Sauer Family’s Enterprise Remains the Spice of Life

For the venerable C. F. Sauer Co., the spice of life is . . . well, spice.

Nearing its 100th birthday, the company has branched into other condiments like mayonnaise, relish and barbecue sauces, but spices and the Sauer family remain the constants.

Conrad Frederick Sauer was a Richmond pharmacist in 1887, when he began manufacturing the flavoring extracts that were usually to be found only at the local apothecary. The products were delivered to area stores by donkey cart.

As the House of Sauer expanded into other products over the years it has grown into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, but it is still run by the founding family.

C. F. Sauer III is the current president, following, naturally, in the footsteps of C. F. Sauer Jr.

“There are a lot more Sauers coming along. We’re good for at least another few generations,” said C. F. Sauer IV, a vice president.

A stroll through the company’s warehouse is a pleasant assault on the senses and conjures up visions of lateen-sailed Arab dhows plying the spice routes of the Indian Ocean more than a millennium ago.

There are burlap bundles of anise from Turkey, caraway seeds from the Netherlands, cinnamon from Madagascar, cloves from Zanzibar, fennel from Egypt, ginger from Indonesia, nutmeg from the West Indies, paprika from Yugoslavia and black pepper from Sri Lanka.

Much of the history of the world is the history of spice.

The laurel wreaths worn by Greek Olympians were what we call bay leaves. Coriander gave fragrance to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Greek housewives baked gingerbread 5,000 years ago. Rome paid ransom to the Goths in peppercorns.

Indeed, Columbus was seeking a shorter route to the spice islands when he discovered America.

For centuries, spices were so expensive only the wealthy could afford them.

“Some still come pretty high,” said C. F. Sauer IV. “Saffron, the world’s most costly spice, sells for about $5 retail for one-sixty-fourth of an ounce.”

He noted that the origin of many spices is an individual farmer deep in the jungle of some faraway place.

“He may have just a couple of pepper vines. Another farmer miles away may have a couple more. It takes a lot of farmers to get a ton of pepper,” he said.

Sauer said pepper is the mainstay of the spice industry, while saffron, because of its price, is the rarest.

He said herbs are now rivaling spices in popularity. Spices usually have seeds or kernels containing oils that provide pungency and flavor. Herbs, such as dill, thyme and rosemary, are edible leafy material.

Sauer said the growing popularity of ethnic cooking has been a boon to the herb and spice industry. Mexican, Chinese and Italian foods owe much of their flavor to such ingredients as cumin, garlic, ginger, mustard, red peppers and oregano.

“Americans generally prefer the milder spices, but that’s slowly changing. French chefs remain the most knowledgeable users of spice,” Sauer said.

Politics and weather can both play a major role in the spice supply.

“The Sikh uprising in India last year had a profound effect on the distribution system for celery seed. For a while, it was very difficult to obtain and the price nearly doubled,” Sauer said.

“Right now they’re getting too much rain in Indonesia and Brazil, and the price of pepper is skyrocketing,” he added.

During the reign of the first couple of generations of Sauers, spice processing was a labor-intensive industry. But machines now do most of the cleaning, sorting and grinding that was once done by hand.

He said spice companies generally limit their advertising to trade journals.

“If you’re only going to buy a can of cloves or marjoram once a year or so, a newspaper ad or television commercial isn’t going to determine your choice,” he said.

“It’s the eye appeal of the shelf display in the store that is going to make you buy our brand or someone else’s.”