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Our Favourite Food Products At SIAL 2017

May 23, 2017

As we discussed in our last post, North America’s largest food and beverage trade fair took place in Toronto from May 2-4, 2017. This year’s guest of honour was the European Union (EU) so we thought we’d showcase some of our favourite products from the region as well as some products from Canada and other European countries. Out of the many trade shows, I’ve been to, this one was the tastiest! Here are my favourite food products at SIAL 2017…

France

French Gourmet Promenade: Flavoured Sea Salts

This company creates original and natural –GMO and MSG free– seasonings and flavoured sea salts based on French regional cuisine. Our favourite was the Flower of Merlot sea salt with red wine as well as the Basil and Onion sea salt. These would be perfect for steaks, fishes and vinaigrettes, respectively.

Arnaud: Pâté

You can’t think of France without thinking of French pâté and this brand was our favourite. Inspired by French traditional charcuterie, this is a great addition to your board (more on how to create a fabulous board here). The duck mousse with armagnac was our favourite but they also have wild boar, venison, and rabbit terrine alongside goose and pure pork rillettes. So, basically all of the essential food groups!

Spain

La Explanada: Olives

There ain’t no olive like a Spanish Olive and the “Spain is Here” booth delivered on that (as well as the ham…all of the ham when in Spain!). This olive brand is dubbed “Grandmother’s Recipe” –Alino de la abuela in Spanish. These whole broken olives are marinated in garlic, pimento and spices such as paprika and cumin. It is the most interesting olive I’ve tasted so far in my olive career.

Serrano Imports: Ham and Canned Seafood

By far, I thought that Serrano Imports had the best display at SIAL. It’s hard not to pass up four different types of jambon being sliced in front of your eyes! Serrano Imports is based in Canada and where you’ll find the highest quality of Serrano Ham, Iberico and Iberico de Bellota (Pata Negra) and Spanish canned seafood (conservas) from authentic Spanish canned seafood suppliers. Think: canned anchovies, octopus, and sardines. No wonder they supply Bar Raval. I was at the booth way longer than I needed to be! This is a great example of Canada and Europe working together.

Greece

Peaches

Not many people know that in Greece, the peach crop is one of the largest and most developed agricultural activities. In fact, it is the third largest producer in the European Union and fifth worldwide! I kept coming back to taste these peaches in a can. Many chefs thought they were fresh but thanks to good packaging and even better canning, they were fooled! I was impressed by their packaging as well. How can you not, when the can says, “Have A Peachy Day” on the can?!

Non-EU: Turkey

Marash Cafe and Créme Glacée: Künefe

Künefe was such a Turkish delight at SIAL! (See what I did there?) It’s a crispy, cheese-filled dessert made with kadayif (phyllo dough) soaked in a sugar-based syrup. Basically, it’s the amalgamation of sweet and savoury. It’s then topped with pistachios and often served with ice cream. At the Marash booth, there was quite the character dressed up in traditional costume playing ice cream tricks, as shown in our video. What a hoot!