By Nicole Potenza Denis

Rubs and spice blends give grilled items personality. They enhance flavor and often do not add fat, creating a healthy cooking option.

With grilling being one of the most popular activities among specialty food consumers—40 percent say barbecuing is one of their favorite leisure activities, according to Specialty Food Magazine’s Today’s Specialty Food Consumer 2005—the demand for rubs and spice blends is booming. As grilling becomes a year-round indoor and outdoor activity, these products have become pantry staples.

Adventurous and Experimental
Today’s specialty food consumer is adventurous and experimental. Mintel International Group, a U.K.-based market research firm, says the following attributes are driving the seasonings category: quality and traditional value; authenticity; seasonings for foods from an expanding variety of ethnic origins; new and ethnic seasonings; hot/spicy mixtures and seasonings for healthy foods. Mass-market brands such as Baltimore, Md.’s McCormick & Co. and Melrose Park, Ill.’s Mrs. Dash are good indicators that the grilling phenomenon is driving seasoning and rub sales; these companies have added new lines geared specifically toward grilling. Mintel reports that sales of McCormick & Co.’s Grill Mates grew by almost 23 percent from 2003-2004; sales have more than doubled for the brand since 2000.

“Retailers used to devote space to barbecue sauces,” observes Lisa Brown, director of public relations, Old World Spices & Seasonings, Kansas City, Mo. “Now they are making room for rubs because they, and their customers, understand them.”

What’s in a Rub?
Steven Raichlen, host of the television show BBQ University and author of Barbecue Bible, Sauces, Rubs and Marinades, Bastes, Butters & Glazes defines a rub as a mixture of herbs and spices used to season meat (or seafood, tofu, vegetables and even fruit) before cooking. Rubs can be sprinkled on and massaged in, hence the name. They can function as a seasoning added a few minutes before cooking or as a cure, left on for a minimum of four hours or overnight.

“A good basic rub will have a sweet component, heat and a fruity or earthy balance, which usually comes from paprika,” says Raichlen. “Rubs are essential seasonings that give ordinary grilled fare distinction, providing character and a flavorful crust.”

Before the advent of refrigeration, food needed to be cured, brined or marinated in order for it to travel well—some type of rub was practically a necessity. Today, consumers are using rubs and brines to add healthy flavor. Some manufacturers are reducing the salt in their seasonings, developing innovative flavors such as Old World Spices’ Tequila Lime. Rubs, when used dry without the addition of oil, add flavor without extra fat. The blending of honey, citrus juice or oil with a rub will create a paste that better adheres to grilling items, adding flavor dimensions.

Classic American Flavors
A rub’s territory is often defined by its ingredients. Cajun blends with onion, garlic, thyme and cayenne are indicative of Louisiana flavors; Southwestern rubs have Mexican influences such as cumin, chili powder and chipotle; the Caribbean is known for spicy and pungent jerk seasonings. “Americans are rediscovering classic regional U.S. flavors while at the same time the globalization and Latinization of American culture is introducing them to everything from Cuban Mojo to Moroccan spices,” notes Raichlen.

More rubs are going global. “One of the best ways to explore other cultures is through food and spice,” says Nirmala Narine, owner of Nirmala’s Kitchen, Inc., Long Island City, N.Y., whose top-selling spice blends include Punjabi Tandoori Masala and Moroccan Tagine.

With knowledge comes purchasing savvy. “People are becoming sophisticated; they understand more about spices and where they come from,” says Richmond Tracy, brand manager, Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen. The company’s specialty line, introduced in 2002, includes its popular Bengal Masala Rub, a blend of coriander, cardamom and clove; Tokyo Rub, blending sesame seeds, hot chilies and flakes of dried seaweed; and Chinese 12 Spice Rub with flavors of cardamom, fennel, star anise and citrus. The newest flavors—African Peri-Peri Rub and a Cold-Smoked Paprika—were partly inspired by customer requests.

“Flavors are all over the board when it comes to rubs and seasonings. We do not introduce a flavor unless it is versatile enough to use on the four basic proteins,” says Susan Eriksen, owner, Char Crust, Chicago, whose best-selling Roasted Garlic Peppercorn Rub with hints of lavender is appropriate for beef, pork, fish or chicken.

Personalize It
Retailers are reaping the benefits from customers who prefer to mix their own spice concoctions. Personalized rubs mean burgeoning bulk salt and spice sales, especially in the summertime when television grilling shows are at their peak.

