Posted by admin on November 26, 2010 under New Product Showcase | 
New Product Showcase…by Eda Kram
Joyce Chen introduced a gluten free soy sauce, which enhances the flavor of gluten free cooking. The sauce is high quality, low in sodium, and naturally brewed over six months in the traditional Chinese way. Unlike other chemically created products, Joyce Chen uses certified organic soybeans with no wheat or gluten products, no MSG, and no artificial colors or chemical preservatives. It can help deepen the flavor of any dish, from Asian cuisine to soups and marinades. Joyce Chen is kosher pareve certified under OK Kosher supervision. For more information and to purchase visit: www.joycechenfoods.com
Posted by admin on under Sixth Sense |
My Sixth Sense
By Menachem Lubinsky
With less than two weeks to Chanukah (yes, it begins early this year, on the eve of December 1st) many retailers are scrambling to merchandise the traditional foods and gift items that define the 8-day holiday. “Chanukah is extremely confusing to my employees,” a kosher supermarket owner told me. It seems that unlike Passover when there are weeks of preparation and then the store closes for at least 2-days, on Chanukah the store remains open throughout and gifts are given the entire 8-days. While many stores recognize the opportunity to connect with their Jewish customers, which is why they “invest” in an electric menorah, they are not exactly sure how to merchandise Chanukah. Do they make the effort to display a fresh assortment of doughnuts, highlight frozen pancakes or pancake mix, make up their own gift baskets and so forth. The answer is, of course yes to all of the above and the more effort they dedicate for the holiday, the better they will do.
Yakov Yarmove of SuperValu makes sure that his stores have something for everyone in the free standing ads he helps prepare. There are chocolate coins and dreidels for the kids and all the necessary ingredients for “latkes” (potato pan cakes). While not in Passover’s league (from the point of view of sales), Chanukah has become a huge gift-giving holiday with enormous opportunities for all segments of the food industry, including the growing number of on-line gift stores. I recall seeing the stat that Hallmark sells more Chanukah cards than any other religiously themed cards. Many stores have mastered the Chanukah merchandising with a front-of-store display of the foods, dreidels, coins and other goodies to go along with specials on ingredient items for pancakes as well as the obligatory apple sauce. If you are into kosher, Chanukah is most definitely part of the mix, but it is important to make plans for a good marketing and merchandising effort and not to rely on miracles!
Posted by admin on November 25, 2010 under Kosher Technology |
New York…by Staff Reporters…A recent announcement by General Electric that it has installed a “Shabbos mode” feature on hundreds of its popular cooking appliances, including wall ovens and electric drop-in ranges, is the latest development in the increased role of technology in the kosher kitchen. Like many other kosher innovations that are driven by technology, the new ranges are certified kosher by Baltimore-based Star-K Kosher Certification. The Shabbos mode can be utilized by those wishing to keep kosher or avoided by the non-Jewish customer. In a press release, GE said it was “the voice of Jewish consumers” that led company engineers to develop this feature. Ranges, which are usually equipped with a 12-hour shut-off feature for safety purposes, will have a Shabbos mode feature in which the 12-hour override does not occur, allowing food to be warmed continuously throughout Shabbos. Tones and timer sounds will be eliminated, as will display icons to permit temperature adjustments on yomim tovim. “With today’s advanced technology, and the ‘bells and whistles’ which are now standard features in almost every appliance on the market, it is difficult for Sabbath observers to be able to use their appliances in a halachically correct manner without the Sabbath mode,” notes STAR-K president, Avrom Pollak. “Although features such as door alarms on freezers are thought of as a bonus for the consumer, they are an annoyance for the Sabbath observer.”
