Flavor God is a popular brand of seasoning blends that has gained a cult following in recent years. Their blend of spices and herbs are used to add big, bold flavors to everything from eggs and avocado toast to meats, salads, and more. But where exactly is Flavor God made? In this article, we’ll explore the origins and manufacturing operations behind this trendy seasoning brand.
The History of Flavor God
Flavor God was founded in 2011 by culinary entrepreneur Kashy Khaledi. Kashy grew up immersed in the world of spices, flavors, and food. His family owned a popular Persian restaurant in California, where Kashy learned firsthand how impactful herbs and spices can be in transforming dishes.
After college, Kashy began experimenting with his own spice blends. He would bring his homemade mixes to parties and gatherings, building a reputation among friends for his unique flavor combinations. Eventually, the demand grew enough that Kashy decided to turn his love of spice blends into a business.
In 2011, Flavor God was officially launched out of Kashy’s home kitchen in California. The first blend was Everything Bagel, packed with seeds, garlic, and onion. It became an instant hit at farmer’s markets and local stores. More proprietary blends like Cinnamini and Lemon Lovers soon followed.
As demand continued to grow, Kashy brought on his childhood best friend, Clayton Thomas, as a partner in Flavor God. With Clayton’s business background and Kashy’s culinary skills, the duo turned Flavor God into a national sensation carried in thousands of stores. Their appearances on QVC and the Home Shopping Network further propelled Flavor God into the spotlight.
Today, Flavor God remains a family-run business focused on quality and flavor innovation. Kashy and Clayton now operate Flavor God out of facilities in California and Pennsylvania. They have expanded the product line to over a dozen signature blends while staying committed to the artisanal craftsmanship that built the brand.
Where Flavor God Seasonings Are Made
For the first few years, all Flavor God products were hand mixed and packaged solely in Kashy’s home kitchen in Irvine, California. However, as demand grew, the company needed larger production facilities.
In 2015, Flavor God opened its first official manufacturing facility in Irvine, California. This allowed them to scale up production while still maintaining strict quality control standards. Having a dedicated production space also let Flavor God develop more proprietary spice blends to add to their product line.
Today, Flavor God operates two main production facilities:
Irvine, California
The original California production facility is still one of Flavor God’s main seasoning manufacturing hubs. All product development and R&D takes place at this location. It has additional warehouse space for storing raw ingredients and packaging materials.
The Irvine facility employs a full-time Quality Control team that meticulously reviews each batch of seasoning. They check for correct blend ratios, consistency across batches, and absence of foreign material. The California site produces Flavor God blends for both retail and foodservice customers across the western United States.
Reading, Pennsylvania
In 2019, Flavor God opened a second seasoning production plant in Reading, Pennsylvania. This allowed them to better serve retail partners and chefs on the East Coast with quicker turnaround times.
The Reading facility mirrors the rigorous quality control and production standards set in the California location. Blends are meticulously hand mixed in small batches to ensure consistency. The Pennsylvania site manufactures Flavor God products for sale across the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Southeast regions.
Between both locations, Flavor God can now ship freshly made seasonings nationwide. The dual facilities give them the production capacity for their rapid growth while still controlling product quality.
Inside Flavor God’s Seasoning Production
Flavor God takes a hands-on, artisanal approach to producing all its spice blends. Each blend starts with sourcing the highest quality ingredients. The company then uses a careful multi-step process to transform raw spices, herbs, seeds, and ingredients into finished seasoning products.
Sourcing Quality Ingredients
Kashy Khaledi and his R&D team are meticulous about where they source ingredients for Flavor God’s blends. They import whole spices and herbs directly from farms around the world, including:
– Garlic from Gilroy, California
– Onion from India
– Coriander and cumin from Mexico
– Cinnamon from Sri Lanka
– Cardamom and pepper from India
– Paprika from Spain
Flavor God also sources unique ingredients like dried lemon peel, porcini mushrooms, and nutritional yeast flakes. By going directly to growers, they can better control quality and freshness.
Inspection and Cleaning
Once ingredients arrive at the facilities in California or Pennsylvania, they undergo thorough inspection and cleaning. Workers carefully sort through raw spices, herbs, seeds, and ingredients to remove any impurities or unwanted material.
Some spices like cumin and coriander are cleaned multiple times using sieves and air blowers. This ensures no dirt, dust, or particles make it into the final blends.
Precise Hand Blending
The magic of Flavor God happens when ingredients are precisely hand blended in small batches. Flavor God’s production team uses proprietary recipes to assemble each spice blend.
They weigh out the exact ratio of each component, including just a pinch or dash of specialty ingredients like porcini mushrooms or citric acid. Batches are kept deliberately small, between 5 to 20 pounds, depending on the blend.
The small batches allow closer monitoring while mixing. Blenders constantly check and adjust to achieve the ideal balance of flavors in every handcrafted batch.
Metal Detector & Magnets
As a final quality check, each batch goes through a metal detector screening. This catches any stray metal material that may have accidentally gotten mixed in. The batches also pass through powerful magnets to catch any traces of iron.
Packaging & Bottling
Once blended to perfection, Flavor God’s spice mixes move to packaging. They are bottled or vacuum sealed into branded containers, like the signature glass jars or disposable pouches.
Automated equipment weighs and fills each container with the exact same amount of seasoning. This guarantees consistency across all retail sizes, from single-serving pouches up to one-pound bags.
Lab Testing & Quality Inspection
Before shipping, finished products undergo further testing and inspection. Samples from each batch are sent to an outside food testing laboratory. They are analyzed for:
- Microbial testing for pathogens like salmonella or E. coli
- Allergen screening for ingredients like gluten, dairy, or soy
- Water activity levels to prevent spoilage
Batches are only approved for sale once lab results confirm their safety and quality standards. Flavor God also does final monitoring of blend colors, aromas, and textures before products ship out to stores across the country.
Flavor God’s Manufacturing Standards and Certifications
Flavor God enforces rigorous standards at both their California and Pennsylvania production facilities to ensure seasoning quality and safety.
Both manufacturing locations are:
- SQF Level 2 Certified, a stringent food safety and quality certification standard
- Organic Compliant for their organic spice blend production
- Kosher Certified for qualifying blends
Additionally, the facilities operate within stricter standards than USDA requirements for:
- GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)
- Worker hygiene and sanitation protocols
- Allergen control procedures
- Equipment and facility maintenance
Flavor God also sources all their spices, herbs, and ingredients from suppliers that must meet high quality standards. This covers criteria for:
- Pesticide and chemical residue testing
- Microbial testing
- Traceability back to origin
Through their meticulous sourcing, production protocols, and third-party certifications, Flavor God maintains unmatched standards for both quality and food safety.
Conclusion
In just over a decade, Flavor God has gone from a humble home kitchen operation to a major spice and seasoning brand available across the United States. Kashy Khaledi’s passion for flavor innovation built the foundation. By combining culinary creativity with strict production standards, Flavor God has reached cult status for quality and taste.
While the company has grown rapidly, they stay committed to small batch, handcrafted production. Their facilities in California and Pennsylvania allow them to blend tailored seasoning mixes for customers nationwide. Through their hands-on process and ingredient sourcing directly from farms, Flavor God ensures an artisanal touch in every jar or pouch of their bold, vibrant blends.
