Let Them Eat Fish

by Randi Sherman
Staff Writer

Sushi mavens from around the metropolitan area traveled here to show off their fishy prowess, and the Fjord King came all the way from France to show off his sushi-grade fish and other delights from European waters. Shindler’s Fish from Brooklyn was in, as usual, and Agriprocessors, the bankrupt Iowa meat manufacturer, was out.

At the 20^th annual Kosherfest, held

this week at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey, fish was the new red meat, and sushi was the new prime rib.

In the wake of a kosher meat shortage growing out of the Agriprocessors scandal, fish seemed to be more prevalent than beef at Kosherfest.

More than 300 exhibitors from around the world came to show off their latest and greatest kosher products, everything from candy and sweets to olive oils and savory spreads.

There was TRU Chocolate, an organic, sugarless chocolate that contains the same amount of antioxidants as seven servings of vegetables, I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter and Shannon Road non-dairy ice cream. Zelda’s Sweet Shoppe won best in show and best new dessert for its Southern Pecan Pie in the new product competition, held last month, and Noam Gourmet Vegetarian Caviar won in the jam, preserve and spread category.

While all those gastronomic things definitely left an impression, the hot sector and the haute cuisine were fish and Asia-influenced items. This year’s show featured both traditional preparations and imitation seafood, and Asian flavors could be found down every aisle of the exhibition space.

“What was once a way for Japanese fishermen to preserve their lunch is now a food of the urban elite,” said Elan Kornblum, publisher of Great Kosher Restaurants International and master of ceremonies for the sushi competition.

The contest pitted Eden Wok, Milk N’ Honey NYC, Glatt A La Carte and Simply Sushi Café against each other in a battle for taste, presentation and originality, challenged to create a beautiful plate of sushi and utilizing the secret ingredient, vegetarian caviar, in an Iron Chef-style face-off. Salmon, tuna, carrots and more were wrapped in rice and topped with special sauces, plated with heart-shaped or fish-shaped mounds of wasabi or boats carved out of Kirby cucumbers. In the end, Simply Sushi Café won out for its combination of phenomenal taste with beautiful plating and an intriguing combination of ingredients.

Fjord King, which brought its products to Kosherfest for the first time, sells frozen sushi, tuna and salmon sashimi, crab and shrimp substitutes as well as smoked salmon from Norway, Ireland and Scotland. The demand for sushi products has been rising, said representative Laurent Benabou, a combination of the recent trouble with kosher meat and a desire for more Asian products.

Asian Star, another company that specializes in sushi-grade seafood substitutes, also offered lobster and scallop substitutes, which could be used in cooking as well. At the next table, at the Rue Lafayette snack company, a sampling table offered a variety of Asian-flavored snacks, including wasabi rice crackers and peanuts, and sushi roll crackers.

A few aisles down, Twin Marquis showed off its collection of kosher Asian foods, noodles, egg rolls and dumplings. The firm’s precooked items can be found in kosher as well as Asian grocers, adding authenticity to the product, said representative Michael Weinrib. He thinks the economy may be involved in the Asian craze as well.

“Dumplings and egg rolls are cheaper as an appetizer than, say, a kabob,” he said. “In a down economy, a menu has to be cost-effective.” He also thinks younger kosher consumers adds to the demand. “The younger generation wants trendier foods than borscht and schav; they want dim sum.”

David Elisha, manager of IMO Foods, an Israeli company that manufactures kosher Thai, Chinese and Japanese products, is riding the recent kosher Asian wave.

“Everyone wants to make their living in [this area] now,” Elisha said. “The Jewish people believe Asian is automatically not kosher, but it’s not true. It’s a misconception that if it’s kosher, it’s not as good as the real thing.” To prove that point, IMO Foods sells rice noodles, coconut milk, nori, dried mushrooms and curry pastes, which Elisha says are on par with their non-kosher counterparts.

If the fish industry picks up, as observed by Barbara Shindler of Shindler’s Fish, it will bode well for her and Elisha. While she said business is busier now, and more people have come inquiring at this year’s Kosherfest than previous years, the boom, she believes, is yet too come.

“Most homemakers stock up for the holidays, but in about four weeks, all hell will break loose,” she said. “Families are going to need protein, and if they can’t get their meat or chicken, fish is going to provide an alternative.”

Two other companies exhibiting beef-alternative products said they hope to help alleviate the pending meat crisis with their own products. A representative from New Jersey’s Vineland Kosher Poultry, who declined to give her name, said the problems at the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa, were good for her business. Every chicken they slaughter is already spoken for by the time they hit the stores. At Solomon’s Finest Kosher Meats, the only booth offering fresh cuts of beef, lamb, bison and other fresh-meat products, owner Ilan Parente said business, as usual, is good.

“Waking up in the morning is good,” he said. “We’re increasing production because of the increased demand. We’re taking care of our people.”

Westchester Jewish Conference

Westchester’s Jewish Community Relations Organization