Two bottles that do the most work on a holiday table.
Samples, hi-res photography, prices and tested recipes for two clients. Everything below is cleared for editorial use. Take what you need.
Tamarind Heads
A BBQ sauce built on raw tamarind instead of tomato, which makes it a glaze rather than a slather. It caramelizes onto a ham or turkey instead of sitting on top of it.
Southern Living named Tamarind Heads its go-to sauce for summer, for grilled salmon, chicken wings, and basting a roast chicken. Syndicated to AOL and MSN.
Read the piece →The lineup
Original Bold
sofi Gold winnerThe one that started it all. Tart, tangy, smoky and sweet with just enough heat. The gateway for traditional BBQ lovers.
Equator Nectar
Turn it upA complex spicy-sweet blend that delivers serious heat without sacrificing depth. Built for heat seekers.
Spiced Honey
New · featured in Southern LivingThe newest and mildest. Subtle warm sweetness on the same clean tamarind base. The gateway for anyone new to tamarind.
Fast facts
| SKUs | Original Bold · Equator Nectar · Spiced Honey |
| Price | $12.99 · duo packs $23.38 |
| Made of | Six ingredients: tamarind, sesame, chili powder, brown sugar, salt, spices. Vegan, gluten-free, no preservatives or corn syrup. |
| In stores | The Fresh Market, 165 doors across 21 states · Central Market Texas-wide · Fairway NYC · DeCicco & Sons Upstate NY · a growing number of independent grocers |
| Online | tamarindheads.com |
| Founded | Launched June 2024 after five years of R&D. Began as an MBA project at Dartmouth. |
| Ownership | Minority, women and veteran-owned |
| Social | @tamarindheads · #TamarindHeads · #TasteTheFutureOfBBQ |
Why it works for holiday
- Tamarind caramelizes into a glaze on a ham or turkey rather than sitting on top of it.
- Three heat levels, so a roundup can pick a lane instead of hedging.
- Holds up on roasted root vegetables, which covers the vegetarian side of the table.
- Under $13 and shelf-stable for two years, so it works as a host or stocking gift.
The people
- Sashi Kumar, founder. Product, finance, ops. Indian-American.
- Brittney Lim, co-founder. Strategy and marketing. Chinese-Malaysian-American.
- Jim Giberson, co-founder, chief culinary officer. 20+ years; Blue Ginger and Blue Dragon with Ming Tsai. Veteran.
Credentials
- 2024sofi™ Gold Award, Best BBQ Sauce. Specialty Food Association. A three-person startup beat national brands in blind judging by chefs and industry experts.
- 2024McCormick & Co. Flavor of the Year: tamarind. The world's largest spice company named the hero ingredient, citing its tang, versatility and depth.
- 2026Southern Living named it the one barbecue sauce their editor would use all summer.
- 2026The Kitchn Best in Show and Editors' Choice at SFA Fancy Food, selected from over 1,100 vendors.
- 2025Martha Stewart Fancy Food trends · CNET 8 best of 17 tested · Food Republic · Boston Globe
Assets — direct download
Tested holiday recipes
- Tamarind-Glazed Holiday Ham · 5 min, built for TV timing
- Festive Brisket
- Quick Party Wings
- Glazed Root Vegetables
- The Tamarind-lada · for cocktail and entertaining pieces
Full method and ingredient lists on request. Happy to develop something specific to your piece.
For broadcast
Recent morning show rounds:
Ciao! Sicily
From volcanic soil to your table. Organic, non-blended Sicilian extra virgin olive oil from groves near Mount Etna, some trees over 250 years old. Bringing taste and joy to your food.
