Fifteen or so years ago, Phillip Snyder was experimenting in his kitchen, trying to find ways to cut dairy from his diet. Mixing sesame-seed based tahini, apple cider vinegar and honey resulted in a sweet and sour-flavored paste that he added flavors to and shared with his friends.
Now retired from his Durango law practice, he is looking to sell his invention as a product called “DynaSeeds” and marketed as “seed butters with a bang.” The product is currently patent-pending.
The spread will be available starting on Friday at Durango Natural Foods – a co-op that Snyder was involved with in its early days in the 1970s while working at the Saturn Sandwich Shop (now the College Drive Cafe). He plans to be on hand to answer questions about the products from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 4 to 6 p.m. that day.
The product will debut in four flavors: honey mustard, sweet basil, Indian curry and roasted garlic and herb.
Snyder said he primarily envisions the use of the condiment as a spread on sandwiches or canapés and hors d’oeuvres.
“You get a nice piece of bread that doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor ... and you put a nice piece of turkey or chicken on there, that again tastes like chicken but doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor, and you put on a piece of lettuce and you put on some tomato and you have a nice sandwich,” he said. “This gives you a whole different way to flavor up that sandwich and something that gives it a little bite.”
Snyder is quick to point out that DynaSeeds is rich in healthful polyunsaturated fats and antioxidants, essential amino acids and calcium. It is non-GMO, non-dairy, vegetarian, kosher, peanut- and nut-free and contains only natural sugars and carbs. The products are minimally processed at low heat to preserve each ingredient’s nutritional value, he said, so the product may also appeal to consumers of raw foods.
If DynaSeeds sell well, Snyder has plans on new directions in which to take the product, including new flavors. The current flavors are all sesame seed-based, but he plans to release varieties based instead on sunflower and pumpkin seeds. He would also like to release a line of DynaSeeds that uses agave syrup instead of honey to cater to vegans.
For more information, contact Snyder at 799-3941.
