October 23, 2008
Authenticity Verified in Regional Foods
By Bernice Hurst, Managing Partner, Fine Food Network
People who take pride in what they do have different ways of showing it. One route taken by some European food producers is to demand that authenticity be verified through being awarded either PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status. Briefly, this means that the product can only be considered authentic if it comes from a specific locale. Anywhere else and it must have a different name to signify that it isn’t the real McCoy. Some of the best known examples are champagne and Parmesan cheese.
Achieving the status can take many years while it is proved that products from anywhere outside the specific region are not of equivalent quality. There are also, as a recent article in The Guardian reported, principles involved.
The origins of both falafel and tabbouleh are currently being disputed in the Middle East with Lebanon and Israel insisting they were there first. Fadi Abboud, president of the Lebanese Industrialists’ Association (LIA), believes “It’s time to set the record straight.” Apparently researchers say they have documentation to prove that 25 traditional Middle Eastern dishes hail from Lebanon and deserve PDO status. The newspaper said Mr. Abboud admits it will be difficult to copyright falafel as “Turks, Egyptians and Syrians also lay claim to it” but is confident he can prove “Lebanon commercialized hummus in the late 1950s.” Unless it is made in Lebanon, everyone else will have to come up with a name change. Mr. Abboud remains adamant the case is worth pursuing, not least to address what he sees as misconceptions about Arab culture.
Meanwhile, Melton Mowbray, pork pie-makers from England’s East Midlands region, are on the verge of achieving their ambition after ten years of waiting. In France, major dairy manufacturer Lactalis is closing one of its sites because of an ongoing battle over what comprises ‘traditional’ Camembert cheese. Earlier this year, it was officially decided that cheese sold under the name Camembert had to be made from raw milk. Lactalis refused, sales have suffered and the plant is no longer used to capacity.
Pride and principles, then. But perhaps falafel will still be falafel even by another name.
Discussion questions: Do Americans place as much importance on authenticity of food origins as other nationalities do? Should retailers be doing more to promote imported foods on the basis of their authentic origins? Can more traditional American foods capitalize on their authenticity?
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There are a number of ways to look at this situation. On one hand, it’s good to know that a certain food is made in a certain way, from a certain region of the world. On the other, if you like a food, regardless of where it is from, enjoy it.
PDOs and PGIs have a place, but they are not the end all and be all of food. Sometimes they protect a way of making a product, but frequently the only purpose they serve is economic.
Oh, no! It’s the dreaded tabbouleh wars (tabouli salad to we primitives)! Having worked on the advertising accounts for several food commodity groups–including California Table Grapes, Winegrowers Of California, California Tree Fruit, California Raisins, Angus Beef, and Idaho Potatoes–I was charged with emphasizing and positively positioning their origins. And, I can positively say that these products and others have special attributes that create some superiority. Washington Apples and Florida Citrus are others. But, these differences/superiorities tend to blur as other U.S. regions improve their products, and as more produce is imported. And to most of us, I believe, the picky European concerns over the true nature and origin of Champagne or Roquefort Cheese just seems silly. Of course, America hasn’t had thousands of years of heritage in which to create and amuse ourselves with the internecine food wars found elsewhere. Unless, of course, the argument is Geno’s or Pat’s Steaks in Philly.
This may be new territory for American consumers. I believe that in the past, it may have been important for shoppers to have any fresh product at any time of year, rather than be too concerned about its place of origin. However, as customers become more thoughtful about the environment and the cost long and short term of transporting product great distances just for the sake of availability, local product origin will become more important.
Actually, I think this is rather exciting. Remember when Vidalia onions only came from Georgia, and Coors was only available in Colorado? Sorry about the second example, I couldn’t think of another fresh fruit or veggie example.
Perhaps a different spin on this is that we would like to know where our food is produced so we can avoid anything made in China. There have been some marketing campaigns that have attempted to boost local produce, such as the Florida orange promo. I think that the greater the transparency of the source of origin, the better it is for consumers. I can understand why growers and manufacturers are fighting this but I hope that it becomes a reality sooner rather than later.
