JADA Spices on ‘Shark Tank’: Who are the founders? Here's the cost and where you can buy it this holiday season
Are you craving something spicy? Are you vegan? Khasha Touloei and Maynard Okereke's pitch on this week's ‘Shark Tank’ for their company, Jada Spices, is just right for you! With turmeric-based seasonings that are MSG-Free, vegan and made with unrefined sea salt, Jada Spices can be used to season food before, during and after cooking.
Touted as a “healthy alternative” to table salt and chicken bouillon, it presents a new plant-based Chick’n Mix that does not require refrigeration. Just add water and oil to recreate any “chicken” recipe with a vegan twist. On the website, the product is billed as: “With firsthand knowledge of the challenges that healthy eating presents, we've taken our experiences to create a product line that you can not only trust but count on to provide you with perfectly sourced, clean, simple ingredients. Spend less time reading a label with additives and more time in the kitchen cooking!”
What is Jada Spices?
If you're a vegan, this product is for you. Both the chicken salt and the turmeric salt sold by JADA spices are completely vegan! hicken replacement. Ingredients in the chicken mix are wheat protein, pea protein, methylcellulose, natural flavor, pea fiber, nutritional yeast, yeast extracts, garlic powder, onion powder and vitamin B12.
What was their experience on ‘Shark Tank’? “From creating our seasoning blend from scratch in an apartment while doing a residency to traveling to Chicago to demo at our first-ever vegan festival to now being able to present our business to a panel of billionaire moguls on Shark Tank,” the website reads. “The rush of adrenaline we experienced at this moment was a culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice.”
Who are the founders?
Founded by Khasha Touloei, the official website delves deep into his story from when he was training to be a physician. “He noticed his high blood pressure and diabetic patients would never stay compliant with their diet. Growing up in Australia, he started thinking about how his mother would get him to eat the foods he didn’t want; she would add Chicken Salt to all his meals.”
It then goes on to narrate: “Chicken Salt is a phenomenon in Australia. He started thinking of how he could get his patients to stick to their diets. He took the Chicken Salt from Australia, made it vegan, decreased sodium, took out the MSG with a goal of trying to encourage healthier cooking. By reducing the consumption of processed foods we could help people eat healthier, especially patients with high blood pressure and diabetes. Maynard Okereke and Khasha became friends at the University of Washington in 2002 and set a goal of trying to create a business that would make an impact in the lives of others.”
What are the varieties?
Wondering what are the varieties? You can choose from Original Vegan Chicken Salt, Lime Vegan Chicken Salt, Red Pepper Vegan Chicken Salt, Barbecue Vegan Chicken Salt, Turmeric Vegan Chicken Salt and New Chick’n Mix. Plant-Based Chick’n Mix is a dry plant mix where all you need to add is water and oil to form mince that can be shaped into anything, including meatballs, nuggets, cubes and patties.
With a serving size of 1/2 cup, each serving contains 120 calories. According to the nutrition label listed on the website, it also includes a high amount of other vitamins and minerals. There are 21 grams of protein in each serving, as well as 1 gram of fiber and 0 grams of added sugars. If you're wondering what ingredients are used while preparing the spices, check it out here.
What is the cost?
Wondering where to buy the products? Check out the website where you can get the Chicken Salt Coop - 5 Pack priced at $39.95 for $29.99. Plant-Based Chick’n Mix and Vegan Chicken Salt is available at $19.99 sale price down from $24.99.
Chicken Salt Original and Turmeric Salt - 2 Pack Combo which is available at the regular price of $18.98 is at sale for $15.99. And if you want it all, get the Vegan Combo Pack - Plant Based Chick'n Mix with Vegan Chicken Salt 5 Pack, priced at $39.99 for $34.99.
Who will crack the deal?
The Sharks on the episode are: Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, and Kevin O'Leary. Khasha and Maynard are willing to offer 20 percent equity in their company for an investment of $250,000. The duo look to prove that “they’re worth their salt as they pitch a healthy alternative to the seasoning staple.” As for who will get the deal, only time will tell. It’s quite likely they’ll score an investment from Barbara but Mark might also be in the lead as he often opts for vegan products.
‘Shark Tank’ Season 12 Episode 4 will premiere on November 6, 2020 at 10 pm ET on ABC. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.