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GENERAL NEWS www.kitchenwarenews.com ■ JUNE 2014 ■ KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW The Housewares Export Council (HECNA), a special interest group of International Housewares Association members who sell their products internationally, has changed its name to the International Business Council (IBC). The rebranding, which coincided with the start of IHA's 2015 membership year on April 1, better defines the global activities of IHA's international programs and services and also opens the group to global members. In addition the separate IBC membership dues were eliminated. IBC membership is open to all regular IHA members upon completion of a questionnaire regarding IBC ser vices, benefits and members' exporting activities. Originally created in 1995 as the Housewares Export Council of North America, the IBC is dedicated to helping members market and sell their products internationally by sharing information, providing networking opportunities and offering programs to assist, support and educate. The IBC is the presenter of the IBC Global Forum, an annual meeting featuring retailer presentations f rom Housewares Export Council (HECNA) Changes Name to International Business Council (IBC) markets around the world, industry-savvy specialists discussing relevant export topics and providing education on market entry, global product development and marketing strategies. The 2014 Global Forum will be held June 17-18 in Chicago. IBC will also continue to offer export trade missions to key global markets to help members grow their international sales. The trade missions include one- on-one meetings with key retailers and distributors, retail tours, receptions, transportation and lodging all arranged in advance so participants can focus on business rather than logistical details. Trade missions planned for this year are South Af rica f rom Sept. 28 - Oct. 3 and the UK, Nov. 9-14 in additions to pavilions at international trade shows and resources to help IHA members to market themselves to international buyers at the International Home + Housewares Show, including sponsorship of the Monday Night Reception. "The number of key industry contacts whom I have met through the IBC is significant," says Mark Adkison, V ice President, Global Sales, at Smith's Consumer Products, Inc., and President of the IBC Board of Directors. "From participating in IBC Global Forums, I've met not only industr y peers but also buyers – both of whom I've maintained beneficial relationships with for far longer than the meetings at which we've met. In addition, I've made countless buyer connections by participating in IBC sponsored trade missions." For more information about IBC programs, ser vices and members, visit www.housewares.org/ibc or email Lori Szudarek, Manager, International Services, at Lszudarek@housewares.org. General News 3 cultures. American spice prices have gone through the roof as the Chinese and Indians buy more spice," said Tim Ziegler, Spice Master for Italco Food Products, Inc. a specialty food distributor in Colorado and the co-author of "Spices and Culinary Herbs" by Tim Ziegler and Brian Keating, a poster presentation designed to aid chefs in creating flavors by pairing spices and herbs f rom the same culinary family. "India is now a net black pepper importer. It is the most staggering development in the spice business in the past 25 years." Spices can be defined as vegetable products used for flavoring, seasoning and importing aroma in foods. Herbs are leafy spices, and some plants, such as dill and coriander, provide both spice seeds and leafy herbs. Around 50 spice and herb plants are of global trade importance, but many other spices and herbs are used in local traditional cooking. There is also an overlap between spices and herbs and plants normally classified as vegetables, as for example some mushrooms that are used as spices in China and Pakistan. Paprika is widely grown by small-scale farmers in Af rica, while chilies are widely grown in Central America, Asia and Af rica. Cloves are grown in low-lying tropical areas including Indonesia, Madagascar and Zanzibar. Trade is dominated by dried products. In recent years, f resh herbs have become more popular, and spice- and herb-derived essential oils and oleoresins are sold in large and growing markets. Pepper, the world's most important world spice crop, is grown in areas of South America, Af rica and India and some Pacific Ocean countries that have high rainfall and low elevations. Lemongrass is another important herb, and it 's grown widely in the tropics. The leaf is used dried in teas, and the stems are used f resh and dried in Asian cookery. Growing interest in organic food and beverages is also catching up with the market as large amounts of certified organic spices have been introduced to the market over the past few years, according to Transparency Market Research. This trend is already having its effect in home and restaurant kitchens across the U.S. "If the melting pot is true anywhere in