Culinary Depot, located in Monsey NY, is a commercial kitchen equipment company that has worked with some of the leading kitchen equipment manufacturers to create a line of Shabbos-ready kitchen appliances for caterers, restaurants, synagogues, nursing homes, and other facilities where commercial-grade equipment is needed. Avi Fried, an online representative of the store, says “We’ve done a lot of business with major appliance manufactures, and we’ve noticed that there’s been a need for Shabbos-friendly kitchen equipment for kosher caterers, nursing homes, and hospitals.” Culinary Depot offers these facilities items like a Shabbos convection oven by Vulcan that has a standing pilot, and does not turn off lights or fans when the door is opened or closed and a Shabbos refrigerator/freezer made by Traulsen that has an LED display that can be turned off prior to Shabbos so as not to change the temperature numbers when opening the refrigerator or freezer door to remove an item. Fried said that the Culinary Depot shipped 20 of the Shabbos-friendly convection ovens to Uman in the Ukraine, and has shipped some to Pesach programs in exotic locations like Cancun. They’ve shipped equipment to Israel, Australia, and South Africa, though most of the orders come from across the United States.
Posted by admin on November 24, 2010 under Thanksgiving |
New York…by Tova Ross, Feature Editor…Every year, the event occurs, bringing along with it questions of turkey and stuffing, cranberry sauce and pecan pie. No, it’s not Thanksgiving dinner, but rather, the annual debate on whether Jews should even be celebrating Thanksgiving. Many Orthodox families do not mark the day with any kind of celebration, perhaps feeling that a holiday associated with good food is more fitting in a religious setting like Sukkot or Passover. There is some debate amongst Talmudic scholars whether Thanksgiving Day is a religious or secular holiday. But that’s where the debate ends since in kosher stores all over America sales of Thanksgiving foods are soaring.
On Main Street in Kew Gardens Hills, various kosher stores, such as Meal Mart, Mauzone and Brach’s, all offer Thanksgiving feasts for up to 12 people. Chef Marty Levin of Mauzone Home Kosher Foods said, “When Mauzone’s was in the retails business, we were making turkeys around the clock for our customers, and sold at least 200-300 for Thanksgiving to our consumers.” Currently, Mauzone’s delivers meals to kosher-keeping seniors through the Meals on Wheels program, and has a contract with the city to deliver meals to seniors across the entire city for holidays, including Thanksgiving. Mauzone’s kosher Thanksgiving meal includes freshly-roasted turkey breast with pan gravy, bread stuffing and vegetables, sweet potato soufflé, and glazed green beans. Leah Katz of Brach’s Glatt Kosher Meat Market puts turkey sales at about 100-150 turkeys during Thanksgiving, pointing out that turkey is a popular dish year-round. “Many people use our Thanksgiving meals for that Shabbos or, if the timing is right, a Chanukah dinner.” Other side dishes include a lauded stuffing, sweet potato kugel, and cranberry relish. One Kew Gardens Hills resident said, “There is no question that there is a holiday atmosphere on Main Street on Thanksgiving, with great hustle and bustle similar to the pre-Yom Tov activity. The bakeries are crowded with people buying bread and pie or cake for the Thanksgiving meal. I’m always so happy to see this, because it proves that even in such an intensely Orthodox neighborhood as Kew Gardens Hills, so many people celebrate the quintessential American holiday. And the very next morning, with people buying their Shabbat food, you’ll hear “Good Shabbos” instead of “Happy Thanksgiving.” It’s an excellent combination of the best in American and Jewish traditions.”
Gourmet Glatt in the Five Towns, is offering a Thanksgiving meal for 8 including turkey, stuffing, yams, green beans almandine, and cranberry sauce. In Brooklyn, China Glatt is offering a traditional turkey dinner in addition to its celebrated sushi and Chinese food, and Dougie’s has a delicious Thanksgiving feast for 10 that includes hot open turkey, stuffing, sweet potato chips, and Dougie’s famous gravy, plus apple or cherry pie. Masbiah Soup Kitchen in Brooklyn plans to serve turkey as well. And even Goldberg’s grocery store in Borough Park is offering weekly specials including turkey steaks and cutlets – though Thanksgiving itself is not referenced by the store. Retailers are not the only ones benefiting from soaring Thanksgiving sales. Kosher restaurants all over the country are offering kosher turkey dinners.
