Brooklyn Salsa Company
Encyclopedia
The Brooklyn Salsa Company is a Brooklyn, New York, based food company owned and operated by Rob Behnke and Matt Burns. The company sells five main flavors of salsa
named for the five boroughs of New York City
: Brooklyn ("The Hot"), The Bronx
("The Curry"), Queens
("The Tropical"), Staten Island
("The Green"), Manhattan
("The Pure"), as well as rotating seasonal flavors, including Sleepy Hollow
("The Harvest") and Tokyo
("The Sun").
The Brooklyn Salsa Company's salsas have been called "the closest you can get to homemade" by Martha Stewart's Whole Living Magazine. Kelly Choi
, host of Bravo's Top Chef Masters
and Time Out New York's Eat Out With Time Out, said "These salsas in a jar beat any salsa I've had fresh anyplace, anytime." Esquire Magazine wrote, "This salsa is smooth, definitely complex, a little tangy, and a lot tasty."
underground taco
delivery service in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, the brand quickly gained recognition through its support of alternative lifestyles and the DIY music community
. As the website Tasting Table said, "What started two years ago as a scrappy, bicycle-based taco-delivery service has become a local condiment juggernaut."
2010 marked the launch of the core line of Brooklyn Salsa in New York City grocery stores as well as stores along the East Coast
. In 2011, The Brooklyn Salsa Company began selling in stores across the United States
as well as in select cities in Canada
.
and quality in its packaged goods, The Brooklyn Salsa Company founded "Conscious Methods," an organized social movement
and market-based approach that identifies top standards for ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, and food consumption. Developed in 2009, the Conscious Methods system establishes strict sourcing requirements – including direct trade
with local
, organic farmers
– to locate the highest quality, field-fresh ingredients. The trademarked symbol is represented by three circles: the first containing a depiction of a tomato being passed between hands, which represents direct trade; the second containing the symbol of an "L" with radius lines, which represents "local"; the third containing a farmer riding atop a farm vehicle, which represents "organic farmers."
, a seventh generation family-owned farm certified organic by the Northeast Organic Farming Association
of New York (NOFA-NY). In existence since 1818, today Hepworth Farms is run and operated by Amy Hepworth, Gale Hepworth, and Gerry Greco. Hepworth Farms covers more than 600 acres with conscientious crop diversity
and solar powered facilities.
approach branded by The Brooklyn Salsa Company, and defined as "a state of existence, a constant blending and infusing of potent ingredients into your lifestyle, creating a mix, a way of doing things, that shines light on the world." Individuals whose lives seem to exemplify the "Salsa Powered" concept are often spotlighted by the company. Recent Brooklyn Salsa Company promotional materials have featured, for example, musicians Ryland Blackinton
and Zach Hill
, and Warped Tour
founder Kevin Lyman
.
Salsa Power uses inspirational key phrases – or, "Slammers!" – to expound upon holistic consciousness and consumption as pro-action. Slammers! are displayed on The Brooklyn Salsa Company's jar lids, accompanied by artwork by Brooklyn artist Matthew Craven. An example of a Brooklyn Salsa Company Slammer! is, "Take the Lid OFF!"
Salsa (sauce)
Salsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato based, hot sauces typical of Mexican and Central American cuisine, particularly those used as dips. In British English, the word typically refers to salsa cruda, which is common in Mexican ,...
named for the five boroughs of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
: Brooklyn ("The Hot"), The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
("The Curry"), Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
("The Tropical"), Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
("The Green"), Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
("The Pure"), as well as rotating seasonal flavors, including Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line.Originally...
("The Harvest") and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
("The Sun").
The Brooklyn Salsa Company's salsas have been called "the closest you can get to homemade" by Martha Stewart's Whole Living Magazine. Kelly Choi
Kelly Choi
Kelly Choi is the former host of Bravo TV's Top Chef spin-off, Top Chef Masters, which premiered on June 10, 2009...
, host of Bravo's Top Chef Masters
Top Chef Masters
Top Chef Masters is an American reality competition show currently broadcast on the cable television network Bravo. It is a spinoff of Bravo's hit show Top Chef. In the series, 24 world-renowned chefs compete against each other in weekly challenges...
and Time Out New York's Eat Out With Time Out, said "These salsas in a jar beat any salsa I've had fresh anyplace, anytime." Esquire Magazine wrote, "This salsa is smooth, definitely complex, a little tangy, and a lot tasty."
