A geopark is defined as a well determined geographical area that presents geological features of special relevance, rarity or beauty, with a sustainable development strategy for the local communities that are comprised in it. The Villuercas has a centuries old olive tradition. In the little town of Bohonal de Ibor, the Santos family carefully cultivates the nine thousand olive trees on their farm. The farm is named El Tilo (The Linden) by an ancient specimen of this tree species that has witnessed their tireless dedication to farming and the practice of sustainable agriculture. Abundant in junipers, holm oaks and cork oaks and inhabited by deer, wild boar and Iberian lynx, this extraordinary natural environment is ideal for the thriving of olive trees of the cornicabra variety, native to the area and perfectly adapted to the mountain climate and the orography of the terrain. The cornicabra olive cultivar is the most traditional and representative of central Spain. However is still very little known internationally.

Cornicabra olive oils are very fruity and aromatic. Furthermore, they are very rich in oleic acid, natural antioxidants and other minor components of high biological value. They are, therefore, extremely healthy and highly resistant to oxidation, which translates into a long shelf life.

Aceites El Tilo firm was founded three years ago to market, under the brand of the same name, early harvest EVOOs obtained exclusively from the olives of the family farm.

El Tilo cornicabra olive oil is characterized by their fragrant olive fruitiness of medium-high intensity, with green and ripe aromas reminiscent of olive leaf, almond and apple. On the palate they are slightly sweet at the start, followed by agreeable well balanced notes of bitterness and pungency of medium intensity, and a long nutty aftertaste.

Due to its robust sensory profile, El Tilo is ideal to accompany foods with a defined or intense flavor, such as red meat, veal or rabbit, cured cheeses and some fish with a marked flavor such as cod.

It is also ideal as a dressing for green salads of bitter leaves, for the preparation of tomato sauces, marinades, pasta dishes or toasts with oil. It is also perfect for sprinkling on cooked or grilled vegetables such as eggplant, broccoli or green asparagus, and to finish, vegetables dishes and many other stews.

El Tilo olive oil has obtained its first international award at the eighteenth edition of the “Concours International Des Huiles Du Monde” held in Paris last May organized by the AVPA (The Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products).

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The Four Pillars of the Russian Cuisine

Vegetables. Abundance of vegetables is one of the distinctive features of the Russian cuisine. Vegetables were pickled and preserved otherwise to supply vitamins for long winters. Cheap, easy to grow and able to be stored for a long time varieties was preferred, such as onion, cabbage, carrot, turnips, and radish. Russians also liked potatoes brought by Peter I at the beginning of the 18th century. Vegetables make the base of rich and nourishing soups, spicy appetizers and are amply added into meat and poultry dishes.

Fish. Russian rivers and lakes have always been rich in fish (perch, roach, pike, ruff, sturgeon), that is why it has an important place in the menu. Besides fish was caught in the winter season as well (the famous “subglacial fishing”), and rich and nourishing fish dishes could be served all year round. Those include soups, roasted and stewed dishes as well as baked food.

Baked Foods. “Bread is the staff of life”, says an old Russian proverb. No meal either at a rich or a poor house can do without bread. There are many kinds of bread with considerably different flavors. However, Russian people have baked, not only bread: Russian cuisine is full of appetizing recipes of baked and roasted dishes of dough. What can be more nourishing and tastier during a long and cold winter? Baked food has always been a distinctive feature of Russian holiday feasts and accompanied many religious and ritual celebrations. Pan fried blini and oladi, famous pies with dozens of various fillings — every housewife has her personal signature recipe.

Cereals. Grains in Russia were used not only for making bread. People have liked to process grains and eat them. Hot and rich Russian porridges are made of a variety of cereals (barley, wheat, buckwheat, semolina), each of which has its own unique taste. Porridge becomes even tastier with various additives: berries, mushrooms or stewed meat or chicken, and roasted onions.

Traditional Russian Dishes

Blini (pancakes). Thin roasted scones of plain dough made from flour, eggs and milk are one of the most beloved by Russian people’s dishes. A bit sweet or meagre, golden brown, hot and well-oiled, they are an essential attribute of any holiday. Blini are always served with various additives — from rich (e.g. Meat, salted fish, caviar) to sweet ones (e.g. Berries, honey, jam), so they can be either a main dish or a dessert. In the second half of February or early March Russian people celebrate Maslenita — a holiday when blini are cooked at every home. Making blini very thin, even and lacy is a matter of honor for every Russian housewife.

