If you’ve spent any time at all on #FoodTok, Claire Dinhut (AKA Condiment Claire) will need no introduction. She’s a vibrant foodie sharing insights on condiments with her followers. From flavour history and unusual food pairings to easy recipes, there’s not a condiment left unopened or unexplored.
Claire, who grew up between Los Angeles and the French countryside, has amassed a cult following. And a huge chunk of those followers are South Africans. You just have to open the comments of her videos and you’ll see the South African flag dotted throughout. In fact, we’re actually one of the first countries to get her new book. Allow us to introduce .
But before diving into a world of sauces, spices, dips and dressings, let’s dive into the world of Condiment Claire. We asked her all your burning questions so we could get to know the queen of condiments a little better.
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How did you become “Condiment Claire”?
I was raised in a multicultural household and grew up between the United States and France. I’m very fortunate to have been able to travel around the world and taste food from different cultures starting a young age so most of my memories revolve around flavour.
I then went onto study history at Harvard and work in food and travel docuseries after university. When the pandemic hit, I was left with no job and began filming content on TikTok which transformed itself into my career today!
Although I would have never considered myself a “social media” person prior, I really owe the internet my career at this present moment because it has opened so many doors for me, including this book.
Why did you decide to create ?
Condiments are flavour! Taste is salty, sweet, bitter, acid and umami but flavour is colour, texture, smell, but more importantly nostalgia and memory. By diving into the origins of a certain condiment and understanding where it comes from and why it was created, you uncover so much about a certain place or person.
Why do you think South Africans have connected with you so well?
I visited South Africa for the first time ever in January and completely fell in love with the country and its people. I think South Africans have such an appreciation for nature and their local environment which is something I feel extremely passionate about. I’ve also always surrounded myself with friends from different cultures so I really appreciate how diverse the country is and how everyone gets to share their heritage through cuisine or language.
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What does a day in your life look like?
It varies when I’m traveling, but if I’m at home in London I’ll usually wake up around 6 or 7 and get through the emails I missed overnight coming from the US with a salty vanilla matcha in hand. I then head over to pilates as it’s my favourite way to start the day on the right foot. After that, I’ll usually shoot some content, edit videos, and write my newsletter on Substack that I send out weekly. The historical deep dives, city guides and recipes I share on there require a lot of research so it takes up a lot of my day!
I’m also a very antsy person so I’ll most likely take a break to split up my day and go on a walk, grocery shop, say hi to my neighbours etc. The afternoons are usually filled with in person meetings or zooms. For dinner, while I haven’t had the time to recently, my ideal evening involves having friends over for dinner or catching a film at the cinema and grabbing dinner with friends.
What does health and wellness mean to you?
Health and wellness has always been extremely important to me both physically and mentally. I was raised in LA which is a very health conscious city so green juice and big salads are actively my comfort meal. I also fenced for the United States so keeping my body moving has always been of the utmost importance because it’s the only way my brain can stay focused.
How do you stay healthy when travelling?
When I’m traveling, I love walking for hours being able to explore different neighbourhoods, markets, beaches and so forth and eating locally and seasonally.
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What’s your favourite fact to share at a dinner party?
I love the history of mayonnaise – it’s easy to recount and such a crowd pleaser! Long story short, the French won a battle at the Port of Mahon in Spain but had no dairy products to use in their celebratory dinner. The chef created a creamy concoction from egg and oil instead and called it due to their location and the name stuck to this day!
What’s your favourite restaurant in South Africa?
This is TOO difficult of a question! I haven’t had a chance to truly dig into the restaurant scene because I’ve been captivated by trying local ingredients and tradition – I’m more likely to ask about what someone eats at home rather than sit down for a 3 course meal.
I tried Mopane Worms in January which was a highlight! [And] I will say, I loved visiting the ice cream shop Tapi Tapi in Cape Town because I got to taste extremely local flavours I had never heard of or tasted before. I also just love Oranjezicht Market because I get to experience all of the seasonal produce as well as meet local producers and learn about their specialties.
What’s your favourite South African flavour or food?
I LOVE CHUTNEY! While I can buy Mrs Balls Chutney here in London, I recently was gifted the Quality Pickles Coriander Chutney and my goodness, I know what I’m stocking up on next time I am in South Africa…
What’s one condiment you couldn’t live without?
100% Dijon mustard.
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Is there one condiment you think everyone should learn to make themselves?
I think butter is a good one because it shows people that using only one ingredient, cream, you can create an entirely distinct condiment. It’s completely versatile and adaptable to your tastebuds as well which I think is important and allows for playfulness.
Kiss, marry, kill: Ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard?
Marry mustard forever. AH THIS IS SO HARD! Today I’m going to say kill mayo and kiss ketchup?? I’ve been making a Bloody Mary Ketchup I’m obsessed with so I can’t imagine my life without it right now.
What’s your favourite weird flavour pairing?
I love a drizzle of soy sauce on vanilla ice cream. I also love dipping drywoers with Mrs Balls Chutney combined with dijon mustard…
At , we speak about “Breakthrough moments” aka an aha! moment that changed the course of your life for the better. What is your “Breakthrough” moment?
I used to be ashamed of where my family in France lived in the countryside. The moment I actually shared what that side of my life looked like – overalls, soil under my fingernails, planting – and got a great response online, it made me realise that I should always embrace who I am and be unapologetically myself.
What’s next for you?
OOF that’s a tough one! The Condiment Book comes out in Australia, New Zealand, The United States and Canada early next year. So I’ll be going on book tour there and taking you along with me on my travels. I’m going to start filming more long form content over on YouTube as well as continuing to write my newsletter because it makes me so happy to share something in depth weekly.
Let Claire guide you through the condiment world of flavour. Starting with classics, right through to hot sauces, ferments and pickles, dressings and oils, fruit in jars and dips.
With illustrations and charts, covers failsafe recipes for much-loved condiments, hundreds of variations and flavour pairings, condiments from across the globe and fascinating historical facts.
It’s the definitive guide to a class of food that isn’t strictly necessary, but indispensable to most of us.
Follow Claire on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube or subscribe to her newsletter here.
Source: https://www.womenshealthsa.co.za/food-and-nutrition/feed/