Posted by admin on under Kosherfest |
Brooklyn, NY…Moshe Semel, one of a handful of remaining family-owned kosher food distributors, is still the man to see at the annual Kosherfest for many manufacturers looking for distribution. After more than three decades at the helm of Quality Foods, Semel shows no signs of slowing down even as a second generation of Semels and Soffers (children of his late partner Eli Soffer) are now part of the company. Gitel Liebler, Mr. Semel’s daughter, marvels at her father’s tenacity to stay the course in a business that has become “cut-throat” and dependant on extremely low margins. Kosher distribution has come a long way from the days when family owned distributors anchored their businesses as regional distributors for Manischewitz, Rokeach or Streit’s. While many of those distributors have long since disappeared from the scene or were swallowed up by large specialty food distributors, Semel and his family is still a leading kosher food distributor. To satisfy larger clients, particularly supermarkets, distributors of certain category foods expanded their offerings to what one competing distributor called “everything goes.” Distribution was no longer for a small breed of expert distributors. As one retailer put it: “Anyone with a truck became a kosher distributor.”
With more than 3400 SKU’s, Quality covers most of the Metro New York area, Pennsylvania and even markets abroad. The distributor has successfully made the transition from the traditional kosher foods of the 1970’s to today’s technologically enhanced products such as items that have an extended shelf life. Mrs. Liebler says that the distributor is very much on top of innovation, even stocking ingredients that are included in popular kosher cookbooks or being the first ones to distribute a new OU certified Tootsie Roll. Quality has also been extremely successful in marketing and distributing foods under such well-known labels as Noam, Chopsie’s, Ungar’s, and Snack Delite to name but a few. Industry sources speak of Semel as “one of the nicest guys in the industry,” and someone who helped many aspiring kosher food entrepreneurs with “credit terms he never should have offered.” After all, Semel was himself at one time a retailer with a popular Boro Park store that he owned together with his late Brother. For Liebler, a defining moment in Semel’s impressive career was a recent company meeting at which Mr. Semel finally found a few moments to attend. “There were all the family members and key salesman in one room with my father sitting at the head.”
Posted by admin on November 23, 2010 under Kosher Stores |
Baltimore, Md…by Tova Ross and Staff Reporters…While the nation’s largest independent kosher stores opened here last week, a leading supermarket chain in the area also announced a major expansion. Industry sources say that the Baltimore developments are part of the latest turf wars for the ever-expanding kosher market. With 55,000 square feet, Seven-Mile Market in Pikesville, will eclipse such large stores as Rockland Kosher and Pomegranate, two other independents that have become part of the new standard bearers for spacious upscale kosher supermarkets. Both Rockland Kosher and Seven Mile Markets face increased competition from supermarket chains that are not conceding the territory to the independents. In New City, just several miles from Rockland a new Stop and Shop is touting a magnificent kosher showcase while Giant’s two Pikesville stores dramatically increased their kosher offerings. Brian Beaty, Director of Marketing and External Communication for Giant, which is part of the mega Ahold chain, said that the two stores in the area added more than 500 items with 130’ of dry goods, 24’ of refrigerated foods, and 24’ of dairy. In addition, Shoppers, a part of SuperValu, is also said to be increasing its kosher set. Industry sources that this new competitive environment is “a reality that here is to stay.” In the case of Rockland Kosher, for example, the huge store will also face competition from a planned new Yesh store, part of Israel’s Shufersal chain, that is scheduled to open on the site of the former Pathmark.
