Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2018 n GOURMET NEWS 1 2 0 only manufacturer of this specialty confec- tion in America. GN: Why is this process so unique? LD: The sugar crystals literally lock to- gether, forming a crystalline shell that's only a few sugar crystals thick. This forms an ed- ible moisture barrier between the chocolate on the outside and the liquid center. Because of this, you truly do have a large volume of liquid inside a very thin chocolate shell. You must place the entire product within your mouth or your chin may have all the fun! GN: Are the results as delicious as they sound? LD: Yes! The other exciting aspect of this sugar shell is the way it actually enhances the flavor within and protects the identity of the flavor profile. Just as sugar on sliced straw- berries will bring out the flavor, this sugar shell intensifies the liquid flavor. The iden- tity of a liquor is carried in the volatile essences, which normally oxidize, evaporate or migrate through chocolate. The sugar shell becomes an edible moisture barrier that cap- tures those essences, so that the identity re- mains intact and suspended until you crush the shell. It is so good at this that you can do a taste test between two straight bourbons, where both are hand-made, small-batch bourbons and you can taste the difference be- tween the two! GN: Besides bourbon, what other sorts of liquids do you use for the center? LD: Europeans primarily make brandy-filled chocolates. Since Americans do not typically drink Kirschwasser as a rule, we created liq- uid center chocolates filled with premium spirits, wines, coffees and fruit nectars – fla- vors that cater to American tastes. We also create specialized flavors for customers with a private labeling program. We can put your chosen liquid into the chocolates and have a specialized label created just for you. GN: What's the most unusual flavor request you've received? LD: A man wearing a Stetson and a gun walked in and inquired whether we could put anything into chocolate. I asked what he had in mind, and his response was, 'Sheep Dip!' When I said, 'Sir, I don't believe that's edi- ble!' he explained Sheep Dip was the name of a single-malt scotch from Scotland. GN: It sounds like your customers do a good job getting the word out about Quintessential Chocolates. LD: It is great fun to watch our customers bring friends and family in, and then proceed to repeat our 'schpiel' about our chocolates, right in front of our own salespeople. Often they do such a great job, we just let them continue! For more information, call 800.842.3382, email chocolat.tx@gmail.com or visit www.liquidchocolates.com. Quintessential (Cont'd. from p. 1) sweet followed by the signature Sucker- Punch heat. Last year, SuckerPunch introduced the Green Tomato Salsa and this year it has ex- panded that great taste with the rollout of the Cantina Style salsa. Just like the Sucker- Punch Green Tomato Salsa, the Cantina Style is available in a medium, as well as a hot version that continues the SPG tradition of a complex flavor profile with a tail end "punch." Continuing with expanding that great taste, SuckerPunch has also expanded its pickle line with the new pickle "spears." The spears come in two flavor profiles: the sig- nature Original SuckerPunch version as well as a Classic Dill. SPG's commitment to natural ingredients creates a clean product that complements the current product line that SuckerPunch Gour- met offers. SuckerPunch Gourmet, Inc., based out of Countryside, Illinois, was founded in 2011. SuckerPunch Gourmet offers specialty food products with clean ingredients with no ad- ditives, preservatives, allergens or GMOs. SuckerPunch products are available nation- ally through a variety of natural product dis- tributors and wholesalers, as well as national big box and grocery chains. Visit SuckerPunch Gourmet at booth #6108. For more information, go to www.sucker punchgourmet.com. SuckerPunch (Cont'd. from p. 1) Amano Chocolate, winning an incredible number of awards – over 200 first place awards – from chocolate competitions in the United States, Europe and Asia. When asked why he started Amano, Art said, "I strongly believe chocolate somehow speaks to us in ways other food cannot. Chocolate is able to reach and touch our soul. I wanted to create a chocolate that did just that; a chocolate when someone tastes it, they would know that they had something truly special." His greatest accomplishment to date hap- pened not long after Amano launched. On a trip to Cuyagua, Venezuela, Art spent the day working with the cocoa farmers. At day's end, he presented each of the farmers with a bar made 100 percent from their beans. One of the farmers approached Art and said, "This chocolate is like a river." When asked what he meant, the farmer said, "This choco- late takes you to all these wild and wonderful places and the flavor goes on and on like a river." In Art's words, "There is nothing that can top that." What about the awards? Art said they simply tell him whether he is on the right track. "I have a vision as to what I believe chocolate can be; the awards tell me if I am on the right track." Trips to visit the farm- ers he works with are a regular part of his incredibly busy schedule. This is in Art's view, key to making chocolate that is truly exceptional. "You can't buy cocoa beans that you have no connection to and hope to create a chocolate that is exceptional. If you know your farmer, you pay them hand- somely for their best cocoa. You know their children and you've stayed in their homes. You honor their hard work by the quality of the chocolate you make. The farmers are true heroes." Time will tell whether Art will ever find