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Gourmet News special issue for Summer Fancy Food Show 2016

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GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JUNE 2016 n GOURMET NEWS 1 7 0 saving wizardry. All tamales are made with- out the traditional Mexican tamale fat, lard. In its place, Texas Tamale uses a soy bean oil to help bolster the flavor of the masa and de- lectably spiced meats, all while saving the tamale crazed customer calories and fat. Like mom always said, it is only what is on the in- side that counts, or in this case, what's inside the packaging. Texas Tamale has found a way to truly stand out on the grocery shelves and in the hearts of all Texans and non-Texans alike. The canvas bag used as packaging has an or- ganic, farmer's market charm that only adds the security of a USDA seal, nutrition and in- gredient listings that most others with such charm always seem to lack. Texas Tamale truly has something the rest of America is looking for and it leads to the question: What has taken it so long to get out of Texas? Texas Tamale Co. started in 1985 out of a family kitchen in Houston, Texas. As the company became bigger and bigger, the founding idea of the company stayed the same: make great tasting tamales with healthier and better ingredients. These healthier tamales slowly gained a strong fan base in southeast Texas and began expanding the tamales north to Dallas and Austin, Texas. Texas Tamale Co. is a company with big goals, great tamales and southern hospi- tality that very well could be the next big craze in grocery stores nationwide. For more information, visit www.texas tamale.com call 800.T.TAMALE, email sales@texastamale.com or stop by booth #2465. Texas Tamale Co. (Cont'd. from p. 1) absolutely – plus encouragement to return for an encore appearance this June. "Seeing our Hawaii-grown coffees at the New York show did a great thing for many members of the HCA," says HCA President Steve Hicks. "As a result of being in New York and a few other food shows since, some of our members are adopting current marketing trends and serving techniques, such as pour over and cold brew." Hicks went on to explain how the show in- troduced Hawaiian coffees to new markets, both domestic and international. "The Hawaii coffee industry is best known by coffee drinkers on the West Coast. Coming to New York is a huge opportunity to introduce our coffees to a whole region that is not as fa- miliar with the variety and quality of the Hawaiian coffees." That opportunity extends beyond the Big Apple to Canada, where interest in the spe- cialty crop came from representatives from eastern cities like Montreal, Toronto and Ot- tawa. "Canada is a very important market for Hawaii and we have worked hard to meet the needs of that market," Hicks explained. "We've seen that the New York show attracts interest in our coffees from Canada, and we've continued to target the New York Fancy Food show as a primary marketing venue for Cana- dian coffee businesses and enthusiasts." If the 2015 Hawaii Coffee Association booth is any indication, visitors to this year's version will be in for some unique and de- lightful treats. Last year the HCA offered a taste of coffees from each growing region in the islands, plus new offerings like 'Hawai- ian-style coffee soda' for the humid afternoon hours. "Each growing region has its own unique characteristics, and we want to be sure to fea- ture those distinctions at the show again this year," says HCA Vice President Ralph Gas- ton, who will help run the booth this June. "But we also want to find ways to feature Hawaiian coffees beyond a simple batch brew. The more diversity in products and uses we can show for our coffees, the more attrac- tive they can be for consumers." Of course, the biggest draw for Hawaiian coffee may well be the aroma of the freshly ground beans, which was a big draw for booth visitors and surrounding vendors alike. "We had many visits from our fellow ven- dors last year, looking for their first cup of coffee that day," Gaston explained. "Then, when the show floor opened, we got visits from all of the buyers looking for a little cof- fee as they made their rounds. We were ex- cited to see the same visitors return each day for a cup, or two or three." Try a cup of Hawaiian java at the Hawaii Coffee Association booth #5253 in the North Hall. After the show, visit hawaiicoffee association.org. Hawaiian Coffee Association (Cont'd. from p. 1) culent. This all natural, OU kosher flavor is available in Sarabeth's custom 9-ounce and 18-ounce mason jars. As are all other fla- vors, the Raspberry Apricot spreadable fruit is lower in sugar than jams, does not con- tain pectin and is slow kettle cooked in the U.S. Manuel Padilla, who manages the pro- duction of spreadable fruits for over 30 years, says, "The Raspberry Apricot is truly an amazing balance of two of my favorite fruits. The color, richness of texture and fla- vor and balance of sweet and tart is perfec- tion!" In addition to this new flavor, Sarabeth's continues to produce in small kettle batches the 16 flavors carried by many of the finest purveyors in the United States and over- seas. Sarabeth's is available in specialty foods retailers such as Sur La Table, Williams Sonoma, Draeger's, Citerella, Stew Leonard's and Fresh Direct. Grocery channel accounts include Kroger, The Fresh Markets, Whole Foods, Earthfare, Weg- man's, Weiss, ShopRite and Albertsons. Re- gional premium channel accounts that carry Sarabeth's are King's, AJ's, Straubs, Jewel, Fairway