Irma & Co SAL, the company behind the Kamakian brand, is a food and beverage company that produces a range of original, all-natural, and high-quality Armenian and Mediterranean products. The company works closely with farmers, especially women farmers, and people from marginalized communities (LGBTQI+, at-risk women, elderly), to provide them with financial and food security yearly. Their products are made in Lebanon by mothers, who are considered masters of this trade, using the best certifications and techniques.

Kamakian Meets Innovation

The company’s flagship product is the Kamakian pepper paste. While pepper paste has been a major ingredient in Armenian and Mediterranean cuisine, the company has found a way to process this pepper into a better-developed paste with no digestion difficulties. This technique is to peel the peppers before production while preserving the right taste, nutrients, and intensity. After that, the company started tapping into other Armenian products such as Rose Petal Jam, Bitter Orange Jam, and many others.

The Story Behind the Innovation

It all started in the small kitchen of an Armenian mother in Anjar. In August, pepper season is at its best, and the fields of Anjar all turn red. These ready-to-be-picked peppers are the essential base of nearly all Armenian dishes. What was a mother-to-daughter recipe, became a certified condiment ready to take over the markets.

The Inspiration

The number of people who have tried the Kamakian pepper paste as an ingredient in the dishes of the restaurants managed by the company have reported that they feel less bloated and much better when digesting these foods. This opened the company’s eyes to the needs in the market for such products.

Impact of Kamakian

Farmers, women farmers, workers from marginalized communities, and the company’s stakeholders such as the management team and the mothers in the kitchen with their families are the first in line to benefit from the Kamakian line. They are after all the live wires of these products and they receive financial and food security through them. Then come all the Armenian and Mediterranean food lovers, individuals or households as well as food businesses and aficionados who look for high-quality, all-natural, and healthy products. The company’s innovative approach to producing these products is positively impacting the general community by promoting sustainable and ethical practices.

The brand’s chief commercial officer, Mr. Ramy Nehme, also sits on QOOT Cluster’s Communication and Public Affairs Committee to give back to the agri-food community and deploy his expertise in furthering their overall marketing efforts.