The new Seven-Mile mega-center is not merely a typical supermarket; it includes several franchise stores within a store, including a café, pharmacy, fish store, and flower store, among others. New display items include a salad bar, an expanded bakery section, and soon, a sushi bar and bulk items section. Herschel Bohem, the store’s owner, told Kosher Today that the opening day was “very busy, with a lot of customers exploring every display and shopping the entire store. “ He added: “Many of the customers pointed to the spaciousness of the place, and its clean and modern look.” Rikki Ambinder, a Baltimore resident, was one of those who just had to make it for the store’s re-opening. “The store is so big that you get a workout just walking the many aisles,” she remarked. “They have a much bigger selection than they did previously and have added many new sections, including one I enjoyed that was dedicated just to health foods. They also have a new section within their meat department, containing fresh bison and other kosher meats. The store is spotless and clean, and there were so many cashiers that even though the store was bustling, the lines were minimal. I had a very positive experience there and can’t wait to continue shopping at such an amazing place that is kosher and all one-stop.” Eli Schlossberg, a Baltimore resident and a veteran food official and consultant says that the big challenge for Seven-Mile will be to attract area shopprers for more than the obligatory twice a year visits, before Rosh Hashanah and pre-Passover. Schlossberg helped produce a one-hour video on the store (www.baltimorejewishlife.com).
Posted by admin on under Kosher Market |
Secaucus, NJ…Kosher food marketers that put in the effort to educate customers how to use their products fare considerably better than those who do not, a Kosher Today study found. Suzie Fishbein, the award-winning author of a series of kosher cookbooks helped Chez Eider of Kolatin educate trade buyers at Kosherfest on how to use the fish-based gelatin. Ms. Fishbein said that she is convinced that such education would help sell many more kosher food products. Gitel Liebler of Quality Foods, a Brooklyn based distributor, stocks ingredients that are included in books like Fishbein’s Kosher by Design and also believes that “dumping products on shelves” is no longer a good strategy. Many of the kosher food sources interviewed for this article were convinced that one of the reasons so many new kosher food products fail is because they simply “do not take the time to invest in consumer education.” A prominent chef said that he finds that certain products will not succeed unless there is “some kind of education.” He mentioned sauces as one of those items, adding: “Sauce in a bottle doesn’t look like much until it becomes part of a recipe.” Many Israeli supermarkets invest far more than their American counterparts in educating consumers. An important feature in most Israeli supermarkets is tastings and demos throughout the store, which are used a lot less frequently by US kosher grocers.
The education of kosher cooks is what is said to behind Kosher Inspired, a new magazine launched by Mishpacha, a popular weekly magazine. Competitors like Binah also devote considerable space to recipes, further stimulating demand for kosher ingredients. Kashrus Magazine, a kosher periodical that highlights kosher alerts and features an annual survey of kosher certifications has added New York Kosher News. Both Kosher Inspired and Kosher News were introduced at Kosherfest. The new publications are in addition to many on-line sources.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on November 12, 2010 under Sixth Sense |
My Sixth Sense…by Menachem Lubinsky
Lost in the aisles upon aisles of booths at Kosherfest was a group of exhibitors who you might say were the anchors of the show and icons of the kosher food industry. Despite mergers, acquisitions, and the demise of many brands over the last decades, there were the families that helped shape the kosher food industry. At the Kedem booth, there was David Herzog, his nephew Nathan Herzog and David’s son Mordy. Despite its meteoric rise, the family flavor has been very much retained. At the Streit’s booth, descendants Aaron Gross and Aaron Yegoda were showing off many of heir new products as they take the Lower East Side Matzoh manufacturer to a whole new level. Morris Setton still greets passersby with his fresh almonds, pistachios, and other nuts. Aba Klein of Klein’s Ice Cream had three generations of Kleins in his booth. Who would have believed that the kosher ice cream company would be producing 300 different products, some in conjunction with large food manufacturers. The Klein’s of Oh! Nuts were also represented by two generations of Kleins. There were many other families who we have come to love and respect over the years.
