Expo West Recap

Living-Kosher.com walked and talked at the World Ethnic Market plus Kosher World Trade Show co-located with the humongous Natural Products Expo West Show in Anaheim, March 2006.

Now in its 25^th year, Natural Products Expo West enjoyed record-setting crowds to its 3,000-plus exhibits, highlighting the growing demand for organic, natural, health, and kosher products. Your publisher Warren Katz and editor/writer Gerd Stern were flabbergasted by the plethora of kosher certified companies as we proceeded from the single digit Expo booths all the way through to the end where the exhibits number in the four thousands.

Gerd had missed a few years of this show but remembers that back then somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of the companies had been kosher. In questioning each and every exhibitor, we learned than an extraordinary 60 to 70 percent are now certified by a variety of kosher symbolled agencies, and at least another 10 percent said that they were either in process or interested in certification. We came away with 300 business cards and so much literature that we couldn't "shlep" it all and had to FedEx a big box home to our office. During a show seminar on "kashruth" Rabbi Senter from K-of K told an appropriate story with a cartoon showing two pigs, one saying to the other, "I wish the whole world were kosher."

Many of the companies at Expo West include a kosher hechshe on their literature. Most of them---but not all---carry their certification on the product label. If you are concerned about a particular product we mention, don't take anything for granted. E-mail us your question at LIVING KOSHER or contact the company directly. You may click on any of the web addresses in the following story to have computer link access to the company sites. This issue of Living-Kosher offers a "heads-up" on a large selection of the products that caught our attention at the show.

Kosher at Natural Products Expo WestKeeping Kosher at Natural Products at Expo WestKeeping Kosher at Natural Products Expo West!

Snack crisps in eight flavors by GENISOY, trail mix, soy nuts, protein bars...all health-conscious foods for the family.

EL BURRITO's Mexican-style soy steak, tacos, sausage, loaf. They can be reached at 800-933-7828.

Toasted MICROSOY flakes are for pancakes, soups, dips, cereals, cookies and what-have-you. Microsoy is not just about tofu!

TOFUTOWN's Tamari Tenders join Silk under the WhiteWave logo. A Silk and Science presentation by Nutrition Matters' Dr. Mark Messina gave us background on the ever popular SILK soy milk.

Organic whole soybean tamari sauce as well as ginger, peanut, sesame, and mustard salad dressings from SAN-J.

After all that we wondered when someone would come along with a brand "Soyanara?"

Rachel Wiesenfeld named her family company WISE ORGANIC PASTURES, writing "...wisdom to care for the earth and our future, committed to kosher---started with just a telephone, a carload of chickens and plenty of chutzpah." Her poultry and beef are certified organic, kosher, and audited for humane handling practices and food safety.

During the past few years we have listened to and read a lot of concerned words about the problems of insects on vegetables and fruit. We are familiar with the Bodek brand, expensively guaranteed to be free of such organisms. At the show we met the ENVIRONN'E brand do-it-yourself people demonstrating their “Fruit and Vegetable Wash” which safely removes insects, pesticides, waxes, and chemical contaminants. You simply wash your vegetables or fruit with their product and rinse thoroughly. They make other cleaning products and have been around since 1987.

With many years’ experience representing Israel's dairy industry, Gerd took careful note of the two cheese importations from Eretz Yisroael.

ATALANTA Corporation's kosher maven, Carey Franco, brings in artisanal delicacies from a number of Eretz Yisroael's boutique cheese dairies.

The Brakin family's BARKANIT Dairy is a spread of 2,000 dunams (500 acres) in the village of Kfar Yechezkel and hosts a herd of 450 goats and several hundred sheep. Handmade varieties include Tiltan, California, Kadurim, Tavor, and Gilboa, reflecting native Middle Eastern traditions as well as expertise gained from training periods with French and Spanish cheesemakers.

In the Galilee area Danny Barzilay makes harder varieties, also using goat and sheep milk at his family's HANOKED Dairy. Their Gilon is Pecorino style, Yodfat is wrapped in bay leaves with brandy, Segev, treated with Chardonnay is a Manchego type and there are another six varieties, each characterized by classic European prototypes.

