HERBS and spices brand McCormick has introduced its Spice Stars in Malaysia, along with new packaging and an upcoming line of new products.
Its best-selling products in Malaysia include household staples paprika, garlic powder, chilli flakes and the black peppercorn grinder. McCormick spices are available across Malaysia at major retailers, including Giant, Jaya Grocer, Aeon and Village Grocer locations nationwide.
Spice Stars
McCormick has brought the heat to Malaysia through its Spice Stars, consisting of content creators Michelle Yeong, Syifa Jamil and Abdul Qayyum Halid.
For the Create Fresh Memories with McCormick campaign, the Spice Stars reimagined their cherished food memories using the brand’s popular flavours. By sharing personal recipes and memorable moments revolving around food and flavours, the trio highlighted the emotional connection between food and memory.
• Steamed egg with prawns by Yeong
Yeong is a culinary enthusiast whose cooking videos offer recipes that are both easy and comforting. With a passion for meals that nourish the soul, her content is where simplicity meets flavour.
Growing up, Yeong always enjoyed her grandmother’s steamed eggs, which were served on a special yellow plate. Now, she is adding her own twist to the beloved recipe by including prawns – and with the help of spices, including garlic powder, cajun seasoning, chilli flakes, coriander leaf and black peppercorn, she is taking the dish to a whole new level.
• Pasta masak lemak cili api by Syifa
Named Best of Foodie at TikTok’s 2023 Awards, Syifa’s engaging content showcases traditional and innovative culinary skills, capturing the attention of a broad audience with her practical approach to cooking.
Syifa fondly recalls her late father’s favourite dish, which she first attempted to cook at age 11. Today, she is adapting her mother’s beloved recipe using pure herbs and spices, bringing a contemporary spin to a family fave.
In this recipe, she uses garlic powder, chilli spice blend, turmeric, chilli flakes, parsley leaves, oregano, among others, to create a fusion delicacy.
• Fried chicken by Qayyum
Qayyum embarked on his culinary journey aiming to preserve and celebrate authentic Malaysian flavours. He is famous for his concise “2-minute, 1 recipe” videos, where he shares quick cooking tutorials for delicious meals.
Qayyum remembers how his parents used to reward him with fried chicken – his favourite treat – when he received good grades at school. Thanks to spices, he was able to relive those cherished memories and satisfy his cravings once again.
Spices used in this dish include garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika and black peppercorn.
For Qayyum, the special dish that forms a core memory evokes a sense of nostalgia.
“When I was younger, my parents would reward me with something I liked whenever I got good grades on my exams. One thing that never changed — I always asked for fried chicken. Thanks to herbs and spices, I can recreate the dish behind these cherished memories once more,” he shared.
New packaging
Based on consumer insights and market-specific flavour preferences, McCormick has updated the packaging for its herbs, spices and seasonings. The new packaging features a sleek and clean design that allows all home cooks to achieve the best quality and flavour in their food.
The transition from plastic to glass bottles and the introduction of the SnapTight lid will work together to lock in flavour, retaining the fresh taste of herbs and spices for longer.
Other user-friendly design improvements include displayed herb and spice names on the lid, a prominent best-by date on both the lid and bottle, a new transparent label that allows for easier monitoring and a versatile lid that caters for both teaspoon access and sprinkling.
McCormick introduced its refreshed designs through a series of AI-produced Recipe Mixtapes on Instagram and TikTok, blending culinary inspiration with a bit of fun.
New flavours
McCormick recently launched Grill Mates BBQ sauces in regionally relevant flavours, such as Spicy Korean and Sichuan Mala.
It will soon launch the Shake Shake Black Pepper & Truffle Flavoured Seasoning for making shaker fries as well as Air Fryer Marinade Mixes for air fryer dishes.
“With this brand renovation, we want to pay homage to the special meal moments using our herbs and spices that have empowered home cooks in Malaysia. We aim to help our consumers recreate cherished culinary memories in a modern lifestyle context,” said McCormick India-Southeast Asia managing director Priya Sharma.