The newest family that is also hoping to build a legacy is Montreal businessman Hershy Friedman, who acquired the bankrupt Agriprocessor and has in recent weeks been applauded for the quality of his Aaron’s Best products. Mr. Friedman was an instant celebrity at the show, despite a long history of being a successful businessman and generous philanthropist. There were other kosher notables in the aisles like Rabbi Yehuda Perl, who has successfully taken Sabra hummus mainstream. One notable absence was speed-painter Morris Katz, who was a fixture at the show almost from its inception, and who is suffering from an undisclosed illness. Get well soon, Morris. We really missed you!
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on under Kosher Stores |
New York…by Staff Reporters…Students who eat kosher at Temple University in Philadelphia now have Café 613 to eat some kosher certified matzoh balls. But not too far from the campus is a Whole Foods, the gourmet and healthy culinary mecca, which recently announced that it would begin carrying chicken and turkey (just in time for Thanksgiving) from The Kosher Valley, which is certified by both the OU and K’hal Adath Jeshurun. Kosher chicken broth can be found, from the Pacific Natural Foods brand. Whole Foods also now carries popular kosher product such as Streit’s gluten-free macaroons, cakes, and stuffing mixes, Elyon marshmallows (perfect for vegans who abstain from the gelatin found in non-kosher marshmallows), and Chanukah gelt from Divine Chocolate – the familiar chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil, but this time, with Fair trade imprints. The chocolates have a Triangle K symbol. Kashrut-observant NYU students who frequent the Union Square locale of Whole Foods now have a quick and inexpensive way to obtain additional kosher staples off-campus.
The range of products available in Philadelphia are also available in many other Whole Food stores. The organic kosher chicken broth from Pacific Natural Foods was specifically developed for Whole Foods Market, since it meets the company’s strict quality standards. It is made from free-range, grain-fed chickens that are carefully raised without antibiotics or added growth hormones, and are processed according to kosher standards. Additionally, Whole Foods Market customers will continue to find an array of kosher products from Streit’s, the only family-owned-and-operated matzo producer in the U.S. For shoppers who have special dietary needs, Whole Foods Market offers other Streit’s kosher products, including vegetarian and gluten-free macaroons, vegetarian cake and stuffing mixes that are free of hydrogenated oils, artificial preservatives and MSG.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on under Kosher Industry |
New York…by Tova Ross…The slate of colleges an universities in the US that offer kosher programs continues to expand as demand by students and faculty increases. Stanford University’s “Stanford Dining” launched a kosher option for students just a couple of weeks ago in addition to a kosher co-op community that existed briefly almost a decade ago, student Jacob Portes, ’11, told Kosher Today, Stanford has not typically ever had a sizeable Orthodox Jewish contingent among its student body. For instance, Friday night services under Orthodox auspices started only last year. In 2008, a couple of students wrote to University President John Hennessey requesting a viable kosher food option at school. After two years of effort and funds from Hillel donors, kosher food is now available to the student body, albeit three times a week, from Monday-Wednesday. Until now, Portes, a kosher dining intern, said he was cooking all of his food himself with his own pots and pans in his dorm room. Said Portes: “I really hope that the kosher food option will encourage more Orthodox Jews to apply to Stanford. The University is very supportive and is hoping to expand the program as the demand increases.
Temple University in Philadelphia recently opened the doors to a new kosher café, appropriately called Café 613. The new eatery is located in the university’s Hillel building, which opened last year. The café’s food, which includes traditional dishes such as matzoh ball soup and corned beef and pastrami on rye, can be purchased at no additional charge to the regular meal plan, and community members are welcome to Café 613 as well. The café bolsters the school’s already strong Jewish presence, including the Hillel, a Chabad house, and a rich Judaic Studies curriculum. Phil Nordlinger, Hillel’s director at Temple, estimates that there are approximately 3,000 Jewish students at the university. Said Nordlinger: “I believe that the university understands the significance of kosher food in attracting a segment of the Jewish population that has remained untapped at Temple. I believe it is part of the overall philosophy to transform from a commuter school to a residential one. It’s smart of the university to invest in this program as it has generated a lot of excitement within the Jewish community on campus and in the city.”