The lineup & prices
| Finishing Oil flagship | $22.99 |
| Infused, each | $12.99 · truffle, chili, basil, rosemary · aluminum cans |
| Infused Gift Pack | $39.99 · four-pack |
| Cooking Oil | $17.99 |
| Kitchen Set | $37.99 · finishing + cooking |
| Selezione | $45.99 · 100% organic single Giulia olive, early harvest, first cold pressed, hand-picked · 600+ mg/kg polyphenols |
| Merch | Apron $8.99 · trucker hat $9.99 · tees $15.99 · hoodie and sweatshirt $19.99 |
Why it works for holiday
- The gift tier is already built. Infused at $12.99 and the four-pack at $39.99 land exactly where foodie gift guides cluster.
- A finishing oil gets used at the table, not stored in a cabinet. That's what makes it a gift and not a pantry staple.
- Selezione at $45.99 covers the splurge slot in the same guide.
- Single-origin and non-blended, the real point of difference in a category full of supermarket blends.
Best uses
Finishing pasta · drizzling over pizza · bread dipping · salad dressings · finishing soups and vegetables. Anywhere pure olive oil flavor should shine. This is not a background ingredient.
Fast facts
| Where to buy | Online only, at ciao-sicily.com. Not yet in retail. Target placement is Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fresh Market and independent specialty grocers. |
| Launched | October 2023. Grew from 200 liters shared among friends to nationwide DTC. |
| Sourcing | Non-blended, single-origin. Volcanic soil, Mount Etna region. |
| Certifications | Organic and kosher [CONFIRM certifying agency] |
| US operations | Cornelius, North Carolina. Bottling, labeling and sealing in-house. |
| Social | @getciaonow |
2. "IGP organic certified." The press kit uses this phrase. IGP is a protected geographic-origin designation, not an organic certification. Two different things merged into one claim. It has already gone out to one reporter.
The story an editor can actually use
Americans consume about 1 liter of olive oil per person per year. Italy is 18. Greece is 21. The brand's own framing is that the US market isn't saturated, it's undereducated, and most Americans have simply never tasted real extra virgin olive oil.
Milton Vavassori started by hand-bottling oil from his family's grove near Mount Etna and giving a few hundred liters to friends. The reaction was always the same question: where can I buy this. That's the origin, and it's the piece worth pitching.
“Olive oil should taste alive. My goal is simple: bring Americans the real flavor of Sicily, exactly as it's meant to be experienced.”Milton Vavassori, co-founder
“This isn't just about selling olive oil. It's about changing perception and creating a category people finally care about.”Pedro Sega, co-founder
“Great design respects culture. Our role is to honor Sicily visually, without turning it into a cliché.”Daniel Manzi, creative director
The people
The Italian-American cook behind one of the largest food followings on the internet. Over 13 million on TikTok, more than 8 million on YouTube, 25 million-plus across platforms. Author of Italian/American: It's a QCP Cookbook, Betch! (DK / Penguin Random House, 2024) and host of The Angry New Jersey Cooking Show. Paper Magazine called him the Pasta King.
The local angle nobody has connected yet: Gianluca is from Charlotte, North Carolina, and grew up in his family's Italian restaurants there. Ciao's US bottling facility is in Cornelius, NC, twenty minutes up the road. This is a Charlotte story before it is a Sicily story.
- Milton Vavassori, co-founder. Sourcing and operations. Family grove near Mount Etna; heritage traces to Bergamo.
- Pedro Sega, co-founder. Brand, marketing, partnerships. 20+ years across multinational brands.
- Daniel Manzi, creative director. Trained in Rome and Madrid, 50+ international awards.
Assets — direct download
Recipes on file
- Sicilian Eggplant Caponata
- Focaccia
- Classic Basil Pesto
- Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
- Orange & Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
- Gorgonzola Olive Oil Spread
- Marinated Peppers
Full method and ingredient lists on request. Happy to develop something holiday-specific for your piece.
Want samples?
Tell me which brand, and for Tamarind Heads, your heat level. I'll get it out the same day. Recipes, additional photography and founder interviews all available.
PR & Communications | Big Smile Co.
brittney@bigsmile.co · bigsmile.co · @big_smile_co
Holiday 2026 · Last updated [DATE]