Oladi is another dish from dough cooked in a frying pan. Oladi is similar to blini, but they are thicker and have porous structure. They are served with Smetana (sour cream).

Borsch. This is a soup based on beet-root and cabbage with pulpy pieces of vegetables that has nice vinous colour and sweet and savory vegetable taste. Borsch is a dish that exists in many varieties: it can be nourishing, with pieces of meat or very light, based on vegetables only. Depending on the region of Russia borsch is cooked with tomatoes, sometimes mushrooms or even apples.

Shchi. It is a light transparent soup of boiled cabbage with pieces of vegetables. It is a very light and useful dish for all seasons. In spring it is cooked with new cabbage and has fresh and delicate flavor. The winter dish is the so-called “sour shchi” based on pickled cabbage. Sour shchi has very bright and nice pickle flavor. However the smell of sour shchi is not very pleasant (due to pickled cabbage) but real gourmands simply disregard it.

Pirogi or pirozhki are baked food with various fillings. It is difficult to find a more diverse dish of the Russian cuisine! Pirozhki can be filled with meat, chicken, fish or mushrooms, boiled eggs, vegetables, fruits, berries or jam. The contrast of golden brown dough and delicate hot filling inside is very tasteful. Pirozhki is very popular “fast food”, they are often taken by people going on a long journey. Cooking of pirozhki at home is a real fun for the whole family, as even a child can easily make them. The most pleasant and unusual taste belongs to pies with mushroom (or potato and mushroom), apple or cherry filling.

Ukha is a transparent soup made from fresh fish, potatoes and carrots. Ukha is cooked from various kinds of fishes, mainly white ones. The sterlet ukha is a speciality, but ukha made from small river fishes is also very tasty (folks especially like ruffe ukha). Instead of bread ukha is often served with a traditional fish pie called rasstegai.

Buckwheat porridge is a nourishing dish from boiled buckwheat grains that has been anciently beloved by Russian people. Its taste and appearance resemble brown rice. The classical buckwheat dish is crumby, it shall be boiled so that all the grains keep apart. Quite often buckwheat is cooked with meat or other (usually not sweet) ingredients to make its mild taste more piquant. One of the popular dishes called “Grechka po-kupecheski” (Merchant-Style Buckwheat) is cooked with roasted mushrooms and onions.

Pickled products have been part of the traditional Russian cuisine since ancient times as they gave the opportunity to add vegetables to the diet during the long winter. Especially popular are pickled cucumbers because they stay as crunchy as fresh ones, but get savory salt and sweet taste. Common people also like sauerkraut made of chopped and pickled cabbage leaves. After pickling they become crunchy and semi-transparent. The taste of sauerkraut varies from sour to sweet and sour, it is a great appetizer and a freshening side dish. Pickled mushrooms are a haute Russian specialty. Milk mushrooms (Lactarius resimus and Lactarius turpis) have an especially delicate taste and elastic body. They are pickled and served with onions or mashed potatoes. Brines for pickling are made with various herbs and spices able to add new interesting tints to dishes.

Pelmeni. Their recipe was brought to Russia from China but has been considerably changed under the influence of Russian culinary tradition. Dough for Russian pelmeni is made of wheat flour and is rather hard. The filling is minced meat. Pelmeni are most often boiled, sometimes roasted and served with Smetana. Pelmeni is a very substantial dish, so it is better to eat them separately.

Stroganina is a dish of the Russian North cuisine. It is really thin slices of frozen fish or meat that are dipped into a mixture of salt and pepper. Stroganina is a very unusual crispy appetizer.

Okroshka is freshening cold soup with pieces of fresh vegetables. Okroshka is made with traditional Russian beverages — kvass or kefir. It is a very tasty and light summer dish that feels good in hot weather. Usually okroshka is served with Smetana.

Russian Drinks

Kvass is a traditional summer beverage made of rye bread or flour and malt. Kvass has rye, sour, and freshening taste. It perfectly quenches thirst, but may seem too poignant to some people. In summer time you can find iron barrels, selling cold kvass in the streets of Russian cities. However, when eating at a restaurant it is advisable to order kvass made in wooden barrels. Kvass contains a bit of alcohol (up to 3%), that is why it is not recommended to drink it before driving!

