History of Nativo Spices
Traditional Argentine cuisine features bold combinations of herbs and spices in iconic dishes such as Asado, chimichurri, empanadas, and others. Katriel Menéndez (Argentine Chef) enjoys sharing his passion for this culture by teaching others how to prepare traditional dishes and incorporate cultural flavors into everyday cooking. However, many people do not have the time to prepare traditional foods from scratch.
One day, Argentine Chef's mom called to ask how she could season the chicken.
This was probably the tenth time she had asked for the same advice, but this time her question sparked the idea for what would eventually become Nativo Condiments & Seasonings (today, Nativo Spices).
Katriel Menéndez needed a way to make his mother's life, and his, a little easier. That's when he realized: making traditional flavors accessible to modern families would require simplifying the preparation process to accommodate a busy lifestyle.Nativo Spices products do just that.
Nativo Spices offers a line of spices designed by a professionally trained Argentine chef for use by busy families who want to enrich their meals with flavor. Each of the blends is the chef's interpretation of a seasoning combination used in traditional Argentine cuisine.
The first major hurdle the Argentine chef had to overcome was finding the perfect balance of flavors for each blend. For example, chimichurri is a well-known condiment, but the Argentine chef aspired to design a unique version of this beloved classic. Over time, he developed an exclusive recipe that captures the flavor of the best Argentine-style chimichurris.
Nativo Spices sold chimichurri and other seasoning blends for the first time in November 17th 2017, after a year of testing and perfecting. This was the first time a business used seasonings to share Argentine culture with families in the United States.
The Argentine chef named the business "Nativo Spices" because the Spanish word "nativo" translates directly to the English word "native." This helps convey the company's commitment to creating healthy products with natural ingredients.
The seasoning blends are formulated with natural ingredients , non-GMO, and non-MSG ingredients. They include no preservatives or dyes and are gluten-free. Nativo Spices' spice blends are not salt-based like many other seasonings. Instead, each blend enhances the flavor of a dish with a complementary combination of healthy herbs and spices.
These seasonings come ready to apply. Each blend was inspired by a particular Argentine dish but can be applied anywhere. A dash of Nativo Spices seasoning is an easy way to enhance the flavor of almost any meal.
In 2022, three new products were launched, related to the culinary experiences that chef Katriel Menéndez has gained in each of the trips he has made to learn about and incorporate flavors from other cultures into the already traditional flavors of his native country.
Today, Nativo Spices caters primarily to the Washington D.C. area communities. Although current operations are locally focused, families can purchase Nativo Spices products online and have them shipped anywhere.
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