Wajos Classic Bruschetta. 69 percent tomato, garlic, basil, and oregano – the seasoning blend that turns olive oil and bread into an appetizer in ten minutes.
Wajos Classic Bruschetta Seasoning Blend is a dry spice mix consisting of 69 percent tomato flakes, 7.5 percent garlic, 4 percent basil, oregano, bell pepper, onions, salt, and a little olive oil, 85 g in a jar, from Dohr on the Moselle. Not a ready-made paste, not a sugo, not tomato powder for soups – but a blend that becomes a bread spread when mixed with oil. Vegan.
Classic Bruschetta Seasoning Blend by Wajos is the jar we open when guests arrive in the evening and preparation hasn't been planned. Two spoonfuls of the blend, olive oil, wait ten minutes, toast the bread in the meantime – and you have an appetizer on the table that tastes like tomato, garlic, and basil instead of instant soup. It is our best-selling bruschetta blend, and Wajos themselves list it as a top kitchen seller. The reason is the ingredient list: more than two-thirds tomato, with the rest being items you would find in your own spice rack.
Tomato first, garlic prominent, herbs as a frame
The taste is that of a classic Italian tomato bread: sweet and fruity tomato sets the tone, accompanied by garlic, which is noticeable at 7.5 percent but rounded, and oregano and basil that push the profile toward the Mediterranean. Bell pepper adds color and a mild sweetness, while onions provide depth. It is hardly spicy at all – chili is absent from the ingredient list.
The tomato flakes consist of tomato paste and cornstarch, which is why the blend swells in the oil and becomes a spreadable mass. This also explains the 36 grams of sugar per 100 grams: this is the natural fructose of the thickened tomato rather than added sugar. Salt is plentiful at 7.6 grams per 100 grams, so you can save yourself the trouble of salting the bread. The Classic blend is not suitable for those who have difficulty digesting garlic or have a meeting the next morning – in that case, the Basil Bruschetta Seasoning Blend is the garlic-free choice.
On bread, in pasta, in salad – and the dosage that works
The basic formula: mix two heaping tablespoons of the blend with four tablespoons of olive oil and one tablespoon of water, and let it soak for ten minutes. This is enough for six to eight slices of toasted white bread or ciabatta. For those who like it fresher, fold in diced tomatoes; for those who like it creamier, top with mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella. On a baguette with a base of cream cheese, it becomes a breakfast toast; on flatbread with feta, it makes a dinner.
The second use is for pasta: stir a tablespoon of the blend into hot spaghetti with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan – a quick tomato pasta, no sauce required. In tomato sauce, lasagna, or Bolognese, a teaspoon enhances the tomato flavor and saves you from needing extra herbs. For salad dressing, add half a teaspoon to oil and vinegar; for a chicken or vegetable grill marinade, use a whole teaspoon, mixed with oil and left to infuse for an hour.
The blend also works as a dry seasoning: over scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, baked feta, or mixed into quark for a tomato dip. A teaspoon in tomato soup replaces the basil you might be missing, and it acts as an instant marinade for oven vegetables with olive oil – zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant. Sprinkled over a Pizza Margherita after baking, it makes a frozen crust taste like much more. What doesn't work: sprinkling the blend dry onto bread – it needs oil and time, otherwise it remains crumbly. And long cooking periods don't suit it well, as the basil and garlic lose their edge. When used in pasta or sauces, always add it during the last few minutes.
Our tip: Mix the blend with Basil-Infused Olive Oil instead of neutral oil – this doubles the herb profile, and the bruschetta tastes as if the basil came straight from the garden.
Blended on the Moselle, tested in their own lab
Seasoning blends are created in-house at Wajos: in Dohr near Cochem, where the company with over 80 employees is based, the blends are put together, bottled, and tested in their own laboratory. The range comprises around 900 items, and most of them are created there – Wajos has decided to remain "controlled and small" rather than outsourcing their recipes.
The company started somewhere else entirely: Walter Josef Oster, namesake and winemaker from Ediger-Eller, where his family has been making wine for 15 generations, founded a liqueur manufactory in the 1980s. Peter Oster, his son, and business partner Ulf Schwichtenberg turned it into the Wajos brand starting in the 2000s, with the first store opening in Trier in 2008 and stores now located throughout Germany. That a wine house also blends tomatoes, garlic, and basil makes more sense on the Moselle than it sounds: what is eaten with wine is part of the business.
The bruschetta for your pantry, for guests, and for midweek pasta
This jar is one of the things we recommend for housewarmings or as a gift for a dinner party: small, easy to ship, and immediately understandable. 85 grams are enough for about five portions of bruschetta or significantly more pasta evenings. Store in a cool, dry, and dark place and close the jar well after use – tomato flakes attract moisture. For those looking for variety after the Classic blend, there is the Wild Garlic Bruschetta Seasoning Blend for spring and the Olive Bruschetta Seasoning Blend for wine evenings; all blends can be found on our Wajos page.
The blend is not suitable for anyone expecting a ready-made bruschetta cream in a jar that you just open – here, you have to add oil and wait. And for dishes that need chili, it is too mild.
Tomato, garlic, basil, and oregano from a jar – the bruschetta seasoning blend from the Moselle that turns bread and oil into an appetizer in ten minutes.
