THE HEAT IS ON
New shop called Ram’s Valley Outpost sells hot sauces and other tangy items
Something hot is happening in Uptown Kingston, thanks to a chef from the Caribbean.
Richard “Ram” Rajkumar, who grew up in Trinidad, has opened Ram’s Valley Outpost at 45 North Front St., where customers can buy a variety of hot sauces and spices that he makes.
Hundreds of bottled sauces, bearing names such as “Scorpion,” “Green Hulk” and “Mother of All Dragons,” line the shelves in the new store, which opened Friday, Sept. 25. The store also sells garlic paste, barbecue sauce and infused olive oils, among other items.
Rajkumar, 48, who recently moved from New Paltz to Kingston, says his tongue-tingling and tasty hot sauces are worth the cost of $10 per bottle and up.
“My products are unique and distinct, and people should have access to such a product, which is where my outpost comes in,” Rajkumar said. “The sauces are made using local ingredients, [and] I age the peppers and use only natural ingredients with no fillers or preservatives. I make the sauce by the pot, making it a small-batchproduction type of thing.”
Rajkumar, who came to the U.S. from Trinidad 20 years ago, said his mother
owns a Brooklyn restaurant.
“I worked there (at the Brooklyn restaurant) for a few years helping her out,” Rajkumar said. “They made a few variety of hot sauces. I have been a chef my entire life, dating back to my Trinidad days.
“When I used to cater events or hold small gatherings, different types of sauces were always made, and people went crazy for them.”
Rajkumar, who lived in New Paltz for five years before relocating to Kingston, said he knows there are risks in opening a store, particularly in the midst of a pandemic. But he said it makes sense, too.
“Hot sauce can be used to boost your immune system, so I figured, why not?” he said. “People will not stop cooking during a pandemic, so I wanted to be the place they stop at to add some spice into their lives. We have over 40 different types of seasonings available, as well. Also, a great opportunity came up with that storefront, and I decided to jump and take the risk.”
Rajkumar says he currently sells nine different types of hot sauces. In the next two to four weeks, he expects to add one more.
Rajkumar would not say how much it cost him to open Ram’s Valley Outpost, but he called the investment a “hefty” amount.
The new store is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.