Every Choice Matters
In every step we take from farming our spices to final product, we carefully choose the best options, both to guarantee great flavours and clean products, but also to take extra care of our planet. Let's tell you how!
We are pioneers in taste
For over 100 years we have travelled the world to find the cleanest and most flavourful spices. And over the years we have learned so much! We know that there is a big difference between cinnamon and cinnamon. That it matters at what altitude the pepper is grown. And oregano that is grown in a small scale in Peru and has been cleansed thoroughly before it ends up in our spice jars, taste much better than other oregano. The choices we make don´t just affect how your dinner taste, it also matter in a much larger perspective.
Environment
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 75%
For us it is important that our food leaves a good aftertaste. We get our raw materials from around the world and sell our products in more than 25 countries. Therefore, we work hard to reduce our emissions throughout the whole chain. And since 2012, we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 75% in our own factories.
Heating and electricity from RENEWABLE SOURCES
We work actively to reduce our climate impact where energy consumption plays an important part. And we have come a long way! In Sweden we only use district heating from renewable sources, such as biogas. And since 2016 we use 100 % renewable electricity in our factories in Sweden, Estonia and Great Britain.
Content
More NATURAL FLAVOURS and less additives
Over the years, we have continuously reviewed the content of our spice blends. Since 2016, we have removed salt, sugar and unnecessary additives such as citric acid, yeast extract and artificial colours and flavours. Instead, our spice blends now contains pure spices and more natural seasonings.
We have removed 250 tons salt and 507 tons sugar
Taste is number one for us at Santa Maria, but equally important is your health. Therefore, we have reviewed the content of our entire assortment and since 2014 we have cleansed away a lot of unnecessary salt and sugar. Without, of course, reducing the good flavours.
Quality
100 % pure CINNAMON in your jar
Cinnamon is one of our oldest spices and comes from the dried inner bark of a tropical tree. Just like wine, Cinnamon get different characteristics depending on where it is grown. We grind all our Cinnamon ourselves in our own factories, which means that we can keep the god taste and quality, and also ensure that our spice jars contains 100% pure Cinnamon.
Our PEPPER always have the right quality
We visit our suppliers regularly to ensure that we only buy the finest raw materials. When we are in e.g India we do not only control that the Black Pepper in the farm has the right quality. We also make sure that the suppliers follow the high demands on social and environmental responsibility. All to be able to contribute to a sustainable supply chain, all the way from cultivation to store.
finest OREGANO with purest taste.
We always cleanse the Oregano carefully before it ends up in your spice jar. During cleansing, we remove all stems and sticks and what is left is the finest Oregano leaves. You can be sure that our Oregano is of the best quality since it has a nice greenish color and it is clean from stems and sticks. And you will definitely feel the difference in taste.
right QUALITY in your spice jar
Quality controls is an important part of our work. When we get a delivery we carefully control the raw materials. Among other things, we conduct tests of water, bacteria, essential oils and flavours. We also hire an outside laboratory for objective judgement and evaluation of our tests. After the quality controls the delivery is quarantined until the analyses are complete and the batch approved. Only after that the spice is ready to end up in your spice jar.
Taste
difference between CINNAMON and Cinnamon
Different kinds of Cinnamon bark comes from different types of wood and therefore the flavours differ. The most common Cinnamon is Cassia which has a sweet and full-bodied flavour with marzipan and almond elements. The more exclusive Ceylon Cinnamon is lighter in color and has a slightly milder, sweeter taste and delicate notes of wood, citrus and vanilla.
Pepper of many kinds
The larger the peppercorns, the longer they have been left on the pepper plant. The size of the peppercorn is of great importance to the taste and it is only the largest and finest pepper corns that is called Tellicherry. The flavour of our Tellicherry is intense but balanced, citrus-scented and with a warm aroma of wood and tea-tree oil.
Earthy ginger with notes of citrus
Just like wine, the origin influences the taste of Ginger. Our Ginger comes from the province of Yunnan in China and has a slightly milder, citrus-like flavour. The taste also differs between fresh and dried Ginger, where fresh ginger has clearer elements of citrus, fruit and perfume and dried Ginger has more earthy tones. Our ground ginger is finely balanced with notes of citrus, a wonderfully sweet taste and a little bitterness.
CEYLON CINNAMON from Madagascar
Our fine Ceylon Cinnamon, also known as real cinnamon, is grown in Madagascar (!). The tropical climate is perfect for the cinnamon tree to grow. Our Ceylon Cinnamon is light in colour and has a sweet and delicate flavour with notes of wood, citrus and vanilla. A real delicacy in the spice assortment.
Traceability
TURMERIC from southern india
Turmeric contains the substance curcumin and it has also been called “false saffron” due to it´s stong colour. We buy our ground Turmeric from Maharastra and Tamil Nadu in southern India and can guarantee a curcumin content of at least 3 %
BLACK PEPPER cultivated in Kerala and Karnataka
Black pepper from India has been considered the best since ancient times. Our Tellicherry Black Pepper is grown at several thousand meters altitude in the southwest of India. But it's not just altitude that is important when it comes to Pepper. Latitude and rainfall also matters. In the provinces of Kerala and Karnataka the conditions are perfect.
Perfect ginger conditions in China
Ginger grows best in protected, warm and humid conditions with filtered sunlight. It needs a lot of nutrition but sun and rain in just the right amount. All our Ginger comes from the province of Yunnan in the southwest of China. An area with perfect microclimate conditions to grow Ginger.
our organic OREGANO grows at 2300 m
In the mountains of Moquegua and Puqinai in Peru, we grow our organic Oregano. The air is clean and the temperature just right. The conditions is simply the best and oregano from this area are considered to be the best in the market. The Oregano is harvested by hand and the cultivation process is natural, completely without pesticides and where nature itself takes care of watering.