Spatini sauce mix facts for kids
Commercial-sized 15 oz. Spatini package
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| Type | Seasoning mix |
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| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Created by | Russell G. Lakoff and Harry Seidman |
| Invented | 1952 |
| Main ingredients | Salt, sugar, onion, potato starch, spices (including red pepper, turmeric, black pepper), corn maltodextrin, garlic, beet (color), dextrose, yeast extract, guar gum, and carrot |
Spatini sauce mix is a special dry powder that helps you make delicious Italian-style sauces. It's like a secret ingredient for spaghetti sauce! You can add it to things like crushed tomatoes and ground meat to create a tasty "spaghetti sauce." But it's not just for pasta! People also use Spatini mix to make dips, season meatloaf, or add flavor to meatballs.
This mix was first made in 1952. It contains common kitchen items like salt, sugar, and onion. It also has spices such as red pepper and black pepper. The mix gets its color from natural ingredients like beet and carrot. Spatini mix was originally made by a company called Spatini Co. Over the years, bigger companies like Unilever and McCormick Co. have taken over its production.
Contents
How Spatini Sauce Mix Started
Spatini spaghetti sauce mix was created in 1952. Two people named Russell G. Lakoff and Harry Seidman developed it. They started their business, Spatini Co., in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They sold the dry mix in boxes, usually with three packets inside.
The Spatini Co. also made other mixes, like a brown gravy mix. In 1962, they even tried selling a Spatini spaghetti sauce that already had tomatoes in it. However, this version was later stopped.
Changing Hands: From Spatini to Lawry's
In 1976, a company called Lipton bought Spatini Co. Lipton is part of a much larger company called Unilever. Lipton then took over making and selling the Spatini brand.
Around the mid-1980s, Unilever moved Spatini to another one of its companies, Lawry's. Lawry's continued to sell Spatini spaghetti sauce mix to people who wanted to cook at home. They also created new recipes using the mix for restaurants and other large users.
In January 2007, Lawry's stopped selling Spatini spaghetti sauce mix in regular stores for home use. But don't worry, it's still made! It's now mostly sold to restaurants and other big food businesses. In 2008, Lawry's (and Spatini with it) was sold to McCormick & Company, a huge company known for its spices.
What's in Spatini Sauce Mix?
The ingredients in Spatini sauce mix have changed a little over the years. Here's a look at some of the main things you'll find in it:
- Salt and sugar: These are common flavor enhancers.
- Onion and garlic: These add a savory, aromatic taste.
- Potato starch: This helps to thicken the sauce.
- Spices: These include red pepper, turmeric, and black pepper, which give the sauce its unique flavor.
- Corn maltodextrin and dextrose: These are types of sugars that add sweetness and texture.
- Beet and carrot: These are used to give the sauce a natural color.
- Yeast extract: This adds a savory, umami flavor.
- Guar gum: This is a natural thickener.
The exact order and amounts of these ingredients can vary slightly depending on when the mix was made.
How Spatini Mix Was Advertised
Spatini spaghetti sauce mix started using television ads more in 1964. Later, in 1969, they began a famous advertising campaign. They would sing the words "Spatini spaghetti sauce" to the tune of a well-known song called "La donna è mobile" from the opera Rigoletto. This helped many people remember the brand!
