Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/102355
MOROCCO'S INCREASING IMPORTS AND FLAVOR TRENDS A mericans first fell in love with Casablanca in the Bogart-Bergman film. But even people too young to recall Rick's Cafe are becoming more interested in Morocco. Not only is the North African country generally considered a safe and friendly destination in the region, its complex, fragrant and satisfying cuisine is becoming more readily available in U.S. food stores and restaurants. "This is a result of three converging factors," says Jean AbiNader, executive director of the Moroccan American Trade & Investment Center in Washington, D.C. "First, there are more Moroccan-Americans in the U.S., and opening a restaurant is an easy, though laborintensive, entry into the business world. Next, over the past 20 years, Americans have been exposed to Mediterranean cuisines, like Lebanese, and appreciate the taste, variety and use of healthy ingredients. Finally, while there are exotic qualities in Moroccan cuisine, they are not overly strange. Fruits mixed into entrees, aromatic stews or tagines, couscous and unique North African pastries have an easy appeal to people looking for new food items." In 2011, the U.S. imported more than $185 million of fish, shellfish, fruit, vegetables, food oils, bakery and confectionery products, tea, spices, and wine from Morocco, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. As importers continue to search global markets for high-quality provisions at favorable prices, Morocco seeks to be a willing trading partner. The country's efforts have been aided by promotions with U.S. retailers, including a chain-wide program in 2010 between New York Food Emporium and Maroc Export, the Casablanca-based organization that promotes Moroccan products abroad. Food Emporium highlights olives, olive oil, processed agricultural products like peppers and tomato paste, and goods such as canned anchovy, says Michael Blakeley, director of enterprise assistance for the Morocco New Business Opportunities project at Nathan Associates, an economic consulting firm that specializes in markets in transitional and developing countries. Blakeley arranged an initial meeting between the retail chain and Maroc Export at the 2009 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. "One of the key things I did was to help with packaging and explain the distribution channels so manufacturers knew who to promote to and how to service them. That led to an increased presence in the market," Blakeley explains. "Between 2010 and 2011, categories with significant U.S. sales increases included citrus fruit (up to $15.6 million from $12.2 million), olive oil (up to $51.2 million from $32.9 million) and vegetables (up to $2.7 million from $1.4 million)," says Saad Benabdallah, director general at Maroc Export. "This is a long way from when a few bulk olive-oil importers were importing direct from Morocco," Blakeley continues. "There are even prepared Moroccan meals available in freezers and dishes like couscous that are now thoroughly identified with Morocco as opposed to just from the Middle East." One example is argan oil. Known as "Moroccan gold," the highly prized, nutty-tasting oil used for dressing salads and dipping bread was unfamiliar in the States until a few years ago. By 2012, a variety imported by Mediterranean Gourmet, Washburn, Va., became a sofi Silver Finalist in the Outstanding Oil category. Owner Mounsif Golab launched his company three years ago to meet rising consumer demand. "People who visited my country always told me they loved the food," he says. "I felt there was a substantial need to increase ethnic products as a cultural bridge and to offer our preservativefree foods with different tastes 92 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com PHOTO: SAFFRON ROAD PHOTO: MARK FERRI at good value. The response has been very enthusiastic, especially with [retailers] like Whole Foods and Garden of Eden."