Medovukha is a light honey based alcoholic drink with added grasses and berries. Medovukha is served hot and consumed slowly. It usually has a pleasant sweet taste.

Sbiten is a drink similar to medovukha but having less distinct sweet taste. Sbiten is often cooked with various herbs and serves a perfect prevention against colds. To some extent it resembles herbal tea with honey.

Mors is a drink based on water diluted berry juice (the most popular kind is cranberry mors). Usually it has nice red or ruby color and fresh, slightly acid taste. The history of mors counts several centuries. Cold mors perfectly quenches thirst and helps to clean taste receptors.

Russian exotic — the most authentic dishes and drinks

Borodinsky bread is made of rye flour. It has dark brown color, nice piquant flavor and thick body. Its taste is difficult to describe: it is spicy, sweet and sour with a tint of fermentation. Borodinsky bread is covered with spices, usually coriander seeds. Brown bread perfectly complements most dishes of the Russian cuisine. It is very tasty when cut into thin pieces and slightly dredged with salt.

Kholodets. This dish is probably for the bravest and persistent followers of the Russian cuisine. It is cold jelly made of rich bone broth with pieces of meat and vegetables. Kholodets is dressed with cold sauce of grated horseradish. Kholodets has an impressive look — through transparent jellied broth one can see nice circles of carrots and potatoes. However, this dish is far from being popular even among Russians.

Kefir. A drink made by fermented milk having thick consistence and unique sour and creamy taste. The closest analogue is natural yoghurt. Kefir appeases hunger, perfectly refreshes in hot weather, and is very useful for digestion. However, many people who try it for the first time point out that its taste is unusual.

Vodka. This is one of the most popular among foreigners, Russian words and the main strong national drink in Russia. When choosing vodka it is better to give preference to well-distilled spirit. Pickled products and brown bread are traditional vodka chasers.

What is the right way of drinking vodka?

According to the Russian tradition a shot of cold vodka should be drunk at a gulp, then smell a piece of dark bread and only after that have a bite.

To some people Russian cuisine may seem too exotic; however, those who are open to new tastes would like it. First of all, this is home and not restaurant cuisine, so if you get a chance to try Russian dishes made by not a professional cook but a housewife do not miss it! However, one should take into account that a table fully covered with dishes is the standard of Russian hospitality.

Source: Russia

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Such is the case in the age of global food market, as the range of raw materials in what constitutes a nice soup has widened incredibly to include new tastes never before associated with pasta. An example of which is “Gaia Greek Special Ready Soup”, a perfect combination of premium quality pasta and finest taste made from the best Greek goji berry and aronia berry. It is truly a superfood with high nutritional value, as it caters to our needs for everyday consumption of high quality protein, a wide range of vitamins and trace elements, as well as being rich in carbohydrates.

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Shifting trends

Three global macro-trends Friesland Campina Ingredients Food & Beverages identified last year – experiences engaging all senses, conscious indulgence, personalise it yourself conveniently – remain relevant. Our special extra edition reveals that we are now witnessing some important sub-trends, which become apparent as consumers adjust to a new normality.

Small indulgences with a bonus

Even before COVID-19, concerns left consumers more conscious than ever about their health, and interest in food and drinks with a nutritional benefit was increasing. The Food & Beverages listening research from 2019 reported that a quarter of all online conversations around ‘conscious consumption’ in Asia-Pacific in the past 12 months were about how products can help consumers stay healthy.

Conversely, not being able to visit a favorite restaurant, meet up with friends and family or travel on holiday means small indulgences are now being appreciated more than ever. Foods and drinks that feel like a treat, but that come with incidental goodness, are a smart solution to enjoy indulgence and goodness at the same time and bring some optimism and positivity.

Trending recipes in our Trend Report Extra Summer Edition include a refreshing ice strawberry green tea with the added bonus of a probiotic foam topping. In the bakery segment, an authentic Mediterranean-style olive oil tear ‘n’ share bread with heathier oils also proved popular.

A flavour of nature

Consumers are still looking for foods and drinks that engage all their senses – taste, looks, smell, feel and even sound are all important. Multi-sensory indulgence is a still a relevant need.

However, we are seeing a more conservative attitude to indulgence in recent times. The flavours of nature, and ingredients more usually associated with the beauty or personal care industry, are migrating to people’s plates. Our listening study has identified a 5.2 percent increase in online conversations about the Japanese cherry blossom sakura, and a five percent rise in chats about charcoal.