America, it 's true in the kitchen," Ziegler said. "American cuisine is not roast beef and mashed potatoes and asparagus spears any more." Ziegler says that Americans are growing more interested in the flavor profiles that originated in Middle Eastern and southwest Asian cuisines. "I'm a history major and I'm a chef. I sell spices on a daily basis, and increasingly the flavor profiles that even the young chefs are asking me for are increasingly southwest Asian," he said. "I believe that 3-1/2 million to 5-1/2 million Americans have traveled or lived extensively in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bahrein and the Middle East, and those flavor profiles have come back to the United States, and I think that 's going to be a burgeoning trend." New Dehli-born Chef Suvir Saran, Executive Chef at Devi in New York City and Chairman of Asian Culinary Studies for the Culinary Institute of America, says that he sees Americans' growing interest in spices as an indication that Americans are becoming more mindful about how they cook and eat. "My feeling is that we've been a nation that 's reactionary and loves fads and diets and trends. With the economic recession ending, people have become less reactionar y, and they 're becoming more mindful," he said. "Taking Mediterranean or whatever comfort food we were already doing and adding more herbs and flavors and spices will be a way that we can cook and eat more mindfully and also save money in the end. Spices and flavoring ingredients are cheap. They're wallet-f riendly and last a lifetime. They give you great joy and great flavor without spending too much.... As there is more availability for aromatics and spices, we can incorporate these into what we already know and create more breadth and depth in our repertoire." Chef Staffan Terje, Chef/O wner of Perbacco restaurant in San Francisco, agrees. "I don't think food ever gets boring. I never think flavors go out of style. I think that people find new things and discover new things for themselves, whether they're eating or cooking, but I never think that basil and tomato is going to be boring," he said. "Chefs are exploring other spices and herbs and flavors that might not be familiar to people. Spices had a place that 's been pretty constant for a long time in different foods, but I see that people are exploring things in the spice realm itself. It 's not so much about the heat of spiciness but about different flavor combinations. You'll see things like cloves and allspice sneaking their way in." "I look at how I flavor my own dishes, cooking northern Italian food, and I look at history. Italians were part of the early spice market and adapted things that came f rom the East and f rom the New World," he continued. "You start looking at old European recipes, and you'll find some ver y interesting things – the use of cinnamon, the use of ginger – things that came f rom the Middle East. It 's not just about chile peppers." Chef Hosea Rosenberg, owner of Blackbelly Catering in Boulder, Colo. and winner of the fifth season of "Top Chef," says he's hearing a lot f rom his fellow chefs about their interest in the cuisines of Morocco and Latin America. "Everyone's familiar with Americanized Mexican, but there are so many regional cuisines in Mexico that have not been highlighted, such as Oaxacan," he said. "I see a few chefs that are starting to get a lot more press attention that are either f rom Morocco or have Moroccan heritage. It 's an amazing cuisine, and I don't think there's enough attention to it as of yet." He is exploring both of these cuisines in his own cooking, especially the tagines characteristic of Moroccan cuisine. "I just love the slow cooking, especially in the wintertime. Slow braises of meat. I have a farm and we raise our own lamb, and I'm always looking for creative ways to cook and serve lamb," he said. "This type of cuisine really lends itself into turning a cheaper cut, if you will, into a remarkable centerpiece-type dish." "Now that it 's so easy to access all these spices, I see people really taking regional American cuisine and applying global spices to them as well to enhance those dishes," said Chef Matt Greco, Executive Chef at The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards in California. "People are using spices that, not long ago, no one had ever heard of." "You're definitely seeing a lot of that cross between American, especially southern American, with Asian flavors," he continued. "I definitely see a lot more fermented products. Korea uses so many fermented products in their food. I definitely see those types of influences applied to American cuisine. The past five years have seen a rebirth of southern American food, and that whole movement is going to other areas of the United States that have their own food cultures." For further information: "Spices and Culinar y Herbs" poster by T im Z iegler and Br ian Keating is available at www.chefzieg.com or www.mondofood.com/spiceposter.html. Spicy Flavors (Cont. from Page 1)

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