Marc Lamaze, e-commerce manager, Surfas, a Culver City, Calif., retailer, reports high sales of cumin and large quantities of salt during the summer. Other popular spices included in rub mixtures are Szechuan peppercorns, Chinese 5 Spice Powder, chipotle, ginger and garlic powder. Lamaze notes that people who make their own blends will pay a little extra for an exotic ingredient, such as truffle honey or a tropical fruit vinegar to kick up the mix.

Retailers are also creating an identity with private-label rubs and spice blends. Mintel estimates that sales of private-label seasonings through FDM (Food, Drug and Mass Merchandisers) accounted for approximately 14 percent of total sales within the category.

“Private label means supplying a local or regional food chain with its own specialty food retail line—it is no longer associated with ‘generic,’” says David Maples, director of private-label sales, Old World Spices and Seasonings. Maples points out a trend toward private-label rotisserie-type rubs and clients who are revamping their mixes to reflect a cleaner product, eliminating things like MSG. Retailers with private-label lines are trying to get away from only merchandising in the spice aisle; secondary placement in the meat or produce departments means less direct competition with national brands.

The usage of in-house seasonings and marinades in the meat case makes items from lamb to poultry stand out. Yorktown, N.Y., Turcos’ most popular seasoning for pork, beef or lamb is called Mediterranean, made of olive oil, garlic, herbs and sun-dried tomatoes. In the summer months, teriyaki-marinated beef and chicken are popular.

The meat case at a Whole Foods in New York City has more than three feet of pre-rubbed and spiced meats—everything from house-herbed rubbed rack of lamb to lemon pepper New York strip steak. Butchers boast that they turn the entire prepared meat section two or three times a day.

Spice and rub manufacturers recommend pre-seasoning or rubbing items in the meat case so customers get exposed to different flavors; it also makes for an attractive display with ready-to-cook items. “Pre-seasoning meats in the case and displaying retail rubs is a fabulous way to make your meat counter stand out,” says Char Crust’s Eriksen.

Some retailers, like Ramey’s Price Cutters, an independent chain in southwestern Missouri, merchandise Char Crust rubs as a value-added item in the service meat case. With eight bulk flavors on hand, butchers will season customers’ cuts of meat to order.

Cocoa Nibs, Coffee and Green Tea
There are certain ingredients that everyone is buzzing about, creating new flavor profiles for grilled items. Green tea, touted for its antioxidant properties, is popular on grilled fish and shellfish. Surfas reports high sales of its custom-made Green Tea Rub which has hints of citrus. The media attention behind chocolate coupled with a need to market rubs toward women has inspired Diva Chocolates of Clackamas, Ore., to create rubs that contain unsweetened cocoa powder and cocoa nibs. “More women are starting to experiment with seasonings and are doing the barbecuing themselves,” says Heather Wyse, co-owner. “We are going after the female chocolate lover.” The company’s 3-ounce tins have a clear top to show the rubs and are accented with a delicate “chocolate” wax seal. Popular flavors include Mocha Java Steak Rub with brown sugar, cocoa powder, cayenne and cinnamon, and Orange Chocolate Chicken Rub with orange peel, lemongrass, sweet paprika and cocoa nibs.

“Rubs and seasonings are only limited by your imagination,” says Raichlen, whose Java Rub, inspired by the Red Eye gravies of the American South, has a cocoa and coffee base. With more consumers grilling their entire meals—from appetizers through dessert—fruits are getting some grill time. Raichlen’s new Dessert Rubs made with sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and spices complement grilled pineapple while Urban Accents Tropical Hibiscus Sea Salt finishes grilled fruits or vegetables with an inviting pink hue.

A Year-Round Sport
Grilling may be a year-round activity but what consumers are cooking impacts what grill accompaniments they purchase. “We definitely see a seasonal pattern,” says Lamaze. “From Memorial Day to Labor Day, we sell a lot of spices and rubs; after that, brine mixtures pick up, followed by specific rubs for poultry. Super Bowl spikes sales in cayenne, chili powder and cumin.”

And while men still do most of the grilling, women often do the buying, mainly for gifts. “We sell a lot of gift packs to female consumers,” says Jason Kent, marketing manager for Urban Accents.

As the grilling season has expanded indoors, grilling accompaniments have become a year-round purchase. Whether unusual or traditional, rubs and seasonings make great gifts, are popular in gift baskets, and are a great way to introduce new flavors into everyday meals.

Nicole Potenza Denis is senior editor of Specialty Food Magazine.