Looking down the road for the next few years, our need to know where a food comes from will be less and our needs will be more along the lines of “where can I get an inexpensive open-face roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes?” After that period of austerity, and assuming discretionary bucks rebound, we’ll then return to the culinary hunt for food origins and other many-splendored things.
I love Paczki, the delicious Polish fried donut, that is prepared only during the weeks before Ash Wednesday.
Paczki (poonchkey) is big in the Detroit area, around Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and other cities where large Polish populations reside.
Farmer Jack used to sell a zillion of them in years past.
Now Pathmark and other A&P banners continue the tradition.
Except for some niche products, people look for great quality at the best price. Yeah, French Champagne gets high prices. But decades ago, California wines were automatically considered inferior and they certainly aren’t today. The New York Times’ offices left Times Square decades ago, and of 12 printing plants, only one is in New York. New Jersey used to be the #1 peach state, but it sure isn’t today.
As for the folks arguing over falafel and tabbouleh: they hate each other on principle and would fight over anything.
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There are a number of ways to look at this situation. On one hand, it’s good to know that a certain food is made in a certain way, from a certain region of the world. On the other, if you like a food, regardless of where it is from, enjoy it.
PDOs and PGIs have a place, but they are not the end all and be all of food. Sometimes they protect a way of making a product, but frequently the only purpose they serve is economic.
Oh, no! It’s the dreaded tabbouleh wars (tabouli salad to we primitives)! Having worked on the advertising accounts for several food commodity groups–including California Table Grapes, Winegrowers Of California, California Tree Fruit, California Raisins, Angus Beef, and Idaho Potatoes–I was charged with emphasizing and positively positioning their origins. And, I can positively say that these products and others have special attributes that create some superiority. Washington Apples and Florida Citrus are others. But, these differences/superiorities tend to blur as other U.S. regions improve their products, and as more produce is imported. And to most of us, I believe, the picky European concerns over the true nature and origin of Champagne or Roquefort Cheese just seems silly. Of course, America hasn’t had thousands of years of heritage in which to create and amuse ourselves with the internecine food wars found elsewhere. Unless, of course, the argument is Geno’s or Pat’s Steaks in Philly.
This may be new territory for American consumers. I believe that in the past, it may have been important for shoppers to have any fresh product at any time of year, rather than be too concerned about its place of origin. However, as customers become more thoughtful about the environment and the cost long and short term of transporting product great distances just for the sake of availability, local product origin will become more important.
Actually, I think this is rather exciting. Remember when Vidalia onions only came from Georgia, and Coors was only available in Colorado? Sorry about the second example, I couldn’t think of another fresh fruit or veggie example.
Perhaps a different spin on this is that we would like to know where our food is produced so we can avoid anything made in China. There have been some marketing campaigns that have attempted to boost local produce, such as the Florida orange promo. I think that the greater the transparency of the source of origin, the better it is for consumers. I can understand why growers and manufacturers are fighting this but I hope that it becomes a reality sooner rather than later.
Looking down the road for the next few years, our need to know where a food comes from will be less and our needs will be more along the lines of “where can I get an inexpensive open-face roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes?” After that period of austerity, and assuming discretionary bucks rebound, we’ll then return to the culinary hunt for food origins and other many-splendored things.
I love Paczki, the delicious Polish fried donut, that is prepared only during the weeks before Ash Wednesday.
Paczki (poonchkey) is big in the Detroit area, around Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and other cities where large Polish populations reside.
Farmer Jack used to sell a zillion of them in years past.
Now Pathmark and other A&P banners continue the tradition.
Except for some niche products, people look for great quality at the best price. Yeah, French Champagne gets high prices. But decades ago, California wines were automatically considered inferior and they certainly aren’t today. The New York Times’ offices left Times Square decades ago, and of 12 printing plants, only one is in New York. New Jersey used to be the #1 peach state, but it sure isn’t today.
As for the folks arguing over falafel and tabbouleh: they hate each other on principle and would fight over anything.