In a time when buzzwords such as "organic", "non-GMO", and "sustainable" are gaining a firm hold in the food industry, it is no wonder that consumers are clamoring for high-quality, homemade cuisines. Brooklyn-based online marketplace MOUTH.com seeks to shrink the distance between discerning foodies and producers of these all-the-rage "indie foods". Launched in 2010, the website appears to have a steady stream of customers, and no wonder, their selection of treats ranges in scope from high-end tonic water to white chocolate covered olives, and the choices look mighty appealing. Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer Craig Kanarick originally began the company as New York Mouth, supplying delicious niche foods from producers across New York. Since their inception, they have since included even more "small-batch" food items (another word for indie) from craftspeople with serious klout across the country, and their catalog of edible delights is growing quickly.
The artisanal foods come from all over the United States, but they all have one thing in common: high-quality ingredients and methods of production. In my search of the site, I was unable to find a single item with high-fructose corn syrup. Even some of the seemingly more mundane items, such as marshmallows, are anything but ordinary. You can have them spiked with champagne, or even infused with bits of strawberry and sprinkled with pumpkin pie spices. Most items are not cheap, but you pay for the quality, and the precision. Each item features multiple images, a clear list of ingredients and potential allergy hazards, and most often an introduction about the maker. The white chocolate covered olives I mentioned earlier are made by Francisco Migoya, the former pastry chef to the infamous French Laundry restaurant in Napa, California. If the idea of shipping refrigerated items gives you a chill, fear not, as MOUTH.com ships such items in insulated tote bags, while all other items make their journey in a cotton tote. They even offer subscriptions, such as "New Releases" and "Pickles Every Month", for those who want regular deliveries of craft foods.
Overall, MOUTH.com looks like a promising way to get your favorite New York chocolates delivered to your California doorstep, or vis-a-versa. While that doesn't exactly bode well for the idea of "locally sourced", MOUTH.com does seem to tick all of the other progressive food movement boxes.
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