5 minutes with: Condiment Claire

Condiments are the unsung heroes of the kitchen. They give a lift to leftovers, pep-up food prep, and can take our tastebuds on a global culinary journey.

Claire Dinhut, whose enthusiasm for seasoning, spice and sauce has given her the moniker Condiment Claire, recently released The Condiment Book. Fuelled by passion and curiosity, it unveils the history of some of our best-loved ‘food fixers’, with plenty to inspire specialist retailers and their customers to use condiments in unique and intriguing ways.

So, what are the essentials? Let’s find out.

What’s behind your love of condiments? What inspired the book?

I just think condiments are all special on their own. They allow you to travel the whole world in a simple jar…to taste flavours you might not have experienced before, depending on where you’re from.

I’m a huge lover of all condiments, but I had no idea it was such a niche thing until I started on social media in Covid. My username is Claire From Where because my father is from a French family, my mum’s side is Greek, and I grew up in Italy and the States. I moved to Prague in the pandemic, then to London. All my online content is about these cultural differences and dishes.

When lockdown lifted, I started getting recognised on the street as Condiment Claire, and I realised there was this really important hole in the market to show appreciation of condiments. The sauces, the spices, the dips. It’s been a wild ride and not something I ever expected to do, but it’s amazing to think I can now say my job is condiments!

The book is a doodly, happy journal size. It takes you through all the condiments, and every chapter covers the history of that condiment, what it looks like across the world, how it’s used, what makes it interesting, and a basic recipe to make it at home. There’s some unexpected pairings in there too!

What’s one of the most fascinating things you discovered while writing the book?

Before writing the book I’d already done a deep dive into the history of condiments in my free time. I think one of my favourite facts is that in the Court of Versailles, to show power, the king would give out spoonfuls of jam to guests, as if to say ‘look, we can grow pineapples here, taste it on a silver spoon’.

You say our idea of what a condiment is in the UK is a bit skewed. So…what is a condiment?

There are so many things that ARE condiments, but people don’t understand that. So butter, or even anchovies. The word ‘condiment’ comes from the Latin ‘condire’ and it means anything that is there to enhance flavour, or to make ingredients taste delicious. If you’re cooking with butter, it’s not a condiment. But let’s say you have a beautiful piece of sourdough and you want to top it with some gorgeous butter, spread so thick you can see your teeth marks in it, it’s a condiment. Clotted cream on a scone? A condiment!

Why are condiments so important?

The fact that with just one product you can relive childhood memories is so compelling. It might be something comforting your mum used to make for you, or something you ate on a holiday. Also, they allow you to travel all four corners of the world, even if you can’t afford to fly. When you buy a jar, you can unlock that trip for yourself, recreate dishes you’ve always wanted to try, and expand your knowledge about foreign places. That’s so special.

Are you noticing any trends in condiments?

A lot of condiments go in and out of fashion. I hate to say it’s a trend, but at the moment chilli oil and Asian condiments are very popular on our side of the world. Popularity is great, it gets people to understand more about different places. But the idea of trendy condiments is interesting because it’s not a trend really. These ingredients are a way of life in the places they come from. Two years from now people might say about chilli oil ‘remember when that was a thing?’. I will say I think spicy condiments have always been popular – hot sauce, chilli jam, dried chilli flakes, those kinds of things.

Do you have any favourite condiments?

My favourites are connected to memories. My first ever solid food was a garlic anchovy. It wasn’t on purpose. I was sitting on my mum’s lap and she noticed I was reaching across the table to stuff one into my face! 

Also, I can’t live without Dijon mustard. My dad used to always put it on anything, and I still use a lot of it. It feels so comforting to me.

I love ponzu dipping sauce, salsa verde, and soy sauce too.

Oh, and I really love good French butter. That’s also so easy to make at home, since in the UK dairy is excellent quality. Homemade butter is so delicious.

As for brands, I’m a huge fan of Tingly Ted’s Hot Sauce, green Tabasco (which I love in guacamole and on my eggs), and Branston Pickle! I like a big chunk variety. It’s not a thing in the States, but I am a die-hard Branston Pickle fan.

Why should speciality retailers be investing time in getting condiments right?

I think because they appeal to a very large audience, in the sense that no jar of condiment will ever be as expensive as a six-course tasting menu, but people want to experience flavour. Stocking some good condiments, even if they’re on the pricier side, allows consumers to experiment, and means no two dinners need be the same, or boring. One condiment can go a long way. Choose things that are enticing and exciting!