive, rare ingredients. Who would deny any millionaire his elegant strands of saffron or his paper-thin sliced black truffle or even his extravagant caviar served from a pure silver spoon?

Preserves are concoctions of fruits, vegetables and spices that were traditionally used to turn an abundance of fresh produce into a year-round supply of delicious flavour hits. Jams, relishes, jellies and even whole fruits and vegetables were preserved for future use. In the middle east and the Mediterranean, preserved lemons have added zing to an enormous array of dishes for thousands of years. Preserved olives and pickled vegetables have long been favourites on Australian menus and dinner tables. And fruity preserves, whether sweet or savoury are the perfect accompaniment to breads, cheeses, curries and other delights.
Beyond Vegemite

Spreads such as jams, chutneys, tapenades and even flavour-packed pestos are undeniably popular. We Aussies are used to spreading thick, gooey stuff on our toast. Vegemite made sure of that. Then came peanut butter, jam and of course, butters and margarines. Now we are spoilt for choice, that’s for certain. Try some quince paste on pumpernickel bread or some basil and pine nut pesto on bruschetta.

And finally we come to honey, that ancient stuff of Gods, the golden treasure found – still edible – in Egyptian tombs. Sourced from an array of exotic species of trees and flowers, infused with smoky goodness or crystallised into heart-stopping sweetness, honey is used the world over in sweet and savoury dishes. The saying “it’s not just for breakfast anymore” has never rung truer.

Any retailer worth his salt (see what we did there?) will boost sales and profits – not to mention intrigue and satisfy tastebuds – with condiments, preserves, spreads and honey. The food service industry cannot live by bread alone either. A smear of yellowbox or a dollop of chutney go an incredibly long way towards creating a personalised experience.

For a list of some great wholesalers who can supply you with the some of the best relishes and condiments on offer in Australia visit our Condiments, Preserves, Spreads and Honey category