Saha Sauces Heats Up The Specialty Foods Competition

By Nancy K. Crevier

Harissa is a condiment sauce commonly found of the tables in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, said Newtown resident Pam Ahtchi. Its main ingredient is hot chili peppers, and spices such as garlic paste, coriander, red chili powder, and caraway, blended in various ways, much as curry powders can be created from various spices to suit the individual chef. Ms Ahtchi has created her own proprietary blend of harissa and turned it into an award winning ketchup.

Harissa Ketchup, from her company Saha Sauces, a division of her extra virgin oil importing business Les Oliviers LLC, took second place at the 11th annual Connecticut Specialty Food Association competition, held March 8, at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville. Adding to her excitement, her Honey Dijon Vinaigrette was awarded a second place this year, as well.

Harissa Ketchup is the first condiment from Saha Sauces, a side business born out of a visit to the Sahara Desert this past December. “We were in Algeria visiting my husband’s family,” said Ms Ahtchi, “and decided to take the opportunity to see the Sahara. It was amazing. We went by canyons and mountains, and saw wild camels, and native people, the Berbers, selling their wares along the roadsides,” she recalled.

In the town where they stayed, there was an old world spice market with huge bins of different spices. “As I was looking at the beautiful spices in their natural states, each Berber merchant would lean over toward me and whisper, ‘Saha,’” she said, a word that embraces multiple meanings. “Saha can mean ‘hello,’ or it can mean ‘blessings,’ ‘good health,’ or ‘contentment.’ It can convey gratitude for life’s blessings and passions,” Ms Ahtchi explained. “Those ‘saha’ whispers started to ring in my ear,” said Ms Ahtchi, who has been a creator of food and recipes her entire life.

“When I see something, I’m always thinking to combine it in a new way,” she said.

She started thinking about the harissa condiment, which is very big in the food world now. “Spicy sauces, spicy condiments are very current. I told my husband, ‘We should try to perfect a harissa-based ketchup.’ It’s taking America’s favorite condiment and elevating it from ordinary to extraordinary,” she said. “I wanted to produce a ketchup that was bold with flavor, and all natural.”

What she came up with is a gluten-free product made from harissa and tomato paste, in which spices and sweeteners are balanced. The harissa recipe is her own, using fire roasted peppers and a special blend of spices. The product is sweetened with dark molasses, and with honey from her own hives.

It is more than just a zesty hamburger companion, though, she stressed. It can also be used as a mix-in. Harissa Ketchup can be combined with olive oil as a barbeque glaze, mixed into meatballs, or used as a braising sauce for salmon, for instance, said Ms Ahtchi. “The wonderful thing is that it’s a very healthy food, too, with only 22 calories in a tablespoon, and really high in antioxidants and lycopene from the tomato paste,” she said.

A member of Connecticut Specialty Foods, Ms Ahtchi has place in previous years in the annual competition for her honey packaging, and for her Belgium chocolate-covered dates, and Belgium chocolate sauce.

With the deadline for this year’s Specialty Foods competition the end of February, it did not leave her much time to perfect her new ketchup. “I didn’t want to rush it, but I knew it would be ready,” she said. Through Ms Ahtchi’s connections at Business Network International, she contacted Lisa Berko of Starlight Designs. Ms Berko was able to design the logo and packaging in time for the contest. “And it just happened,” said Ms Ahtchi.

Since she was already bringing the Harissa Ketchup to the competition, she decided it made sense to enter her Honey Dijon Vinaigrette. “This has been my recipe for 30 years, but I decided I would package it and try to sell it,” Ms Ahtchi said.

When she received notification that both the Harissa Ketchup and Honey Dijon Vinaigrette had placed second in their divisions, she was thrilled.

“I knew [the Harissa Ketchup] was a special sauce and hoped it would be recognized. I was thrilled to pieces,” she said.

Harissa Ketchup and Honey Dijon Vinaigrette from Saha Sauces will be available online at her website sahasauces.com by mid-April. Ms Ahtchi is currently marketing the products to area specialty food stores and will be at the Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C., this summer.

Harissa Ketchup and Honey Dijon Vinaigrette are only the beginning for Saha Sauces, said Ms Ahtchi. “I’ve already got an idea for a roasted vegetable relish that is in the works,” she said.