History
First introduced in 2008 as a local and organicOrganic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
underground taco
Taco
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety...
delivery service in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, the brand quickly gained recognition through its support of alternative lifestyles and the DIY music community
DIY ethic
The DIY ethic refers to the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them for one's behalf. It promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than he or she thought was possible...
. As the website Tasting Table said, "What started two years ago as a scrappy, bicycle-based taco-delivery service has become a local condiment juggernaut."
2010 marked the launch of the core line of Brooklyn Salsa in New York City grocery stores as well as stores along the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
. In 2011, The Brooklyn Salsa Company began selling in stores across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as well as in select cities in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Conscious Methods
To promote sustainabilitySustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
and quality in its packaged goods, The Brooklyn Salsa Company founded "Conscious Methods," an organized social movement
Social movement
Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change....
and market-based approach that identifies top standards for ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, and food consumption. Developed in 2009, the Conscious Methods system establishes strict sourcing requirements – including direct trade
Direct trade
Direct trade is a form of sourcing practiced by some coffee roasters, referring to direct sourcing from farmers, with standards varying between producers...
with local
Local food
Local food or the local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular...
, organic farmers
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
– to locate the highest quality, field-fresh ingredients. The trademarked symbol is represented by three circles: the first containing a depiction of a tomato being passed between hands, which represents direct trade; the second containing the symbol of an "L" with radius lines, which represents "local"; the third containing a farmer riding atop a farm vehicle, which represents "organic farmers."
Hepworth Farms
The largest grower of organic ingredients for The Brooklyn Salsa Company is Hepworth Farms in Milton, NY.Milton (town), New York
Milton is a town in Saratoga County, New York, USA. The population was 17,103 at the 2000 census. Some believe that the town was named after the poet, John Milton, while other sources state that it is a shortening of "Mill-town" for the early mill activity....
, a seventh generation family-owned farm certified organic by the Northeast Organic Farming Association
Northeast Organic Farming Association
The Northeast Organic Farming Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that promotes healthy food, organic farming practices, and a clean environment...
of New York (NOFA-NY). In existence since 1818, today Hepworth Farms is run and operated by Amy Hepworth, Gale Hepworth, and Gerry Greco. Hepworth Farms covers more than 600 acres with conscientious crop diversity
Crop diversity
Crop diversity is the variance in genetic and phenotypic characteristics of plants used in agriculture. Crops may vary in seed size, branching pattern, in height, flower color, fruiting time, or flavor. They may also vary in less obvious characteristics such as their response to heat, cold or...
and solar powered facilities.
Salsa Power
"Salsa Power" is a concept and marketingMarketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
approach branded by The Brooklyn Salsa Company, and defined as "a state of existence, a constant blending and infusing of potent ingredients into your lifestyle, creating a mix, a way of doing things, that shines light on the world." Individuals whose lives seem to exemplify the "Salsa Powered" concept are often spotlighted by the company. Recent Brooklyn Salsa Company promotional materials have featured, for example, musicians Ryland Blackinton
Ryland Blackinton
Ryland Blackinton is the lead guitarist for the band Cobra Starship. He is from Wilmington MA, but was born in South Kingstown Rhode Island on March 31, 1982. Before joining Cobra Starship, Ryland, along with high school best friend Alex Suarez formed the folk/pop duo This Is Ivy League...
and Zach Hill
Zach Hill
Zach Hill is a musician residing in Sacramento, California. Primarily known for his drumming, he performs/has performed in numerous Pacific Coast based groups, including his primary group, Hella, as well as Holy Smokes, Nervous Cop, and a diverse range of others including El Grupo Nuevo de Omar...
, and Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
founder Kevin Lyman
Kevin Lyman
Kevin Lyman is creator of a touring music and extreme sports festival called the Warped Tour, the Taste of Chaos, and the Mayhem tours. He also is a partner at SideOneDummy Records. He owns 4FINI which annually produces the above-mentioned tours as well as produced past tours such as the Down From...
.
Salsa Power uses inspirational key phrases – or, "Slammers!" – to expound upon holistic consciousness and consumption as pro-action. Slammers! are displayed on The Brooklyn Salsa Company's jar lids, accompanied by artwork by Brooklyn artist Matthew Craven. An example of a Brooklyn Salsa Company Slammer! is, "Take the Lid OFF!"