Six Gourmet Greats

Consumers are willing to go out of their way-and pay more-for their favorites.

By Sarah Krall -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 2/1/2001

As Americans become more attached to delicacies such as portobello mushrooms and couscous, foods that were once considered exotic are becoming everyday staples. Witness salsa: When first introduced it was considered "ethnic," but today it's a bigger seller than ketchup. These new-and now familiar-foods can be a boon to gift and gourmet retailers, as consumers will go out of their way, and spend more, for their favorites. According to the Food Marketing Institute in Washington, D.C., the percentage of Americans who visit only one supermarket monthly fell from 46 percent in 1996 to 39 percent in 2000. Respondents stated that they found better assortments in stores other than supermarkets.

Wise Choices

Before stocking your shelves with gourmet goodies, however, take stock of what specialty and grocery stores in your neighborhood are already offering. That's the advice of Bettie Edwards of The Little House in Vashon, Washington, a two-time Gifts & Dec Merchandising Achievement Award winner. Edwards recommends establishing an open-to-buy based on what's not well represented in your area.

The main criteria should be taste and packaging, with ideal candidates strong in both. Which is more important depends on whether an item is going in gift baskets, being sold singly, or cross-merchandised with tabletop, linens, or candles.

Know something about the products you're buying and selling. By understanding what's available before the trade shows, you can target selections to your market. Your customers will appreciate your attention to detail and any background information you can provide about your products-a service often not provided elsewhere. History also provides merchandising inspiration. Tea, for instance, can be paired with Chinese or Japanese product, or juxtaposed with Anglophile accoutrements.

Many food products suitable for gourmet gift retailing fall into one of six categories-olive oil, chocolate, coffee, tea, sweets, and sauces. Following is a background look at these gourmet greats.

Olive Oil

The olive tree was one of the earliest plants to be cultivated. Grown by the Persians, Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Greeks, the olive took on a religious significance because it provided nutrition and its oil was used as a skin moisturizer. Today the Mediterranean area produces 90 percent of the world's supply.

Much like wine, olive oil is judged by its bouquet, texture, and flavor. Olive oils are a product of their region of origin, the type of olives used, and the weather conditions leading up to harvest. "Extra virgin" on the label denotes less than one percent acidity.

Chocolate

Chocolate was probably first consumed by the ancient Mayans. A favorite drink of the Aztec emperor Montezuma, the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez took it to Spain in 1529. From there its popularity spread throughout Europe.

Milk chocolate was introduced in 1875, and in 1893, Milton Hershey, who had made his fortune in caramels, bought his first chocolate-making machine. But it was World War I that brought the chocolate bar into its own when the US Army Corps commissioned manufacturers to provide chocolate for the soldiers. After the war, returning veterans retained their hankering for the substance and introduced it to civilians. By the 1920s, there were an amazing 40,000 different candy bars in the U.S.

Today chocolate, in all its forms, is the favorite flavor of nearly half of America. The 3.3 billion pounds sold annually generate about $13 billion in retail sales.

Coffee

After water, coffee is the world's most popular beverage with over 400 billion cups drunk each year. The substance was discovered when an African goatherd observed his charges acting frisky after consuming berries from a bush. The discovery traveled to the Arabian peninsula, Turkey, and finally to Europe. Many thought it should be banned as the drink of the devil, but the pope at that time blessed it as a truly Christian beverage.

In the 1700s, coffee houses became centers for intellectual discourse (and gossip) across Europe. At the same time, coffee found its way to America by means of a French captain who nurtured a single plant on his journey across the Atlantic. The first crude espresso machine appeared in France in 1822, but it was the Italians who perfected it. Today the entire coffee industry employs more than 20 million people around the globe, and coffee ranks second only to petroleum in terms of dollars traded worldwide.

Tea

Far older than coffee, tea was discovered, according to legend, in 2737 BC by a Chinese emperor when some tea leaves blew into a pot of boiling water and the brew was concocted. Soon the beverage reached Japan, and the Japanese elevated the serving and drinking of tea to an art form with the elaborate tea ceremony. By the 1600s, tea drinking had traveled to Europe and its Colonies.

In England, it came to rival ale as the most popular drink. "Low" and "high" teas that satisfied the cravings of the aristocracy and the rest of society, respectively, appeared. So did tea gardens, which combined the drinking of the beverage with outdoor entertainment like orchestras and gambling. Since the gardens were public, it was one of the first times that British society mixed freely.

Tea gardens also reached New York City, and the substance played a feature role in the American Revolution. The first three American millionaires made their fortunes trading tea with China.

In the late 1880s, fine hotels in America and England offered tea service in tearooms and tea courts. By 1910, hotels were hosting afternoon tea dances, where many an office girl met her mate. Iced tea was unveiled at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, while in 1908, the tea bag was invented.

Tea breaks down into three categories: black, green, and oolong. In the U.S., over 90 percent of the tea consumed is black tea. But herbal teas, which contain no tea leaves, rival black tea in popularity.

Sweet Treats

Sweets have been craved by humans ever since cavemen raided beehives for honey. The Egyptians, Arabs, and Chinese prepared confections of fruit and nuts candied in honey. Candy, however, is made by dissolving sugar in water. Hot water temperatures make hard candy, medium heat makes soft candy, and cool temperatures make chewy candy. Boiled sugar candies were enjoyed in the 17th century in England and the Colonies. By the early 19th century, "sweet making" had developed into an industry and soon over 380 American factories were producing "penny candy."

Today candy, including chewing gum, is big business, with $9.5 billion in retail sales and 3.8 billion pounds consumed annually. And it's not just for kids: Americans over the age of 18 consume 65 percent of it.

The modern cookie is an American conception. The word comes from the Dutch koekje or little cake. In England, a cookie is known as a biscuit or a cake. On this side of the pond, the first American cookbook, the 1795 American Cookery, contained a basic cookie recipe. In 1933, Ruth Wakefield used a variation of it to create chocolate cookies. Pressed for time, she added chopped chocolate to the batter, figuring the chocolate chips would melt in the oven. They didn't, and the chocolate chip cookie, named for her Toll House Inn, was born.

Sauces

Most people don't have the time to prepare proper barbecue-it requires 12 to 14 hours of cooking in a smoke-enclosed barbecue. So barbecue and hot sauces attempt to replicate that taste with grilled food. In 1807, the first bottled cayenne sauces appeared in Massachusetts. In 1870, the patent for Tabasco brand hot pepper sauce was obtained. Since then, barbecue and hot sauces have become a truly American cuisine. One fan sums it up saucily: "Southern barbecue is the closest thing we have to Europe's wines or cheeses; drive a hundred miles and the barbecue changes."

The thick Kansas City, Texas, North and South Carolina sauces usually have a spicy-sweet tomato base. Common ingredients include molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, black pepper, onion, celery, garlic, mustard, tomato paste, cayenne pepper, vegetable oil, and salt. Go east in the Carolinas and tomato disappears while parts of South Carolina and Georgia add mustard to the mix.

Whether Tex-Mex, Cajun, or whatever, Americans love hot food, and the consumption of spices continues to rise. One result? Between 1993 and 1998, antacid sales increased more than $100 million to $1.2 billion!