A rose (n)ice cream – with the goodness of added probiotics – or a striking-looking charcoal latte could offer just the touch of indulgence needed to boost spirits right now. Especially when we’re forced to communicate online and showing our home creations via online websites, these concepts with a touch of nature yield creatively share-worthy results.

No waste, good taste

Our inaugural trend report identified a key trend in personalization, with limitless toppings for cake, ice cream, coffee and other drinks allowing consumers to make their personal creations. We now see a blending of trends, combining great flavours with a conscientious approach to reducing waste.

Consumers whose favorite coffee bars are currently out of bounds, are seeking solace in recreating their food service-inspired favorites at home. With dining out not an option during the COVID-19 pandemic, people are finding clever ways to embrace the zero-waste culture and conjure up tasty treats from what they once considered to be leftovers.

Browning bananas transformed into a deliciously moist and moreish bread that makes the perfect teatime treat. Fruit that is past its best makes the perfect coulis to top it off, and helps consumers to be environmental conscious at the same time.

In it together

With the news headlines dominated for weeks by the COVID-19 pandemic, no individual or business has been left unscathed or unchanged. We are all in this together.

Friesland Campina Ingredients Food & Beverages remains positive and optimistic about the future. Now that we are starting to see enlightenment in some regions, it could be the perfect time for some of us to refresh menus with these latest trends in mind and explore together how we can shape new normal food and beverage trends. At Friesland Campina Ingredients, we’re as curious as everyone else what the world will look like after this and look forward to the new times to come.

Source:  Food Magazine

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COVID-19 hit quickly and quite violently for a while. Many of us simply lost our psychological and rational bearings and got into a survival funk. The result was panic-buying, lineups and a genuine distrust in our food supply chain’s ability to provide the food we would need for some time. For days, perhaps weeks, many felt genuinely food insecure, and this was in Canada, one of the richest countries in the world – a notion that had been considered impossible just a few weeks before.

As we end the first phase of our long, slow march towards normalcy, we can see that things have changed dramatically. Our food vocabulary has completely changed, in a matter of just a few weeks. Conversations about plant-based products, veganism, animal welfare, and sustainability have swiftly been replaced by discussions about supply chains, empty shelves, flour, yeast and eggs.

Fear is a powerful sentiment, one of the most powerful feelings a human being can experience. As we were confined to our homes, we were all forced to go back to basics. We could argue that Canadians have never cooked this much since the end of the Second World War. Our relationship with our kitchens, the true heart of the home, has grown stronger. In fact, according to a recent survey from AMC Group, 42 percent of the people polled plan to make more home-cooked meals after the virus passes. It likely won’t be 42 percent, but it certainly will be more than 10 percent. We are creatures of habit, and given how long lockdowns have lasted, COVID-19’s legacy will be about how it forever changed the way we relate to food. In other words, some of our new habits will remain.

With a powerful combination of providing comfort and promoting good health, milk and dairy products will be found in the middle of all these changes. With its marvellous fusion between animal and vegetable, and given its unparalleled natural integrity and voice, milk always finds a way into recipes and beverages for many diets. What’s more, as has been demonstrated several times in health research, a sedentary lifestyle will get people to consume more dairy products, eventually. With most restaurants closed, overall demand for milk is down, so numbers are not encouraging for now. But sales will come back, with consumers giving more space to dairy at home. With ‘staycations’ being more popular over the next little while, dairy consumption at home will also push sales in the food service industry over time.

Furthermore, coming out of COVID-19, dairy farmers will likely have more direct access to consumers. According to a recent poll, 22 percent of Canadians intend to shop online more often after the crisis. COVID-19 could literally democratise the supply chain. Once online buying for food purchases exists in consumers’ minds, anything is possible. We are already seeing groups of farmers engaging with consumers online due to a void created by grocers who find themselves overwhelmed by demand. And farmers will charge a premium, because they can.

Obviously, the virus has created havoc in our daily lives, but perhaps COVID-19 is exactly what the dairy industry needed. Sustainability, plant-based protein and all other spending trends we saw in food before COVID-19 will eventually bounce back. Their return, though, will be linked directly to economic health and consumer confidence, and that may take a while – long enough for dairy to play a much larger role in our daily lives.

