Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JUNE 2018 n GOURMET NEWS 3 4 How to Be Sure You've Found the Real Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland When you want the real Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland, there are a few things you can look for. In order to guarantee that you've found the one cheese that can deliver the sig- nature taste and consistency that you expect from Gruyère AOP, you've got to know where to look, and what it means. During production, each wheel of Gruyère AOP is systematically marked with the se- quential number of all wheels produced in that dairy (in the example here, it is 11,168th wheel produced) and the code of that cheese dairy that is produced it (here it is 4167). The day and month of production are also noted (13-3, or March 13th). These black markings are made with casein, the milk protein – even here, there are no additives involved. The name "Gruyère AOP" and the code of the pro- duction facility is also on the mold, so that from this point on, this info will also appear on the heel of each wheel – this is an effective way of preventing fakes and guaranteeing au- thenticity. But you can take it a step further – using the cheese dairy's unique code, you can go to www.gruyere.com/en/zone- production and enter the cheese dairy number to see who produced the cheese you're eating. Only the real Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland is hand-made in 170 small batches, from a recipe that has been passed down for cen- turies. Its inimitable, savory flavor starts with the raw milk of cows that are sustained in its local fields, and the maturation is completed in local cellars and caves under strict supervision. The know-how of the producers, combined with the terroir of the region, makes Le Gruyère AOP Switzer- land truly incomparable. The AOP denomina- tion, as well as the association of milk producers, cheese makers and refiners, are tasked with pro- tecting this flavor – and ensuring that it maintains consistency with its origins, now and forever. Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland is 100 percent natural and 100 percent additive free, with 100 percent great taste. And of course, it is naturally free of lactose and gluten, as it has been since it was first produced in 1115 AD. For more information, visit booth #260 or go to www.gruyere.com. J&M Foods: Family Tradition and Passion for Good Food J&M Foods proudly continues its family tra- dition and passion for good food by provid- ing its customers with the best tasting cheese straws and cookies in the market. As a fam- ily-owned business operating for roughly three decades, it is happy to bring a little joy to its customers' eating experience. J&M Foods currently offers 19 varieties of cheese straws and cookies, as well as ad- ditional seasonal offerings. Working with various combinations of cheeses, chocolates, nuts, grains, fruits and spices, there's never a dull moment at J&M Foods. Its products are great for everyday pleasure and make the perfect gift. In addition, J&M Foods is al- ways in the kitchen exploring new possibil- ities to tickle the taste buds and provide something new for its customers' enjoyment. In keeping with the 100-year-old family recipe that inspired its great tasting Original Cheese Straws, J&M Foods is committed to maintaining its heritage of providing great products made from the finest ingredients avail- able. All of its products are trans fat free and baked with care. Its latest creation and something the company is very proud to add to the Janis & Melanie line of products comes in the form of a large, soft-baked cookie (3 inches in diameter). They're made with but- ter, whole egg and a whole lot of love. Vari- eties include Chocolate Chunk, Brownie and Oatmeal Cranberry. Each carton contains eight 1-ounce cookies, which are individu- ally wrapped. Enjoy them with milk, coffee, tea, ice cream or by them- selves anytime as a snack. J&M Foods enjoys being flexible enough to handle all its customers' needs. Lo- cated in a 32,000 square foot facility residing on 21 acres, it has room to grow along with its customers. Centrally located and na- tionally recognized, J&M Foods is an award- winning market leader within the specialty foods industry. Visit J&M Foods at booth #5227. For more information or to discuss a private label need, call 800.264.2278. Redondo Iglesias Introduces New Retail Items, New Packaging Redondo Iglesias, the 'maestros jamoneros' ham masters, based in Valencia, Spain whose brand is best known by chefs, is introducing a new logo and retail packaging already find- ing success in Europe. "Whole leg format sales have been flatten- ing out in the past several years," says Kate Whittum, Redondo Iglesias Sales Manager for the U.S. "In Spain and throughout Eu- rope, our new prestige style packaging has been very well received and we are delighted to have it in the U.S. for 2018. We expect to finally give U.S. consumers some awareness of the Redondo Iglesias brand and quality. Jamones