FOOD INTERNATIONAL

25/06/19

A married couple I know (their identity is protected) once turned up to a 1960s fondue party in matching purple caftans! Now I’m not suggesting you go to that retro extreme, but Kiwis are definitely now reviving fondue parties, which were mega trendy in the 1960s and 70s. And it is such an easy and relaxed way to entertain during the chilly months.

Guests sit around dipping bread or vegetables into a communal pot (or two or three) of creamy melted cheese fondue. It can be very messy but is great fun and for keen ‘op shoppers’ like me,  wonderful (usually in a garish orange hue) fondue sets are often selling with very affordable price tags. Of course, Food International has a huge line-up of cheeses to fit the fondue format.

Fondue originated in Switzerland and so the cheeses most commonly used to make it are Swiss – such as Emmental and Gruyère. Raclette and Gouda also work well in fondues and there are many other possible combinations of cheeses and recipes available.

By now, you will have noticed the switch in restaurants and cafes menus throughout New Zealand to serious winter food – steaming soups as starters, more substantial mains and hot desserts. Your home cooking will have changed now too and with the cooler temperatures, your repertoire will include more warming and hearty dishes.

Think grilled cheese bubbling on hot toast, French Onion soup with a huge chunk of baguette lathered in cheese, a Monsieur Croque sandwich using the best quality tasty cheese, wholegrain mustard, shaved ham and sourdough bread, our famous “Southern Sushi” (Mainland cheese rolls) or good old Macaroni Cheese… While the uses of your selection of Food International cheeses might be different from those on balmy summer days, they are an essential part of a varied winter diet.

Food International is also importing some sensational cheeses from Somerdale International, one of the largest UK exporters of very high-quality English and Irish cheeses.

Look out for these three names in particular for hearty winter eating:

El Truffelino Cheddar:
This really has to be tried to be believed. Somerdale Il Truffelino is a premium cheese combining the creamy texture of classic English cheddar with the complex and luxuriant flavour of Black Summer Truffle. Il Truffelino is suitable for vegetarians and does not contain Gluten.

Barber’s 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddar:
Aged for at least 24 months, Vintage Reserve has a creamy texture and smooth finish, containing naturally occurring crystals that give it a distinctive crunch. Refined sweet notes balance out its tangy sharpness. The Barber family has been making cheddar since 1833, which makes them the oldest surviving cheddar-makers in the World!

A New Irish Addition –  Claddagh Bó:
Claddagh Bó is a handcrafted Irish aged Cheddar made in County Limerick using milk from grass-fed cows. The name comes from two traditional Gaelic terms. The design of the ‘Claddagh ring’ is said to symbolise the qualities of love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the crown), while Bó is Gaelic for Cow and its partnership in nature. Claddagh Bó’s Irish provenance is complemented by its stunning hand waxed packaging in the colours of the Irish tricolour.

YOLO also has some exciting new flavours including Gouda with Lime and Chilli and another Gouda with Truffles. Both are excellent and I’ve heard the latter described as “orgasmic.” How can we argue with that?

Keep warm, healthy and happy,

Robyn

27/04/19

Hola,

Your Unlikely Food Blogger is still in a Spanish state of mind. Travelling with Food International’s CEO, Adel, to the 33^rd annual Salon de Gourmets Food Expo in Madrid was a sensational experience.

I’ve attended three times before, but each time the number of exhibitors and visitors grow as does the glitz and glamour. And, of course, the range of amazing food products also increases – with more than 470,000 products on show. This year the expo had 1600 exhibitors and an estimated 93,000 visitors. Apparently King Carlos was there but I didn’t spot him doing any samplings.

The biggest overseas contingent was made up of Canadians and Americans, but I noticed among the international visitors this year, people from many countries who hadn’t attended before – such as Oman and Bangladesh. The interest from Pakistan and India also seems much stronger.  Obviously the popularity of Spanish food is spreading globally!

The show highlighted innovations in Spanish food and culinary applications. But, as in other years it was the hundreds of different virgin olive oils – all from different olive varieties and regions of Spain – along with their famous ham (jamon) and many types of cheeses and wines which really dominated the expo. The country’s huge variety of fish and shellfish were also top runners.

For Food International, it was the selection of cheeses (el  queso ) which was naturally a top priority. We found a gorgeous Brie, which we thought might fit the YOLO profile and are still debating if it would be suitable for New Zealand or not. The only problem there was that it has a strong cabbage-like aroma. In other words, IT STINKS.

We had to wrap it with three heavy bags in our hotel fridge and we could still get that gentle cabbage waft. But, for us the flavor was so incredibly rich and good, it was well worth it! We’ll keep you posted on that particular cheese.

Adel was particularly interested in the ‘heat and eat’ paella dishes (the readymade meals are very popular and of a very high quality), the different varieties of that classic Spanish cheese, Manchego, with the addition of truffles, garlic and even one style which has been washed in red wine. On offer too were wedges of Manchego cut in the classic Spanish triangle. We thought these would fit well with our YOLO assortment of sliced cheeses.

After the expo, we travelled into the province of La Mancha (famous birthplace of the legendary character, Don Quixote, who was always tilting at windmills) and home to that special breed of sheep which produce the milk for Manchego Cheese. We met with the Export Manager for one of the country’s top producers and toured their state-of-the-art factory.

It was beautiful countryside to travel through and plenty of those historic windmills Don Quixote was fighting in the famous legend, but I’m yet to see any Manchego sheep. The man at the Manchego factory said the sheep were kept “close to the home”. So obviously, they are more intensively farmed than their Kiwi counterparts for the milk to make Manchego – arguably Spain’s most famous cheese.