In addition to four goat milk cheeses and three of sheep milk, JACOBS DAIRY produces three from cow milk: Roni, a Gouda style, White, in the Camembert mold, and a Gorgonzolan taste alike, simply titled Green. Franco has plans to add several more small Israeli dairies and also imports kosher cheese from a number of European countries.

Northern California's REDWOOD HILL FARM produces a superb goat yogurt and a number of lovely cheeses including Bucheret, a Camembert-style Camellia, French-type Chevre, Feta, all out of their own goat milk. It's lower in calories, cholesterol, and fat than its bovine counterpart. In addition, goat milk cheese is rich in calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin K, phosphorus, niacin, and thiamin.

MEYENBERG has been supplying goat milk nationally for over 70 years and is now offering aged goat Jack and Cheddar.

An extraordinarily light on the palate goat milk butter with a rich, creamy flavor. Distinctive characteristics include its pure white color and a lower melting point which makes it easier to spread. All-natural and certified kosher.

Canadian MADAME CHEVRE brand in a dozen or so sizes and flavors from savory to sweet.

STONYFIELD offers smoothie flavored drinks, organic yogurts, and flavored, cultured soy.

HORIZON is many consumers' favorite organic milk and also provides a brand of organic eggs from cage-free hens.

In the near future even buffalo milk yogurt may become kosher and when it is, we'll let you know.

Matching cheeses to wines is a delightful culinary skill and ROYAL WINES deals in a plethora of imported and U.S.-made labels, many of which are produced in their newish Oxnard, California winery. Their up-market Baron Herzog brand is tops and has received acclaim not even connected to its kashruth. Those wines were strongly in evidence at Expo along with their Kedem Food Group.

While we're into beverages, the teas and coffees abounded. For sure, one of the funnest products at the show, with a Venice, California birthdate of 1999 was JAVA JUICE, organic Arabica coffee extract in half-ounce packets that makes 12 to 16 ounces of hot or iced coffee with the caffeine impact of a double espresso.

PEERLESS COFFEE & TEA, founded in 1924, roasts and provides organics, espressos and an extra dark roast doubly titled "French Dark Italian."

The sister and brother team of Reem and Ahmed Rahim founded the organic NUMI tea firm. She is a fine artist, he the master blender, together they offer flowering teas from Lavender Dream to Midnight Peony as well as iced tea punches of Minty Green through Raspberry Red and much, much more from NUMI.

"We've got it in the bag" writes OREGON CHAI, Black, Red and Green teabags, original Chai Tea Latte mix, Spiced, Decaf, and Vanilla Chai.

From San Francisco (don't call it Frisco) DAVID RIO's Twin Peaks Tisane, Tahitian Tangerine, Orange Ginger Mint and Sugar Free Chai, Power Chai, Tiger Spice Chai and if you forgive the pun, Chocolate Chimp Chai.

Speaking of puns, how's about AMAZING GRASS powders to mix with water, juice, dairy, soy or choose-your-drinkable. We were told the grass (specially grown, not from your lawn) is direct cut and harvested just prior to jointing, having optimally absorbed an abundance of nutrients. Available in Wheat Grass, Super Food, Super Food Chocolate and Kidz Super Food, web weaving for you surfers.

APPLE AND EVE wants you to "grow your kids organically with 100% juices of Apple, Peach Mango, Cranberry, Blueberry and calcium-fortified Fruit Punch.

You can have Blueberry and Cherry Concentrates for syrup, mixers, smoothies, and marinades as well as Bag-in-the-Box fruits and naturally dried fruits bearing antioxidants from OVERLAKE

Cranberries "make it easy to be good" combating and suppressing a number of cited diseases Check out the info at U.S. CRANBERRIES.

