Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JUNE 2018 n GOURMET NEWS 1 0 8 providing them something they never knew they wanted. The bars add color and brighten up any day. The chocolate feels and tastes timeless, sophisticated and international – in the tradi- tion of the great European chocolatiers. But the sweetness of each bite is perfectly matched to the ingredients, which add an air of intrigue and mystery – and most definitely make you smile. Vivra is a colorful brand that combines 30 years of chocolate-making with unexpected and innovative flavors and dynamic, colorful packaging. Vivra's chocolate satisfies the modern demand for surprise and connection while remaining true to the style and tradi- tion of European chocolatiers. Mixing inno- vative recipes with all-natural ingredients results in a line of vivid and fun chocolate that brings color and imagination to every- day life and eating habits. The combinations may seem surprising at first, but they are winning fans and racking up awards worldwide at events around the globe. The Curry Cashew Bar won a Silver sofi Award in 2017. The Thai Satay bar has grabbed three awards, including the Silver for Best Ingredient Combination at the 2016 International Chocolate Salon. English Gar- den has won seven awards for its taste and creativity, including Gold for Best Mixed Chocolate Bar at the International Taste Awards. Chili Crunch has been the big win- ner so far, though: 11 awards, including a sofi Award from the Specialty Food Asso- ciation in 2016 and Gold for Best Milk Chocolate Bar with Inclusions in the USA and Asia at the 2016 International Choco- late Awards. Vivra adds more color to life, makes it look better, taste better and feel better. That's the power chocolate has to make you see, taste and feel something special. Vivra's line of Artisan Chocolate Bars is sold nationally to specialty and grocery stores, and now has 10 fun and distinctive flavors in both milk and 65% dark. In addi- tion, Vivra has solid White, Milk and 65%, 72% and 85% Dark Chocolate Bars, two caramel infused bars, as well as a line of Sin- gle Origin bars which are made bean-to-bar at its 15,000 square foot third party certified production facility near Boston. From Chili Crunch, Thai Satay and Eng- lish Garden Bars, to basic solid chocolate, Vivra delights and surprises. Visit Vivra at booth #5739. Vivra (Cont'd. from p. 1) by the rum, rather than overpowered by it, the result is a smooth essence of the rum fla- vor after the alcohol is baked out. Perfect for all occasions, a taste of the Caribbean can be enjoyed any time of year. Offered in seven flavors, Cassandra's Gourmet Rum Cakes are shelf-stable (rum and sugar being natural preservatives) and ship safely by ground, freight or air. After starting at home in Cassandra's kitchen, the company has twice expanded the facility and has now increased the current lo- cation. Each year, increasing the customer base and adding channels of distribution con- tinues to increase the need for more space. In addition to being FDA inspected and com- pliant, Cassandra's Gourmet Classics is in the process of becoming SQF 2.0 certified. Today the flavor selection includes: Vanilla – wonderful aroma and vanilla flavor infused by pure vanilla, never imitation; Co- conut – sweet, coconutty cake with shredded coconut throughout; Cinnamon Pecan Streusel – perfect with coffee, tea or milk, this is the best "coffee cake" ever; Chocolate – just the right sweetness and moisture make this the perfect chocolate flavor; Banana – the flavor of just-ripe bananas with the essence of rum, yum; Raspberry – think Raspberry Rumtini; Chocolate Chocolate Chip – moist, sweet Chocolate Rum Cake with Callebaut chocolate chips – it's like get- ting a bit of frosting in every bite. Cassandra's Gourmet Classics sells its branded product, Island Treasures Gour- met™, in specialty stores in major markets throughout the United States, at Amazon.com and on the company website at www.islandtreasuresgourmet.com. It also has a growing private label rum cake busi- ness, sold in more than 40 states and inter- nationally. In 2017, the company expanded into foodservice. The Island Treasures Gourmet brand was the first product developed and packaged. The design of the box evokes the deep vi- brant colors of a tropical sunset, while the container protects the cake during shipping, is attractive for serving and provides storage once cut. Due to the nature of the ingredients and the packaging procedures, the rum cakes are shelf stable at room temperature – the large 32-ounce cakes are shelf stable at room tem- perature for 4-plus months, and the mini 4- ounce cakes are shelf stable for 9-plus months, both longer if frozen. "We will not compromise quality to save a dollar, as we believe quality and consis- tency bring the customer back," says Cassan- dra Craig, Owner and Creator. The result is a great tasting rum cake that is perceived as premium product from first glance to last bite. For more information, visit booth #6351. Cassandra's Gourmet Classics (Cont'd. from p. 1) CBB: At DeBrand, we have always had the approach of pursuing excellence in all aspects of our craft and our business. While we are certainly aware of confec- tionery industry trends, our goal is to con- tinuously evolve while making products that we love out of our minds using the best ingredients possible to deliver eye- rolling enjoyment to everyone who tries them. Our Classic, Truffle and Connois- seur Collections allow us to do this with a diverse selection of centers and flavor combinations for all types of chocolate lovers. GN: What's the secret to finding that eye- rolling enjoyment? CBB: There's no real secret; it's simply find- ing the right flavor combination, sourcing high quality ingredients and designing each piece as a work of art. Because we make all of our own centers from scratch, we give ourselves the wonderful burden of control and the responsibility to deliver excellence consistently. GN: What makes the Classic Collection classic? CBB: Our Classic Collection is our most pop- ular, and in it we focus on tradition but with the DeBrand touch. The term 'classic' simply refers to the style of the collection; the centers we cook for it are created for people who enjoy timeless favorites. We include different caramels of varying firmness and flavors, in- tensely pure fruit creams and re-inspired clas- sic selections, like our Gourmet PBJ. GN: Along those lines, the Truffle Collec- tion must focus on truffle centers? CBB: The short answer is, yes of course, but the Truffle Collection offers more than that; it's chocolaty inside and out! We have al- ways used an oversized mold to deliver a wonderfully decadent chocolate experience, like a dessert. Using this slightly larger palette gives us the chance to diversify the presentation and flavor profile of each piece with some being garnished with dried fruit or nuts. GN: That leaves the Connoisseur Collection. Is this only for the elite chocolate lover? CBB: Not at all! While it is for the choco- late lover interested in more intense, di- verse flavor combinations and textures, no expertise is required to enjoy them! I adore this collection for its variety of spices and rare ingredients, like jasmine tea, chili powder and glace ginger. My husband and I both love the Connoisseurs because each piece delivers an impactful confectionery experience in just a couple of bites. This all goes back to our founda- tion that from the smallest piece to our largest, our handmade Chocolate Art Boxes, we pursue excellence in all aspects from start to finish. For more information, call 260.969.8331, email wholesale@debrand.com or go to www.debrand.com. DeBrand Fine Chocolates (Cont'd. from p. 1) come from the foothills of the Himalayas. 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 company then ages the rice in temperature-controlled silos for a minimum of 12 months. The result is a non-sticky, fluffy long-grain rice that is distinctively rich in aroma and delicately flavored. To guarantee that its rice meets the highest standards, Royal has rigorous QC measures in place that test each batch for purity, length, consistency and density. It also uses state-of- the-art equipment to ensure that every Royal bag is packed with only the finest rice grains. Royal's Basmati Rice is uniquely versa- tile: it's at home in curry recipes, is delec- table as a pilaf or gratin main dish, is delicious when tossed as a salad and even fits in dessert recipes as a pudding or garnish. The culinary possibilities are endless! Royal offers a wide assortment of non- GMO white and brown Basmati Rice in a full range of pack sizes, from 2-pound trial- size pouches to foodservice-friendly 20- pound and 40-pound bags. For more information, visit www.authentic royal.com. Royal (Cont'd. from p. 1) respect for tradition, has quite an interesting history. After losing everything in WWII, the Dukcevich family was forced to flee its na- tive home of Croatia and take refuge in Trieste, a multi-cultural port city in North- eastern Italy. This area, in the region 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 selling tradi- tional 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 a leading top quality producer of one of Italy's most prestigious food products, Prosciutto di San Daniele. Principe's ever-growing portfolio of prod- ucts includes various agings of Prosciutto di San Daniele, Prosciutto di Parma and Pro- sciutto 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 regional 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 certainly become Italy's indus- try leader for premium deli meats. In 2018, Principe Foods proudly launched new portfolios of domestically sliced salumi for both retailers and foodservice operators in the United States. The new domestic slic- ing lines mark a significant investment from the Dukcevich family in the future of the company in the U.S. 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. Visit Principe at booth #3052. Principe (Cont'd. from p. 1)

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