L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano J anuary in San Fran- cisco marks the month of food, for food lovers, experts, and profession- als. In fact, once again, the Moscone Center was home to the Winter Fancy Food Show from January 19th to 21st, fea- turing more than eighty thou- sands specialty foods and bever- ages, a range of new products, industry's top networking events and more than 1,400 exhibitors from around the globe. This edi- tion was even more special for Italy, as the Specialty Food Association appointed the Bel Paese as Partner Country, for both the Winter and the Summer edition (taking place on the East Coast in June). Without any sur- prises, this is the first time in his- tory that the same country is appointed, with Italy having already been a Fancy Food Part- ner Country in 2015. The partnership is a great o p p o r t u n i t y f o r t h e I t a l i a n Pavilion and its trade visitors, as confirmed by the strong numbers on food and exports released by t h e U S D e p a r t m e n t o f C o m m e r c e . I n t h e f i r s t n i n e months of 2019, Italian food exports to the United States were worth almost $4 billion, grow- ing by 5.9% compared to the same period of 2018. The Italian Pavilion has always been the largest in the international area, and this year was no exception. It hosted over 60 companies fea- turing Made in Italy food prod- u c t s a s p a r t o f T h e Extraordinary Italian Taste brand and with a focus on the promotion of authentic Italian products around the world. The total number reached 90 Italian exhibitors in an area of about 1,100 square meters. A f e w m o n t h s a g o , P h i l Kafarakis, SFA's President, underlined how having Italy as the first country to partner for both Winter and Summer Shows in 2020 is more than a privilege. "The popularity of Italian cuisine in the US is undeniable," he said. "Historically, among our dozens of international participants at F a n c y F o o d S h o w s o v e r t h e years, Italy has routinely hosted t h e l a r g e s t p a v i l i o n . A t o u r S u m m e r S h o w i n 2 0 1 9 , t h e Italian pavilion covered over 2,200 square meters." On the same note Maurizio Forte, Trade Commissioner and Executive Director for the USA at the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), right before the show: "The entire range of authentic Italian products will be on dis- play: cheese, pasta, prosciutto and salumi, olive oil, preserves, condiments, desserts, mineral waters and much more. Being chosen as 2020 country partner by the SFA is an honor: a recog- nition of the excellence of the products our exhibitors bring to the show and of the consolidated alliance between ICE Agency, SFA and Universal Marketing, the exclusive agent for Italy. We look forward to promoting hun- dreds of authentic Made in Italy products to the US market at the Fancy Food Shows." Walking around the Italian Pavilion, we tasted a range of products and couldn't help but notice how truffle has become more and more popular in the last years. Many exhibitors fea- tured truffle-based cheese, salt, olive oil and dressing, honey, and chips. W e s t o p p e d b y L a Rustichella Tartufi booth and tasted their truffle paté and we also learned a bunch of things a b o u t t h i s I t a l i a n c o m p a n y , founded more than 20 years ago in Rome. In the last decade or so, the goal has been the expan- sion outside of Italy, with a spe- cial interest in exploring new markets and attracting a variety of customers. Alongside its HQ in Italy, the company now also has a location in New York, where Francesca Brugnoli leads a young, yet dynamic team, that puts customers and their satisfac- tion at the center. They organize tours, special events, and are o p e n t o c o l l a b o r a t i o n s w i t h chefs, all aiming to make Italian truffle the king of the table. Although they embarked on a journey that addresses the needs of modern customers, they have not given up the highest level of craftsmanship. Their truffle pick- ing takes place both in the woods and uncultivated lands, with the help of trained dogs. Once truf- fles to be used in the processing a r e s e l e c t e d , t h e y u n d e r g o a strict quality control process and a delicate cleaning phase to pre- s e r v e t h e e x t r a o r d i n a r y organoleptic characteristics. Some special sterilized glass packages allow to maintain all original characteristics before distribution. F r o m R o m e a l l t h e w a y South, we were also attracted by the surprising and exceptional t a s t e o f G i a s p r o d u c t s . T h e company, based in the Calabria region, has a fifty year family h i s t o r y : A n t o n i o T e n u t a l a u n c h e d a b u s i n e s s o f h i g h quality frozen products, putting innovation and tradition at the core of his model, a combination that allowed to satisfy a range of customers through a portfolio rich in organic, vegan, and non GMO products. Gloria Tenuta is the current President of the company and, during our conver- s a t i o n , s h e h i g h l i g h t e d t h e importance of working together with local producers in order to develop the best foods to bring to the market. The company has now expanded its target to cus- tomers who love organic and gluten free products, as well as t h o s e w h o c o o k t r a d i t i o n a l recipes without renouncing to p a y i n g s p e c i a l a t t e n t i o n t o healthy eating principles. Down all the way to Sicily, we met another company keen o n t r a d i t i o n a n d i n n o v a t i o n : Iblea Sale was founded in the '30s in Ragusa when Giovanni Borrometi, a blind blacksmith, decided he wanted to keep the legacy of his family and land through salt. He searched and found a more functional salt sales system, allowing a quick growth of the business and a bet- ter quality of transportation for it. He went beyond the island's boundaries and started a partner- s h i p w i t h a c o m p a n y f r o m Northern Italy, that helped with the creation of ad hoc packaging machines. Iblea Sale is now sold in more than 7 countries around the world, with 45 types of salt and 70% of production for for- eign countries. To satisfy our sweet tooth, we s t o p p e d b y A g r i s i c i l i a U S A booth, a brand that brings a wide selection of marmalade and jams made with the finest Sicilian o r g a n i c c i t r u s e s . V i t a m i n s , antioxidants and micronutrients, all combined, help protect cells from the damage of oxidation and promote overall well being. Each jar of this organic products is made by selecting fresh cit- r u s e s , w h i c h a r e p r o c e s s e d immediately after harvesting to lock in the fruit's rich and unal- t e r e d s c e n t , f l a v o r , a n d f r a - grance. The unique, Mediterranean microclimate and fertile soil are the ideal setting to grow excep- tional citruses, harvested by hand at the peak of ripeness and processed near Catania, at the v o l c a n i c f o o t h i l l o f M o u n t E t n a . " O p e n i n g a j a r i s j u s t enough to start flavoring the crisp aromas and scents of fresh fruit. And that was the first moti- vation that made me think these products could find a favorable market here," said Antonella D a l l a M u t a , c o - f o u n d e r o f A g r i s i c i l i a U S A . S h e w a s inspired after she visited the fac- tory and saw a team of women washing, cleaning, peeling those colors-rich citruses, transforming t h e m i n t o w h o l e s o m e a n d healthy preserves, and witnessed the love, care, and dedication from processing to packaging. Agrisicilia USA attended the show for the first time, hosted by Italfoods Inc., a very established distributor for the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Many c u s t o m e r s p l a c e d t h e i r f i r s t orders, that's why Antonella hopes to continue spreading the goodness of her exclusive vari- ety of flavors, from excellent Arancia di Ribera DOP, Limone di Siracusa IGP, Mandarin with Turmeric to Orange with Ginger and Lemon with Strawberry. SERENA PERFETTO Innovation and Italian tradition make their mark during the 2020 Winter Fancy Food in San Francisco The opening of the Italian Pavilion at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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