Bridging Continents for the Ultimate Chips
Bridging Continents for the Ultimate Chips
At Desi Flavors, our journey is fueled by an unwavering passion for banana chips, known in North America as plantain chips. Our inspiration? Kerala, India, where chips are a craft, delicately washed in turmeric and fried in coconut oil. But there was a challenge: chips imported from Kerala lost their zest during the lengthy voyage to America.
Determined to replicate this authentic taste, we embarked on a meticulous global quest. Our search spanned across Central and South America's renowned plantain-producing regions. In an exhaustive effort, we experimented with several plantain varieties from Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Honduras. Collaborating with experts in plantain research from agricultural universities in Asia and Europe, we scrutinized each variety, seeking one that truly captured Kerala's essence. This rigorous process, coupled with feedback from Kerala natives living in the United States, was pivotal in our pursuit of authenticity.
Our dedication led us to an acclaimed 60-year-old farm in Ecuador. Here, we found our prize: Organic plantains that perfectly matched Kerala’s! This discovery marked the birth of Desi Flavors. We could now offer Americans the authentic, fresh taste of Kerala-style chips, crafted with a commitment to quality and tradition.
As we share this delectable journey, our commitment extends beyond flavor; we're dedicated to giving back, allocating a portion of our profits to charity.
Our Research Partners
We've assembled a global team of agricultural experts with knowledge spanning food science, organic farming, plant genetics, and pre and post-harvest management techniques. We work with them to identify the latest trends and develop new products and improve existing offerings under Desi Flavors.
Dr. Mini Chandran
Kerala Agricultural University
Dr. Chandran is a Professor and the Head of Department of Post-Harvest Management at Kerala Agricultural University. Her fields of specialization include value addition in fruits and vegetables and tropical vegetable seed production.
Desi Flavors worked with Dr. Chandran on the scientific process and parameters to identify the best plantains.
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Dr. Rodomiro Ortiz
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Dr. Ortiz is the Chair Professor of Genetics and Plant Breeding at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and holds both a BSc-Biology and MSc-Plant Breeding & Statistics from the UNALM (National Agricultural University of Peru) and a PhD-Plant Breeding & Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA).
Dr. Ortiz helped Desi Flavors identify plantains in South America with similar characteristics to Asian plantains, particularly 'nendran'. Furthermore, Dr. Ortiz helped with incorporating several scientific methods to make high-quality plantain chips.
Dr.Shyam Sablani
Washington State University
Dr. Sablani is a Professor of Food Engineering at the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University. He is one of the leading experts in Food Engineering and currently doing research on
- Polymeric packaging for advanced food technologies
- Microencapsulation and physicochemical stability
- Food Freezing and physicochemical stability
- UV-C light inactivation of pathogens on fruit and packaged food surfaces
Desi Flavors worked with Dr. Sablani on developing packaging solutions.
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