and Gelsons. Recently Sarabeth's expanded its offering into the seasonal gift box segment and has found that consumers at QVC, TJX, BB&B and Tuesday Morning are eager to purchase the preserves for spe- cial occasions. The founders of Sarabeth's, Bill and Sarabeth Levine, are thankful that new con- sumers and loyalists alike appreciate the un- surpassed quality of the ingredients and uniqueness of the flavors and whole fruit cooking consistency. Sarabeth has never waivered from her family heirloom recipes, which do not include pectin and are consid- ered "spreadable fruit" since the sugar con- tent is below that of jam. This formula for success in the United States has led to ag- gressive expansion overseas. Foreign mar- kets that carry Sarabeth's spreadable fruits include Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Dubai and Singapore. The retail package sales are supported by licensed restaurants that help to promote the brand and educate the consumer with regard to the legacy and popularity of the wholesome specialty food originally prepared and cre- ated by Sarabeth. And yes, there really is a Sarabeth! For more information, visit www.sarabeth.com, email info@sarabeth .com or stop by booth #2936. Sarabeth's (Cont'd. from p. 1) Basil and Spicy Olive. They are great on their own or with a favorite dip, spread or hummus. They are available in convenient, 4.75-ounce re-sealable pouches. The top- selling brand of specialty cracker is now available for snacking (Source: SPINs Data: 52 wks. ending 2/21/16; Specialty Grocery; Crispbreads, Wafers & Toasts). Stop by the La Panzanella booth #461 at the Fancy Food Show to experience these new flavors first hand. It also offers the fol- lowing flavor descriptions: Italian Herb – a perfect blend of Italian flavors inspired by a fresh herb garden; Sundried Tomato & Basil – the warm flavor of sundried toma- toes balanced with the sweetness of basil; and Spicy Olive – a savory, olive flavor with a hint of spicy red pepper, this cracker finishes with just a touch of heat. Throughout the company's history, it has been its singular passion and pleasure to share its Croccantini crackers with you, its customers, its friends and its family. It con- tinues to do so by offering these great new products. Visit www.lapanzanella.com, and check out the Croccantini Creations section for recipe inspiration. Also, check out La Pan- zanella's social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, and let the com- pany 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 an all-natural, non-GMO verified line of Italian Croccan- tini crackers to the European inspired, all- natural Dolcetini ® artisan cookies, its products are made with recipes and tradi- tions handed down through generations and preserved today. All of its products are cer- tified Kosher. For more information, visit www .lapanzanella.com, call 206.903.0500 or stop by booth #461. La Panzanella (Cont'd. from p. 1) at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. At the 1997 NRA show, my father, company Founder Richard Krohn, introduced his newly created Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix, and as they say, the rest is history. GN: Was Richard a beverage industry ex- ecutive? JK: No. Actually, this company was started after his other successful careers in finance and real estate, at an age when most people would be thinking about re- tirement. GN: Tell our readers how he grew the company to where it is today. JK: Assisted by restaurant and bar industry veterans Steve Mattison and T.M. Ashcraft, Richard began a systematic marketing ef- fort to fulfill his dream of building Zing Zang into a national brand. At that time, Mattison and Ashcraft were extremely ac- tive members of the Mississippi Restaurant Association, and the professional relation- ships that they had built in the southeast en- abled them to get a strong foothold on-premise, in a part of the country famous for being passionate about food and bever- age quality. From there, a steady progres- sion was made to other areas of the country, and the product began to develop a loyal following as consumers began requesting it as their preferred Bloody Mary mix. GN: With your father's creation and your involvement, is this a family business? JK: Oh, yes. My mother has been active since the company's inception, and my sis- ter and I became involved in the daily op- eration of the company five years ago. GN: With so many Bloody Mary mixes in the marketplace, why would consumers make Zing Zang their preferred Bloody Mary mix? JK: Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix is made with a mixture of the highest quality ingre- dients and the distinctive, bold taste re- flects Richard Krohn's dedication to producing a mix that needed no additions. As he so aptly put it, Zing Zang was 'not just another Bloody Mary mix.' Now 20 years later, the many thousands of dedi- cated Zing Zang customers have propelled the brand into a national award winning Bloody Mary Mix. It is served in fine drinking and dining establishments around the country, and stocked on the shelves of retailers nationwide. GN: Does the company have other prod- ucts? JK: Yes, we produce eight other mixes. GN: Will there be any additions to the line this year? JK: Currently the number of products will remain the same, but we are working on some packaging and size innovations that will be introduced when ready. For more information, call 877.620.1017 or visit booth #5484. Zing Zang (Cont'd. from p. 1)

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