that elusive perfect chocolate. Yet, it cer- tainly isn't for lack of trying. From all the ac- colades Art and Amano Chocolate have received from those within and without of the industry, he certainly seems to be on the right track and is following his dream in a way few are able to do. For more information, go to www.amano chocolate.com, email amano@amano chocolate.com or visit booth #6218. Art Polla rd (Cont'd. from p. 1) of Friuli Venezia Giulia, is located on the Austro-Hungarian border and is enveloped by the Alps. Noticing the unique culture and eating habits of their new home city, the Dukcevich family began producing and sell- ing traditional recipe frankfurters and cooked and roasted hams to the locals, and the rest, as they say, is history! But they didn't stop there. Today, Principe is the leading top qual- ity producer of one of Italy's most presti- gious food products, Prosciutto di San Daniele. Principe's ever-growing portfolio of products includes various agings of Pro- sciutto di San Daniele, Prosciutto di Parma and Prosciutto Italiano; an ample selection of cooked and roasted hams, Mortadella from Bologna, Roasted Porchetta and Pancetta, Speck IGP Alto-Adige, Bresaola, Cotechino and many other authentic re- gional Italian deli meats. Principe not only imposes higher restric- tive standards on its products than most reg- ulatory boards do, but also demands direct control over every step in the production process, from the development of free range natural farms to in-house de-boning and cur- ing. This meticulous quest for perfection and constant innovation allows for dependable, consistent, top quality products and an ex- clusive, completely closed food safety sys- tem. With proprietary animal farms, six production plants, two slicing facilities, and export to over 40 countries around the world, Principe has become Italy's industry leader for premium deli meats. In 2016, Principe Foods announced a spe- cial initiative to introduce a new portfolio of locally produced salumi in the United States. The new domestic line, made in the metro New York/New Jersey area, complements the imported portfolio with a vast selection of top quality antibiotic free, all natural, no nitrates/nitrites salami, hams, sausages and unique specialty items. Convenient pre- sliced formats are available as well. While the Dukcevich family was adamant to secure a solid future for generations to come in their new Italian homeland, they could not have predicted just how successful they would be, both in Italy and around the world. Today the Principe brand is synony- mous with best-in-class quality, passion, in- novation, food safety and taste. For more information, contact Principe Foods USA, 3553 Atlantic Ave #1121, Long Beach, CA 90807. Principe Foods (Cont'd. from p. 1) under the P-R Farms, Inc. label. P-R Farms, Inc. is a grower, huller, packer and shipper in addition to being qualified in all export regulations which has earned the company an excellent international reputation. As members of the Almond Board of California, P-R Farms, Inc. abides by prescribed grower practices that are sustainable, economical and environmentally friendly. With a strong commitment to stay abreast of technological advancements, the family continually reevaluates and upgrades equipment and production methodologies to ensure excep- tional products, efficiency and food safety. In a quest to continue diversification while responding to consumer demands, the Ricchiuti family took on a new venture in 2008 drawing upon old world expertise and four generations of farming in the heart of California's San Joaquin Valley to craft 100 percent estate-grown organic extra virgin olive oil. The Ricchiuti's ENZO Olive Oil Company remains steadfast in its pursuit to uphold the family's 100-year tradition of ex- cellence by planting each and every tree, harvesting the crop, milling the fruit and bot- tling the oil under the direction and supervi- sion of Patrick and Vincent Ricchiuti. This meticulous, hands-on approach is what Patrick and Vincent believe it takes to pro- duce the finest oil. Most recently, the Ricchiuti family took another step to expand their product line by introducing the perfect complement to their ENZO organic extra virgin olive oil with the addition of ENZO organic balsamic vinegar. This prized Italian classic from Modena, Italy is fashioned in the Old World style where time-honored traditions and tech- niques yield a rich, complex and flavorful artisanal treasure. There are three varieties of handcrafted, barrel-aged vinegars: Tradi- tional, Apple and Fig. As a proud member of the California Olive Oil Council, ENZO Olive Oil Com- pany adheres to the most stringent standards in the world and shares in the organization's mission of promoting fresh, certified extra virgin olive oil. ENZO Olive Oil is also sanctioned organic by the United States De- partment of Agriculture, certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers, kosher certified by Kosher Supervision of America, as well as Non-GMO Project Ver- ified. With their nationally and internationally acclaimed, award-winning line of varietals, infused and co-crushed ENZO organic extra virgin olive oil, ENZO organic balsamic vinegar, and premium P-R Farms, Inc. Cal- ifornia almonds, one could easily agree that founders Vincenzo and Pat Ricchiuti would be most pleased to see the direction and progress that Ricchiuti Family Farms has re- alized since its inception back in 1914. For more information, go to www.prfarms.com or www.enzooliveoil.com, email info@ prfarms.com or info@enzooliveoil.com, call 559.299.7278 or visit booth #582. Ricchiuti (Cont'd. from p. 1)

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