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.
FOODS IN FOCUS (continued from p. 28)
MORE FLAVOR-FORWARD JAMS, PRESERVES AND MARMALADES
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FIND MORE JAMS, PRESERVES AND OTHER SPREADS by visiting the Product Finder at specialtyfood.com.
per varieties in its Peach Pepper and Ginger Jam—banana, jalapeño, chile and habanero— plus ginger for added bite. "The sweetness of the peaches mellows out the heat, creating a mild savory jam. I call it pepper jelly with a facelift," says Porth. Another jam offering smoky heat is
Fischer & Weiser's Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Jam. Based on the company's award- winning,
best-selling Original Roasted
Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, this spreadable ren- dition is ideal for appetizers. It can top soft cheeses such as mascarpone or be used as a fill- ing for turnovers.
The Traditional Bent
Despite the influx of unusual varieties, tradi- tional flavors still account for the greatest volume in jams, preserves and spreads, retailers say. Among more customary jams and spreads, buy- ers are intrigued by flavor layering, natural and/ or organic ingredients and authenticity of taste. At Hyde Park Gourmet, customers are fruit combinations with
turning to familiar
flavor-layering twists, especially to pair with cheese or elevate desserts, says owner Evelyn Ignatow. The Cincinnati retailer private-labels its own jams with a popular flavor mix called FROG, for fig, raspberries, orange and ginger. Dan Cohen, owner of Clearbrook Farms,
Sharonville, Ohio, has noticed an uptick in buyers looking to pair traditional flavors with cheeses. The most common pairing request has been for the company's Pear Fruit Butter,
says Cohen, and other inquiries have included preserves in Oregon Red Raspberry, Michigan Damson Plum and California Apricot. Cohen notes that when using a jam or
preserve for a non-traditional purpose, such as glazing meats, it is more common to use classic, clean flavors. "Straightforward flavors are more applicable with alternative applications," he says. "It gives opportunity for the product's flavor profile to shine and stand out." Rigoni di Asiago, an Italian company with
stateside distribution, offers Fiordifrutta organ- ic fruit preserves in flavors such as Fig, which is a popular complement to soft goat cheeses, blue cheese or Brie, says Alberto Carli, U.S. sales manager for Rigoni USA. Customers are also combining the Fig spread with prosciutto, he adds. Fiordifrutta preserves are made from 100 percent organic produce, sweetened with apple juice and cooked at low temperatures to retain the natural vitamins, minerals and aroma of the fruit. Other special uses of Fiordifrutta pre- serves include Seville Orange marmalade paired with aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Limoni to accompany fish. Many of the company's tra- ditional flavors—such as Strawberry, Apricot, Raspberry, Wild Berries and Cherry—are also seeing increased usage, from mixing with yogurt or oatmeal to topping ice cream. Citrus is a leading flavor, buyers report.
Carli notes the newest Fiordifrutta flavor, Pink Grapefruit, is going strong. "Everything blood orange is hot right now," says Olivia's Market's Brian Connelly, who notes Stonewall Kitchen's
Blood Orange Marmalade is a No. 1 seller. Other popular citrus infusions from Stonewall include Orange
Cranberry Marmalade,
Tangerine Marmalade and Blueberry Orange Marmalade.
Sampling and Suggestions The array of new varieties hitting the jam, pre- serves and marmalades category make sampling a must. "It's a lot for the first-time savory-sweet jam or jelly buyer," Connelly says. "You have to get them to taste so they can ultimately trust these new flavors." Hyde Park Gourmet's Ignatow takes sam-
pling a step further. "Offer suggestions," she advises. "Don't just give them some jam on a little piece of bread. Show them how these new flavor combinations work in different applications." Some buyers caution not to forget classic
spreads in the product mix. "Jams and jellies are the ultimate comfort food and traditional flavors will win over the multi-blend jams," says Fortino Godinez, general manager at Hubbell & Hudson, The Woodlands, Texas. Donez Cardullo, co-owner of Cardullo's
Gourmet Shoppe in Cambridge, Mass., agrees, to a point. "Customers stick to what they know— what I call vintage products, like Wilkin & Sons Tiptree jams. But," she adds, "there is definitely room in the category for innovation and I'm open to it if it offers something different. You've got to keep it fresh for your customers." |SFM|
Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine.
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