our story
Composing Sounds to Flavors
ONIMA Pantry started as a fermentation side project in a small kitchen, shaped by a background in brewing and music. Tyler Mains, a trained composer who left music school to apprentice at a traditional lambic brewery in Belgium, became deeply interested in fermentation and the creative possibilities of blending.
What began with a teenage obsession with brewing turned into a deep dive into the world of wild fermentation and blending at iconic Belgian institutions like Cantillon and Bokke. There, Tyler learned that exceptional flavor is less about individual ingredients and more about the composition—how each element plays a part in a larger harmony.
Years later, what started as a side project evolved into ONIMA Pantry: a brand focused on craft, curiosity, and bold, intentional flavor.
our mission
Omni-Dimensional Condiments
ONIMA Pantry exists to expand what condiments can be. We make hot sauces that are designed to bring clarity, depth, and character to whatever you're cooking. We believe condiments should do more than add spice. They should shape a dish by bringing structure, complexity, and a sense of direction.
At ONIMA, we create omni-dimensional, process-driven sauces. Small-batch. Fermentation-forward. Thoughtfully blended. Made for everyday cooks who care about flavor.
omni-dimensional approach
The 9 Dimensions of Flavor
Every ONIMA sauce is guided by our internal tool: the Omni-Dimensional Flavor Model. It’s how we approach blending—deliberate, layered, and balanced.
Each recipe is shaped by nine key dimensions:
- Heat – Intensity, precision, balance
- Savory – Umami, richness, base
- Acid – Brightness, structure
- Herbal – Fresh, aromatic lift
- Smoke – Depth, earthiness
- Floral – Subtle, nuanced notes
- Sweet – Natural balance, never cloying
- Citrus – Sharp, juicy, clean
- Bitter – Controlled contrast
We don’t aim for balance in every sauce. We aim for intention.
"Oh-knee-ma" Pantry
Our name ONIMA is “amino” spelled backwards — a nod to the amino acid garum project Tyler began during COVID. ONIMA started as a side project to help fund that original fermentation experiment.
