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Community Corner

Try A New Sauce—It's 'Bitchin'!'

A local sibling duo bring a new vegan, gluten-free sauce to the market.

If you’ve been going to the market for a while now, you have probably noticed a new product in town. Well, with a name like “Bitchin’ Sauce,” it’s hard not to notice!

Locally-based owners Ryan Smith and Starr Edwards are a dynamic brother-sister duo. They were raised by a very health-conscious mother who introduced them to vegetarianism and raw foods early in their childhoods. Even though the pair does eat meat and dairy today, they still appreciate quality, wholesome food as close to its natural state as possible.

As personal chefs, Smith and Edwards were familiar with ingredients that would work well together in a vegan sauce. When they developed their vegan, gluten-free and almond-based sauce, they realized there was nothing else like it. It wasn't quite like hummus, but it wasn't runny like salad dressing, either, they said.

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“Well we were like, ‘How do we describe this?’” Smith said. “It’s totally vegan, but it’s got this creamy non-vegan consistency. And it tastes amazing. So there was only one way to describe it—bitchin’.”

Smith said the name has helped draw a wide range of people—including carnivores who may shy away from vegan foods—to try their sauce. But if Bitchin’ Sauce is not exactly a hummus or a salad dressing, how do you enjoy this unique, flavorful condiment?

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“It’s a savory sauce,” Smith said. “You can use it as a dip, a spread or throw it over your favorite foods. Typically, how we eat it is over warm rice and beans, and top it with avocado, tomatoes, cilantro and jalapenos."

Smith said he also uses it as marinade because the almonds help retain the juice in meat. He does not recommend using it to sauté, though.

Edwards puts it over warm pasta for her kids. It creates a mac 'n' cheese consistency, she said—and what kid doesn’t like mac 'n' cheese? Parents can also feel good about serving up this dish because the sauce is nutritionally sound.

In fact, Smith has a fact sheet about the product that highlights the nutritional “all-stars.” Ready for all the goodness in one bottle of Bitchin’ Sauce? Here are just some of the benefits found in a selection of their natural ingredients:

  • Almonds: Rich in monounsaturated fats (the good kind), antioxidants and protein.
  • Grapeseed Oil: Oil with the lowest level of saturated fats but high levels of linoleic acid, which is linked to fight cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and more.
  • Nutritional Yeast: High in B Vitamins, which can treat anxiety and depression, help memory, boost energy and reduce risk of heart disease.
  • Lemons: High in Vitamin C and other cancer-fighting antioxidants.
  • Raw Garlic: Rich in anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-oxidant properties. Garlic helps lower blood pressure as well as control blood sugar and blood cholesterol. And, it boosts the immune system and fends off cancer.

Also, Smith said the ingredients in Bitchin' Sauce are alkaline-forming, which means they help alkalize the body’s pH, making it less acidic. This is beneficial because diseases can’t live in alkaline systems, she said.

As if all of these benefits weren’t enough, the Smith and Edwards point out that other sauces may come with artificial preservatives, but their Bitchin’ Sauce uses natural lemon juice with the grapeseed oil. The sauce will stay fresh for 14 days in the refrigerator.

Since starting at the Leucadia Farmers Market just two months ago, the pair's business has taken off—much to their surprise. They sell out every Sunday and they have even started selling at . Smith and Edwards attribute the success to health-minded locals.

“The Encinitas area just has the mentality for the product," Smith said. "They understand the ingredients, they understand the purpose behind it and they’re thrilled about it."

Bitchin’ Sauce is a great new product for vegans and those on gluten-free diets (the sauce is made in a gluten-free kitchen), but it’s really for anyone. So, carnivores, vegetarians, vegans, flavor-seekers, and all eaters, stop by the market and get your Original or Spicy Chipotle bottle this Sunday. When you try it, get ready to be blown away because this sauce is, as they say, “bitchin’!”

For more information about this product, visit bitchinsauce.com.

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