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GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JUNE 2014 n GOURMET NEWS 9 6 The Season for Sipping: The Spice Hunter Winter Sippers Are a Holiday Tradition There is nothing like the aroma of cinnamon, cloves and orange peel wafting throughout the house on a cold winter day. Sipping a warm drink by the fire is a great way to get in the holiday spirit. The Spice Hunter is pleased to offer two delicious holiday drink mixes – Hot Buttered Rum and Mulling Spices – for an easy way to make the season more festive. Hot Buttered Rum is a blend of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, cloves and lemon oil. The Mulling Spices blend contains cinnamon chips, or- ange rind, whole allspice, whole cloves, cin- namon oil and orange oil. As with all Spice Hunter products, Winter Sippers contain the same high-quality ingredients customers have come to expect. The line is all-natural, certified kosher and gluten-free. Both flavors can be purchased in either a 4-5 ounce tin or a 1.2-2.2 ounce packet. Both drink mixes can be served to adults or children, depending on what they are mixed with. Apple juice or cider can replace rum or wine for a treat that everyone may enjoy. In addition, the mixes are not limited to just drinks. Customers can get creative by adding the Hot Buttered Rum mix to oatmeal or snickerdoodle cookies. The Mulling Spices can be used to infuse whipped cream or make poached pears for an elegant dessert. Additional uses and recipes can be found on The Spice Hunter website. The Spice Hunter Inc., a C.F. Sauer Com- pany headquartered in San Luis Obispo, Calif., produces an extensive line of herbs, spices, blends, grilling spices and organic spice varieties as well as all-natural, conven- ient gourmet foods including instant soups, seasonal bever- age mixes and turkey brine. All products are available at grocery and spe- cialty retail stores throughout the U.S. and online at www.spicehunter.com or through mail order by calling 800-688-5676. For more information, visit www.spice hunter.com, call 800-688-5676 or stop by booth #4201. Passage Foods Adds New Sauce to Asian Collection of Authentic Cooking Sauces Passage to Vietnam Lemongrass Chicken Stir-Fry Sauce is the latest addition to the Asian collection of Passage Foods' authentic cooking sauce range. Once considered a re- gional cuisine, Vietnamese food is quickly finding global acceptance due to its culinary origins of recipes that are fresh and healthy. With this latest addition, Passage Foods con- tinues its tradition of creating easy-to-pre- pare cooking sauce recipes of foods from around the world. Lemongrass Chicken Stir- Fry draws together all-natural, fresh ingredi- ents such as lemongrass, galangal and lime into this traditional Vietnamese stir-fry. In North America, the Asian food category continues to show strong growth, according to research by Mintel on ethnic food prepa- ration and consumption; Asian retail food sales in the United States are due to reach $1.1 billion by 2016. The Mintel study sug- gests that consumers are looking for 'new, more niche markers of cultural authenticity,' and products that reflect the increasingly di- verse U.S. population have filtered into its communities and social circles. Other con- sumer interests that will drive growth of the Asian category are product convenience and an increasing demand for healthier eating op- tions, the study further noted. Currently, 80 percent of Asian category sales originate from mainstream products designed for the U.S. palate, however authentic products and recipes are driving the category growth. Passage Foods' Mark MacKenzie stated, "The development of products that 'tick all the boxes' of recent con- sumer demands is crucial to the growth and success of the Asian food category." MacKenzie said of Passage Foods, "Taking the time-consuming complexity out of preparing authentic and quality international meals is what Passage Foods does best. We provide our consumers with the base for them to create simple, yet true from- scratch, restaurant-quality meals every time." About Passage Foods USA All Passage Foods cooking sauces are time- saving meal solutions that satisfy the needs of today's young, time-conscious consumer. The company's journey has taken a strong lead from consumer demands and emerging interest in world cuisines. Currently the Pas- sage Foods range includes 22 different cooking sauces from India, Thailand, Mexico, Korea, Morocco, China, Viet- nam, Indonesia, Japan and Europe. Each simmer sauce is made with fresh all-natural ingredients and added to meat, seafood or vegetables to create authentic international dishes. All Passage Foods products are certified gluten- free by GFCO and are non- GMO. Passage Foods is an affiliate of Flavour Makers Pty. Ltd., the second largest seasonings manufacturer in Australia. For ad- ditional product and consumer market infor- mation, call 