from Spain are still a sliver of the dry cured ham market, with Italian Pro- sciutto di Parma and San Daniele being the heavy hitters. Unless the specialty consumer sees retail packaging, they have no sure way of knowing the brand of Jamon Serrano they are purchasing since most shops don't list it on signage. Thus the more brand forward package shift for our company." In addition to Jamon Serrano, there are also two offerings of Jamon Iberico. "It is a common misconception that all Jamon Iberico, the super-luxe extra-aged jamon of the fabled pata negra hog, is acorn fed," con- tinues Whittum. "In reality, only 15 percent of every year's production is acorn fed, while the remainder of the hogs stay on the farm they were raised on." The non-acorn Jamon Iberico is know as Cebo or "fed" and comes in two grades: either cebo or cebo de campo. Iberico Cebo is raised in barns while Iberico Cebo de Campo is free ranging in the field, or "fed in the field." Re- dondo Iglesias Iberico is either Iberico de Bel- lota, acorn fed or Iberico Cebo de Campo, free ranging in the field, never in barns. The new packaging also emphasizes the extra aging of Redondo's products – over 18 months on Serrano, 36 months on Iberico Cebo de Campo and 48 months on Iberico de Bellota. Chorizo Espanol produced at the Re- dondo Iglesias facility in Montreal, Canada is also slated for introduction in the U.S. in 2018. Redondo Iglesias invested years get- ting approvals from Canadian and U.S. au- thorities to bring in a true "cold cure" chorizo. Traditional chorizo Espanol is a raw product and thus the chorizo cur- rently available in the U.S. from Spain and from pro- ducers in the U.S. must be aged over 60 days or heat or pressure treated. These products do not have the same flavor profile or tex- ture as a true cold cure Chorizo a visitor to Spain would experience – either they must be loaded with fat in the mix or they have a fermented tang. A bene- fit of the NAFTA agreement is that this product can be produced in Canada and im- ported to the U.S. Visit Redondo Iglesias at booth #1350. For more information, contact Kate Whittum at 201.455.5266 or kate@redondousa.com or email info@redondousa.com. ChocoMaker: A Fresh Alternative for Baking Alan Richardson, co-author of five best-selling cupcake decorating books, including "Hello, Cupcake!" and the newest book, "Make It Easy, Cupcake!," talks about cake and candy deco- rating and why he uses ChocoMaker ® . Choco- Maker offers easy-to-use dessert decorations, candy wafers and dipping chocolates, frostings, entertaining appliances and a product line fea- turing 100 percent natural ingredients. GN: Tell our readers why you love Choco- Maker Candy Wafers. AR: When it comes to a coating, the most important thing to me is the way it melts and flows. I also love the beautiful bright colors, as well as the natural formula Candy Wafers. We find that ChocoMaker Candy Wafers melt faster and become silkier than other wafers. Whether I am dipping a cookie or pretzel in melted candy wafers, or pouring them over a whole cake, using ChocoMaker results in a thinner and smoother coating. That makes for prettier decorations and more 'oohs' and 'aahs' from our audience! GN: How do ChocoMaker decorettes com- pare to the competition? AR: I think ChocoMaker has 'nailed it!' The entire line of ChocoMaker decorettes features beautiful contemporary colors. The shimmies and beads are especially pretty ... thinner, smaller and more delicate than ordinary sprin- kles ... and the shimmer coatings add a touch of glamour to our designs. I also appreciate that ChocoMaker decorettes have a pleasant taste that don't overpower our baked treats. The packaging is unique, too! The square bot- tles sit neatly on the shelves in our candy pantry, while the smaller pouches and variety packs give us (and our readers) a chance to sample everything. Who doesn't love that? GN: How do you feel about ChocoMaker Edible Candy Cut Outs? AR: I teach our readers to look for shapes and colors for their designs ... to create things like ears, eyes, a mouth or even just patterns. Whether it's flowers, butterflies or circles, Ed- ible Candy Cut Outs are perfect ready-made shapes right out of the pouch. There are lots of fun colors to choose, too. Using them is as easy as press and play. Simply press them into your frosting and let the party begin! GN: Is there anything you can add about the ChocoMaker Natural line of products? AR: I get a lot of queries from parents that want to use healthy decorations for their kids. It is really reassuring that I can recommend the ChocoMaker Natural line because it's non-GMO and uses all natural ingredients. Any product that tastes great, looks great for decorating, and just happens to also be good for you, is a win-win-win in my book! ChocoMaker products are available in gro- cery stores, party and craft stores, and select national and international retailers. For more information, go to www.chocomaker .com or call 844.280.2374.

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