Two trendy superfoods star in the newest offerings from Numi Organic Tea. The Oakland, Calif.-based brand unveiled turmeric golden latte and premium matcha blends at the Summer Fancy Food Show, held June 26-28 in New York.
Available in turmeric chai and turmeric cocoa varieties, Numi’s golden latte blends feature fair trade organic turmeric, black pepper and ground spices such as cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. The blends may be mixed with milk or a non-dairy alternative and enjoyed warm or iced. The new premium matcha blends are made with stone-ground green tea sourced from a family farm in Shizouka, Japan. Varieties include ceremonial matcha and citrus matcha, flavored with lemongrass and orange peel.
The products represent the brand’s first foray into loose powder tea blends. The golden latte varieties are an extension of Numi’s line of bagged turmeric teas, which debuted in 2014.
“Numi established the turmeric tea category,” said Michelle Bushneff, digital marketing and PR manager for Numi. “We have a 57% share in the category right now. Golden milk is a drink that’s been used in Ayurvedic and Indian cultures forever. It’s new and trending in this country, but there was not anything on the market at Numi’s level that was a mix to make the latte. People made it by buying the separate ingredients.”
Touted as an anti-inflammatory, turmeric is trending at top speed. Interest in the ingredient rose 56% from November to January this year, according to Google search data. Top associated keywords, including “powder,” “root,” “ground” and “golden milk,” suggest Americans are curious about how to consume turmeric, Google said in a report.
“We tend to be more at the forefront of trends,” Amanda Steele, senior vice-president of marketing for Numi, told Food Business News “It’s a combination of intuition and we’re lucky to live in the Bay Area, where it’s a foodie-driven culture. Our founders have been in the tea world for many years. They’ve also built relationships with suppliers that help us see where things could be going and bring new ingredients to market.”
Founded in 1999 by brother and sister team Ahmed Rahim and Reem Rahim, Numi offers a wide assortment of bagged and loose-leaf teas with distribution in natural, conventional and mass merchandise retailers nationwide and in more than 30 countries. All of Numi’s products are made with organic, fair trade ingredients and never any sweeteners, flavorings or perfumes. Products are packaged in recycled-content containers and non-G.M.O. verified biodegradable bags.
Numi’s move into matcha was spurred by the success of its green tea varieties. Matcha is associated with a high antioxidant content, earthy flavor and bright green hue.
“Matcha has been growing significantly, 69% in the past year,” Ms. Steele said. “You see matcha flavors in all kinds of products. Consumer demand for matcha as a flavor is really growing, and we thought we could bring something unique with this great quality and knowing the origin we’re buying from and the unique blend from the citrus.
“You can drink it with hot water, cold water, in a latte, in a smoothie. You can use it in recipes. That’s what’s nice about the format of being loose powder, it’s versatile. You can customize it and use it in all types of different ways together.”
Both products are slated to debut on retail shelves beginning this fall.