Meet Sahithya Wintrich | Co-Founder of CHUTNI PUNCH | Chief Flavor Formulator | Nonstop Hustler | Technology | Stem Cells

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sahithya Wintrich and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sahithya, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
REVIVING FLAVORS OF MY CHILDHOOD

I’ve always preferred savory breakfasts. Credit my upbringing in Southern India for that. I grew up eating savory crepes (dosas), steamed rice and lentil cakes (idlis) with coconut chutney and cooked semolina chock-full of vegetables and spices (upma).

Not surprisingly then years later, as I began raising my kids in the United States, I found myself sprinkling the dry spice condiment I grew up eating on my avocado toast, savory oatmeal, eggs, and bagel slathered with cream cheese. The breakfasts changed but the need to add bursts of Indian flavor to my food did not.

Then one day, KAPOW! It dawned on me:

What if I made the dry spice condiments from my childhood versatile enough to add a burst of flavor to anything, any time of the day?

That’s how I created CHUTNI PUNCH, a line of seasonings that are easy to use on just about anything. All you need to do is sprinkle, mix or toss them. On, in, and with everything.

My mission is to remove barriers around how you use spices and flavor your food. I want to counter the perception that using spices is complicated and overwhelming. That’s why I created CHUTNI PUNCH, something that easily allows you to be creative and playful. Something that enlivens ALL of your taste buds. Something so magical that it has you craving for more.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The common thread throughout my career is problem solving. It is the reason why I was drawn to study computer science as a young adult, helped companies adopt better ways to work and write software or studied how stem cells can be transformed to other types. I am most excited and energized when I am solving a problem or finding ways to make something better.

Though tasty and flavorful food has been a part of my upbringing and culture, it wasn’t until after the pandemic that I embarked upon the journey to try to solve for a way to easily flavor food with real ingredients. I believe that when it comes to food and eating well, there is a HUGE trade-off between health, flavor and time. You can only get two out of three. Something that is tasty and fast is often times not healthy for you. If it is tasty and healthy it often takes a lot of time to prepare. Chutni Punch solves this equation by adding flavor to food quickly while not compromising health. It is flavorful, easy to use with zero cooking skills required and contains only real ingredients from nature. It is fun, exciting, and versatile.

My goal with Chutni Punch is to remove barriers around how spices are used to flavor food. I want to counter the perception that using spices is complicated and overwhelming. I want Chutni Punch to add flavor to people’s food and life! My spice condiment line is an open invitation be creative and playful while flavoring food. Through these easy to use, shelf-stable spices, I want to nourish and nurture people’s health and well-being.

Having the best tasting and highest quality product in the market is utmost important to me. But, the source of ingredients and using sustainable packaging matter as much, if not more. My flax seeds come from a local Amish farm in Ohio, organic peanuts from Texas and curry leaves from a farm in California. I use organic ingredients as much as I can and I am exploring ethically sourcing single origin ingredients directly from farmers so they can be compensated directly. The jars for my condiments are glass with a metal lid and the labels are paper with a UV coating that is water resistant. Lastly, the sealing bands are made of biodegradable cellulose so the packaging is as plastic-free as can be!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Cleveland has so many great experiences! We have something for everyone – renowned artists, restaurants and sports. Anyone visiting Cleveland has to experience our theaters, orchestra, museums, a game, the metroparks, the public library, walking tour of downtown and the lakefront. There are so many amazing restaurants but Salt, Larder, Zhug, Vero pizza, Batuqui, Astoria cafe, Phnom Penh, Map of Thailand, Juneberry Table, Citizen Pie are on top of my list. For drinks, Cloak and Dagger and Society Lounge are a must. I would also take them to our cool and eclectic neighborhoods and depending on their taste in music, I’d take them to the Grog Shop, House of Blues, Bop stop, Velvet Tango Room.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shout out to all our customers who take the chance to try something new and share it with their friends and loved ones. I would be amiss if I didn’t mention the culinarians, local & specialty stores and The North Union Farmers Markets who were and are continuously supportive and encouraging. Last but most importantly, I want to give a shout out to my husband and kids who have stood by my entrepreneurial journey.

Website: chutnipunch.com

Instagram: @chutnipunch

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chutni-punch/

Facebook: facebook.com/chutnipunch

Image Credits
Chutni Punch