Other New Zealanders to attend the expo were Amelia   Farras-Knowles  of Auckland’s Iberian Foods, and Celebrity Chef,  leading restaurateur and food importer, Simon Gault, of Sous Chef. Simon is pictured here with Adel and a Spanish exhibitor.

Both Simon and Amelia were also very impressed with the fair and excited about new export possibilities from Spain.

We hope you will continue to enjoy our products and keep in touch. Finding new and exciting food ideas from overseas is challenging and rewarding. We plan to have some new Spanish products in your pantry soon.

Adios YOLO Amigos,

Robyn 

SINGAPORE SLING

Salaam from Sultry Singapore,

We are in transit in Singapore on the way to Madrid for the Salon de Gourmets and looking to establish a YOLO base here. Unlike Aussie, there’s no quota system and fortunately, an enterprising Yousef brother living and trading in this dynamic city. So huge opportunities here in this cosmopolitan hub with a large expat community.

This is the fourth time we have been invited to this food expo in Spain. It’s always been a great and inspiring experience. Adel has made many contacts there with several YOLO products on Kiwi supermarket shelves as a result. 

We plan to add to this line-up. And Adel would like to hear from you if you have any interests in Spanish food products that he can follow up. Send him an email adel@foodinternational.co.nz  I’ll be at the trade show to do a story and photos for a local hospitality mag and I’m looking forward to expanding my collection of Spanish shoes. 

 Meanwhile, we are relying on you to keep on enjoying our YOLO range….

Cheers

Robyn – The Unlikely Food Blogger

 PS Check out our Facebook, Twitter & Instagram 

This blog was supposed to be a light-hearted report about the success of Adel’s GULFOOD visit. I wanted to report that hopefully, we’d land some great new products on our supermarket shelves bearing our brand. Chocolate-coated Medjool Dates for a starter…

Then last Friday in Christchurch happened.

Business rolls on, but the issues that were all important on Friday morning (such as delay with products arriving etc, etc.) just seemed to be lost in the cloud of sadness that followed this cruel act of terrorism.

The team at Food International send love and condolences to all those who have been affected. So many lost in New Zealand’s small Muslim community.

My husband, Adel, (Mr YOLO to some!) is one of five brothers who are all moderate Muslims. Their religion is the cornerstone of their family and business lives. I have never converted but have great respect for their faith.

Adel is very touched by the number of messages he has received from New Zealand and all over the world. His response was: “My love for New Zealand will not change.”

I have been so impressed with how fellow Kiwis have rallied around to support Muslim New Zealanders. We must never forget those who were lost on Friday and those who had their lives changed forever.

A simple smile or “salaam” can mean lots to those who are suffering. Kiwis are kind by nature and I am sure they will continue to support their Islamic friends and neighbours.

I’ll get back to you soon with a business blog packed with product news, but this is a time for reflection.

It’s the world’s largest annual food and beverages trade show. And Food International’s CEO, Adel Yousef, will be there in Dubai for GULFOOD 2019. It’s the 24^th ‘edition’ of the show and the sixth time Adel has visited.

Many of Food International, and particularly YOLO products, have been sourced from contacts made there and many traders believe it is the one major food show which is truly global. Of course, organisers of other mega events would probably disagree …

But, you can’t argue with the vital statistics which are very impressive – 98,000 visitors from 93 countries and with 5000 exhibitors spread across 120 country pavilions. This year it is sub-titled “The World of Food. The World of Good.”

Adel leaves Auckland on 16 February for the show held from 17 to 21 February and he’s armed with a long shopping list (and no, not from me – although the price of gold in Dubai is the best in the world!) to add some wonderful new products to the YOLO range.

So if there is a food item you’ve drooled over overseas and would love to see available in our supermarkets here, please let the intrepid trader know so he can do the research.  He is also making a flying visit to his homeland of Egypt where he’ll be eating lots of mezze and looking for trade opportunities.

Get in touch with your foodie ideas. You can contact Adel on 021 74 0075.

Have you heard that old chestnut that eating cheese before sleeping can lead to dreams – even diabolical nightmares?

To quote that old Simon and Garfunkel favourite, last night I had the strangest dream … It starred the most bizarre cast of characters including people I hadn’t thought of in five decades. And, YES, I had been snacking on a gorgeous crystallized Dutch Gouda, Old Mill, before retiring to bed.

So I thought I’d do some digging (i.e. call on Uncle Google) to see if there was any truth to this theory.

It turns out The British Cheese Board did a study back in 2005 which apparently revealed that different types of British cheese gave different people both good and bad dreams.

Stilton-eaters had very weird and vivid dreams, while Red Leicester fans dreamed about the past and those who preferred the Lancashire style were dreaming away in the future. Here at Food International, we have a large British range now (sold through Farro Fresh with some lines in selected supermarkets) including Stilton and Red Leicester. So you can do your own research.

Keen creative writers keep a book and pen by their bed so they can record their dreams for possible writing projects. You could try that, but Food International CEO, Adel Yousef, claims the cheese we supply leads only to the sweetest of dreams!

The British Cheese Board’s survey was received with some suspicion and many dismissed it as a clever piece of marketing as it was not strictly scientific without a control group. But, scientific evidence that can’t be refuted is that cheese contains casein. Casein fragments are called casomorphins, a casein-derived morphine-like compound. Basically, dairy protein has opiate molecules built in. When consumed these fragments attach to the same brain receptors that heroin and other narcotics attach to.

Not strong enough to have the police pursuing you, but strong enough to keep you coming back for more.  That’s why the most dedicated vegans miss cheese more than the Sunday roast. And possibly why you do get some brilliant dreams after that evening cheesy snack!

Work is already back into a very busy rhythm at Food International with the demand for our products increasing each week.

We hope the New Year has started well for you all as you look forward to a wonderful 2019, with of course, some beautiful cheesy dreams that will enrich your life.