The Art of Food

July 26, 2006

MediaLink (MF) – Artisanal foods are no longer exclusive to gourmet chefs and urban sophisticates. A rising number of American consumers are now looking for high-quality ingredients to use in their kitchens, shunning overly processed, artificially flavored foods that are a staple of many everyday diets.

While many breads, cheeses and wines are mass-produced, their artisanal counterparts are often handmade using traditional methods that create differences in taste and texture.

“For years, Americans have consumed ‘imitation’ products that substitute color and flavor for the genuine article,” said Scott Conant, author and award-winning executive chef at two of New York City’s most celebrated restaurants – Alto and L’Impero. “Many of these products have very little nutritional value and contain high-sodium and preservatives to compensate for the missing flavor and to lengthen shelf life.”

But demand for real taste and quality are growing. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, American taste is “branching out into specialty and artisan cheeses, shown by the substantial growth in supermarket sales of many smaller categories.” Sales of Havarti were up nearly 40 percent in 2004, while Asiago and Gruyère also saw increased consumer demand, according to the IDFA.

So what’s involved in creating 'old-world' style? In some cases, the processes are centuries-old.

In France's Franche-Comté region, village dairies and family farms have worked together to produce artisanal cheese for more than 800 years. Comté cheese is created exclusively from milk produced by Montbéliarde cows in the Jura Mountain locale and aged in a special cellar for a time period ranging from four months to well over a year. The cheese was one of the first certified by the French government to guarantee high quality, true place of origin, and traditional methods.

The extra care that goes into making any artisanal food can help to make gatherings seem more special.

“It says something when you serve specially prepared foods at a party for many or during an evening for two,” said Marilyn Harris, a radio and TV personality, cooking teacher and food consultant. “You’re signaling to your guests that you care enough to do the little things to make your time together more enjoyable.”