Throughout the process of creating an effective and meaningful label, a lot of focus has been placed on word choices. Some people are confused with the use of “spicy”. What does spicy actually mean? I think we’re used to words like hot and mild to depict heat levels, but then what exactly does spicy mean? I understood what it meant, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to express that.

Over the summer, I met some folks who explained their understanding of the word spicy and I fully agreed with their take. They said spicy, to them, is similar to how you would describe Thai or Indian dishes. Meaning, all (or most) dishes contain a base level of chilis, the spice. But the levels of spice vary from mild to hot, to really hot, to super crazy hot. You know what I am talking about?!

On the original labels, I didn’t include the word mild and I can now see how that is confusing. With our most recent production of labels I updated the wording to read as, Mild All Purpose Sauce and the hot reads as, Hot All Purpose Sauce.

With all the in-person time I am getting with shoppers at the farmers markets, I have seen the immediate impact on how a slight change in words, lead to less confusion, its a win!