800-860-1045 or visit Passage Foods online at www.passagefoods.com. For more information, visit www.passage foods.com, call 800-860-1045, email info@ passagefoods.com or stop by booth #4251. Royal is America's No. 1 Selling Basmati Rice A trusted household brand for 25 years, Royal ® is the No. 1 selling Basmati rice in America. To understand why, it is important to realize that all Basmati is not created equal. Similar to the case of champagne in France, truly authentic Basmati rice can come only from the foothills of the Hi- malayas. Under the attentive care of India's finest farmers, Royal Basmati Rice grows within the perfect harmony of climate, fertile soil and pure mountain spring water. After har- vesting, the rice is aged in temperature-con- trolled silos for a minimum of 12 months. The result is a fluffy, non-sticky, long-grain rice that is distinctively rich in aroma and delicately flavored. To guarantee that the rice meets the high- est standards, Royal has rigorous QC meas- ures in place that test each batch for purity, length, consistency and density. The com- pany also uses state-of-the-art equipment to ensure that every bag of Royal is packed with only the finest rice grains containing natural goodness. Royal's Basmati rice pairs perfectly with curries, is delec- table as a pilaf or gratin main dish, is delicious when mixed in stir-fries and salads or when eaten simply with just a topping of butter. Royal's extensive SKU sizes cater to every segment of the U.S. market including club stores, mass grocery, foodservice and specialty stores. The company offers a wide assortment of non-GMO white and brown Basmati rice from 8-ounce pouches all the way up to 40-lb. bags. Royal's range of Basmati rice includes: Heirloom (Traditional) Basmati, Extra Long Basmati (the Chef's favorite!), Or- ganic Basmati and Parboiled Bas- mati. Please visit Fancy Foods' booth #239 to experience the unforgettable fragrance, taste and texture of one of the world's great grains and see for yourself why Royal is America's most trusted Basmati rice brand. For more information, visit www.ltfoods americas.com, call 800-550-RICE or stop by booth #239. New Products from La Panzanella Artisanal Foods Co. Kicking off the Summer Season, La Pan- zanellaｮ is introducing a new 3-ounce pack- age for its top-selling and fast-growing Mini Croccantiniｮ line of artisanal crackers at the Fancy Food Show. The 3-ounce package is a convenient size for smaller footprint locations or stores with more limited shelf space. It will initially be offered in three flavors. Two of those flavors are the top-selling Original and Rosemary. The third is the newest flavor to the line-up, Roasted Garlic. Having this package size available in three great flavors gives retailers more options to offer their customers. Stop by the La Panzanella booth #458 to see the package and experience these flavors first-hand. For a hint of what you will find, or rather taste at the show, the flavor profiles of the three varieties are: Original – A favorite of chefs and other food lovers, the pure and simple Original Croccantini cracker creates a perfect comple- ment to flavorful cheeses, tapenades and charcuterie. With just a touch of coarse sea salt, these crisp, light crackers enhance any accompaniment. Rosemary – With their fragrant aroma, the popular Rosemary Croccantini crackers arouse memories of kitchen herb gardens and rustic Italian baking. With the heady flavor of rosemary and a hint of sea salt, these crackers are tasty enough to eat alone, and pair well with rich cheeses, hummus or dry salami. Roasted Garlic – With the subtle flavor of slow-roasted garlic, a pillar of traditional Italian cuisine, Roasted Garlic Croccantini crackers are reminiscent of freshly baked garlic bread. With a pinch of sea salt, these crackers enhance the flavors of aged cheeses, cured meats and Mediterranean spreads. Throughout its history, La Panzanella has had a singular passion and pleasure to share its Croccantini crackers with you, its cus- tomers, its friends, its family. La Panzanella continues to do so by offering these great new products. Visit the company's redesigned website, visit www.lapanzanella.com, or stop by the Facebook page, and let La Panzanella know what you think. About La Panzanella Artisanal Foods Co. Seattle area-based La Panzanella Artisanal Foods Co. is part of the family-owned com- pany, Madrona Specialty Foods. Its mission is to create uniquely crafted and always de- licious artisan foods. From its all-natural, non-GMO verified line of Italian Croccantini crackers to its European-inspired all-natural, Dolcetini artisan cookies, La Panzanella products are made with recipes and traditions handed down through generations and pre- served today. All of the company's products are certified Kosher Parve. For more information, visit www .lapanzanella.com, call 206-903-0500 or stop by booth #458.

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