The formerly "illegal" currant berry hits the U.S. market as "the most delicious health juice on earth." BLACK CURRANT NECTAR

Juicy as it gets is NAKED (nothing to hide), a Superfood Blue Machine Smoothie, announced as the antioxidant blast in Mighty Mango, Berry Blast, Pomegranate, Blueberry, and et cetera.

New to us and most attendees were a number of vendors serving TIBETAN GOJI juice and kernels. Give the spiritual heights attained in Tibet, at least one of these suppliers is bound to turn ecumenically kosher before long and we'll then we'll post you on Goji's healthy virtues.

During the years I spent visiting Israel, I became familiar with Nazareth’s MAHROUM family. A multi-generational family of bakers, they have a stellar reputation for making the finest Middle Eastern specialty pastries including baklawa, bird’s nests, and cigars (to be eaten, not smoked). Now the son, Diab, has opened a branch in Southern California. Phone 818-781-4255.

Bars are not just for drinking. Chocolates and power-oriented nutrients are now ubiquitously bar packed. For chocoholics SCHARFFEN BERGER resonates with Unsweetened, Bittersweet, Extra Dark and so forth. Three retail stores in California and two in New York City are listed.

TERRA NOSTRA organic does chocolate truffle bars with fruit, raisins, yogurt, or pecans.

CHOCOLOVE adds crystallized ginger, toffee, cherries, and almonds to their chocolate confections.

MACA brags "doctor formulated" for their maple and cherry chocolate fudge fortified with rice protein and Omega-3 Flax.

On the nutrient side, there's VEGA wheat-free, no trans-fat energy bars like Berry-Berry & Nutty Delight.

At JOJOBARS, Doc Barold and Justin Hai "two guys in a kitchen" eschew refined sugars and artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

ORGANIC FOOD BAR provides bars of vegan Active Greens, Protein, Fiber, Cranberry et al.

To bee is better (than not to bee) from HONEY ACRES, purveying honeysuckles, spreads, candy, mustards, all Beekeeper's Best premium since 1852.

The SAVANNAH BEE COMPANY is into honey in all of its forms including candles, lip balm, lip sticks, balm, creams, lotions, soaps, body wash.

JOHN MOUNTAIN honeys, molasses, and tapioca syrups are USDA Organic 507-263-8599.

If you're into sugar, FLORIDA CRYSTALS supplies all sorts including organic, Demerara washed raw cane, brown, powdered, and evaporated cane juice to firms like C& H and Domino as well as under their own Florida Crystal brand plus an impressive line of rice products.

Then there are the GINGER PEOPLE of Royal Pacific foods with plants in Australia and California supplying crystallized ginger, ginger beverages, and juice as well as candies.

I've seen Yehuda from ALMONDINA at food shows for more years than one cares to mention. As per the name, they are almond-based cookies and come in original plus at least a half dozen variations. We love to dip'em or dunk'em in a glass or cup of tea.

After all that chewiness and sweet stuff, there’s TOM'S of MAINE, natural anti-cavity & tartar control plus whitening toothpaste and WOW, the instant toothbrush in a tablet for oral hygiene.

PEACE WORKS identifies itself as a "not only for profit company" working for economic cooperation with products from Israelis, Palestinians, Indonesians, and others, featuring specialty foods such as Tapenades and Pestos, Fruit and Nut Bars, Bali Spice Kits.

PEACE CEREAL is into Whole Grain Granolas, Heart Goodness and Weight-less with 10% of profits donated to peace work.

With profits to children's charities MY FAMILY FARM quotes "Baking The World a Better Place" with crackers and cookies galore - Pizza and Cheese to begin, Chocolate, Lemon and Vanilla thereafter.

Hemp is an "in" thing. LIVING HARVEST refers to it as "Nature's Miracle Plant" and can provide you with oil, seeds, protein blends.

But I'd be remiss if I didnf't tell you my encounter with Ms. Morgenstern-Passani of ZOE FOODS I had the temerity to ask her if Zoe was her daughter's name. She said "There's nobody named ZOE, it means ‘Life’ in Greek. So its L'Chayim, L'Chayim Tovim!!!”…specializing in whole grain flax cereals and bars.