THE INGREDIENTS

Cooked up on Grand St., Brooklyn, and launched on Orchard St., LES in July 2020, Trop Flavor Co. began with two friends and roommates — David Zheutlin and Kenny Cousins — roasting and fermenting piles of peppers, experimenting with flavors, and giving out samples to friends. Trop Flavor Co. offers experiences: a fish fry at Boys Don’t Cry, a park pop-up (Trop-Up), an after-hours tasting. Pairing tropical flavors with kitchen staples, our brand seeks to make well-crafted goods with broad appeal. Hot sauces? Bloody Mary starter? Flour tortilla chips? Surprising fermented delights? Trop with us. Our products offer more than just a kick in the palate. Simple ingredients – fresh fruits, hot peppers – create a kaleidoscope of complexity to decorate your taste buds. Zest, tang, and gusto are never sacrificed for heat. So, whether you sauce every bite or only require a single dab, take a trip with Trop on the trail of flavors.  

Kenny, one of Trop’s two co-founders, is a bright, fun-loving Brooklyn resident who lives life to its fullest. A digital strategist by day and a freelance photographer by night, Kenny has learned to navigate the concrete jungle to craft and produce NYC’s newest and hottest sauce company. Born and raised in Montclair, NJ, Kenny has always had a curious palate with a knack for discombobulating heat. Whether it was slamming ghost peppers on Red Robin burgers or scotch bonnet purees on chicken, Kenny felt a natural disregard for the Scoville scale. When this Libra (also a Taurus moon and a Scorpio rising) isn’t busy wearing his many hats, you can find him curating seasonal playlists or chopping it up about movies, TV, sports, and culture.

David wrote draft one of this short bio in pencil in his notebook, sitting on the fire escape, chomping on a broccoli leaf. That leaf grew out of the Brooklyn earth in a community garden that David has probably told you about or snuck you into. Since he was a kid, David’s been finding, chopping, cooking, and mixing vegetables – and evaluating fridges by their sauce-to-non-sauce ratio (must be higher than 1:1). So, a hot sauce company is on-brand. His favorite pepper is the ‘paper lantern,’ mostly for its incandescent name and gorgeous shape. During daytimes, he leads the academic program at the Brooklyn Youth Sports Club. A middle school teacher for much of the last decade, he also works with teachers around the city to develop creative history curricula. You’re likely to find him exploring local hidden spots, asking too many questions, and (soon as this is all over!) playing some basketball.