Source: New Food Magazine

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Russian cuisine is famous for its festive dishes such as smoked sturgeon balyk, sturgeon with horseradish, slightly salted salmon, red, black and pink caviar, pickled and salted mushrooms. But this is, of course, only a small part of Russian national cuisine. Other popular and traditional dishes include kasha, a mixture of cereals and porridge, soups such as borsch, pancakes, pirogi pies with different salty fillings, and many dough based dishes. Poultry dishes are considered festive in Russian cuisine. Stews, meat and cabbage are popular daily foods, as well as goulash, an old traditional meat dish.

Bread and other wheat products are also an essential part in the food culture, especially brown bread. Other popular breads include olad’i, which resembles a pancake, shan’gi, white bread rolls, pyshki, tiny doughnuts dating back from Soviet times, baranki, and bubliki, similar to bagels, and kalachi, white baked bread. Russian bread products have a long history along with vodka, which first emerged in the late 1400s.

Vegetable and meat salads are also very popular. Salads are usually heavier than in Western countries, and consisting of potato, carrots, beetroot, mayonnaise etc. The most famous salad in Moscow is the Olivie, which was named after its inventor, a French chef of the Hermitage restaurant in the 1860s. It is made mainly of vegetables mixed with mayonnaise, and boiled meat or chicken. Everyone has their own variation of the salad.

History and the orthodox religion have also had a significant effect on Russian food culture. Soviet snacks and dishes still remain popular and Orthodox culture has had a big influence on which dishes are eaten at which time of the year. There are still special restrictions concerning the food during Lent, during which meat, poultry, and dairy products are not allowed, and so vegetables are used, for example the form of stews and soups. Fish is also used as a replacement for meat.

This can be seen also in Russian restaurants: during lent you might be offered dishes without meat, eggs and butter. However, they will have traditional fish, vegetable and mushroom dishes on offer.

Russian desserts

Kissels are popular desserts consisting of sweetened juice thickened with flour.

A kissel can be made from berries or other fruit. It can be made thick and jelly-like to be eaten with a spoon or it can be drinkable. It can be served both hot and cold, for example on pancakes or with ice cream.

Dishes containing curd, which was mistaken for cheese before, are a very popular part of the food culture. One special dish is oladyi, more commonly known as syrkini – cheese cakes, which are made of curd with eggs and flour and then fried in oil.

Pancakes have a special spot in the Russian food culture as they are a very old tradition. Pancakes were considered ritual food, representing the sun in the old pagan traditions.

The pancake week, Maslenitsa, is organised every spring to celebrate the sun and the end of winter.

Vodka is one of the most popular drinks in Russia, mainly because it is cheap. It is usually drunk very cold, and generally with food or some snacks.

Tea, surprisingly, is a very popular drink in Russia. Tea is drunk traditionally from the Russian Samovar, which is a heated metal container used for boiling water. Other popular drinks include Sbiten, a spicy hot drink flavoured with wine or honey, and Kvass, a drink usually made from black rye or rye bread.

Russians also drink Mors, which is made of berry juice and water, and birch tree juice, using extracts from the trees.
Home-made mint Kvass: Kvass is a Russian bread-based drink and an ingredient in many soups (light kind).

Source: Expatica

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The term “fat-burning foods” may apply to those that produce fat loss by stimulating metabolism, reducing appetite, or reducing overall food intake. All foods stimulate metabolism. However, some types of food, such as chili peppers, might have a larger impact on metabolism than others. Eating these foods may lead to weight loss.

Certain foods, such as nuts, can also offset hunger for longer than others. Consuming these foods may help control appetite and reduce overall food intake, leading to weight loss. In this article, we examine some fat-burning foods that could help people lose weight. We also take a look at how best to include these foods in the diet.

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What is cocoa butter

Humans have consumed foods and beverages made from cocoa beans for centuries, both for pleasure and their potential medicinal properties. Cocoa butter is a pale yellow edible fat extracted from cocoa beans. It’s solid at room temperature and melts easily when applied to your skin, making it a popular ingredient in skin ointments.

This fat has a rich cocoa flavor and is one of the three main ingredients in chocolate. To make cocoa butter, freshly harvested cocoa beans are first fermented, dried, and roasted. Their oil is then extracted to make cocoa butter, while the remnants are used to make cocoa powder.

Summary: Cocoa butter is made by extracting the fat that’s naturally present in cocoa beans. It’s typically used to make skin care or food products, such as chocolate.

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