The hot summer days are officially here. That said, whether you are firing up the grill or the stove, the heat to change up your dinner routine is present. If you are bored with the usual burgers, Occo is here to change this. Lisa Carson and Connie Wang are the founders of the brand and they have decided to take the spice brand to grill season and way beyond.

An arrangement of burgers and beverages together with Occo products

Why Occo?

The idea behind Occo is fairly simple. Pre-portioned packets of ethically sourced spice come in groups of single-serve recipe cards. What is this, you may ask? It means no measuring or waste is required. The environmentally friendly packaged spices include “pre-measured micro amounts of high-quality spices, sealed in airtight ‘forever fresh' spice pods” as well as a QR code that can be used to find a variety of recipes that go with them. The goal is to inspire home cooks to try new things without going broke or generating a lot of garbage.

While the spice decks, as they're known, are exclusively available at www.eatocco.com, you can keep up with the latest spice blends by following @eatocco on Twitter. Burger au Poivre, Spicy Sichuan Burger, Lebanese Kafta Burger, and Garlic & Herb Butter Burger are among the new flavors available in the Burger Sampler packages.

Award-Winning Chefs Approve Occo’s Idea

Occo spice decks for any occasion.
Occo partnered with a host of award-winning chefs to offer a variety of recipes and signature spice decks when it first launched. The following recipes were prepared by chefs such as Nina Compton, Asha Gomez, Gregory Gourdet, Deuki Hong, Mei Lin, and Adriana Urbina to help home cooks widen their horizons and demystify the often difficult and expensive process of harvesting spices.

Chef Deck Cards include:

Kebabs Four Ways by Chef Mei Lin
Any-Season One-Pan Meals by Chef Gregory Gourdet
Grand Latin American by Chef Adriana Urbina
Cook in Color by Chef Asha Gomez
Caribbean-Creole Bistro by Chef Nina Compton
Late Nite Koreatown by Chef Deuki Hong

Occo is also intended to assist cooks in learning the fundamentals, stocking their pantries, and experimenting with novel flavor combinations. Cooks are also encouraged to make their own cards with a mix-and-match component to add variety to their culinary routine. For more ideas, see the pre-made cards below or follow @eatocco on Instagram.

American Overachiever has eight unique spices that provide a special touch to your cookery.
The Herb Garden is a collection of 16 dried herbs with a wide range of uses and seasons.
The Chile Sampler is a collection of eight ground chile peppers from around the world that honors our shared passion for heat.
The Pepper Sampler includes eight different types of ground pepper to help you broaden your salt's social circle.
The Cinnamon Sampler has four distinct cinnamons, allowing everyone to decide which is the finest.