The annual onslaught of new kosher and matzah-centric products can mean only one thing: Pesach is right around the corner.
“Passover 2009 will very much follow in the tradition of the last few holiday seasons where there were many new products introduced,” Kosher Today editor Menachem Lubinsky told the food magazine Gourmet Retailer.
As a co-producer of KosherFest, one of the largest international trade shows focused on kosher foods, Lubinsky is well aware of the latest Passover products, and he said this year’s options include “healthier and more upscale foods.”
He added that another trend he’s noticing for this year is that the industry is making a real effort to offer kosher-for-Passover items at a fair value for the money — noting that many people have been adversely affected by the recession, but still want to make some kind of special or unique splash for Passover this year.
Among the products that are flourishing are items not for the seder table: wheat-free products such as blintzes, waffles, pizza, breakfast cereals, noodles and mustard
“There was a demand for them by consumers, so working with the OU [Orthodox Union], manufacturers learned how to produce them without wheat, grains and other leavened ingredients,” Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher, told Gourmet Retailer.
What’s hot for 2009? Here’s a rundown on some new products:
BAKED GOODS
The growing list of manufacturers that have learned to produce a viable “baked good” without wheat, grains or any other leavened base includes Zelda’s Sweet Shoppe of Skokie, Ill. (www.zeldas.net). Zelda’s offers items such as a novelty chocolate seder plate and Passover thumbprint cookies and walnut mandelbrot. The shop also offers a Pesach treats basket and a chocolate “Matzoh Man.”
Another great source for kosher-for-Passover baked goods is the Shabtai Gourmet line being offered by New York–based Cinderella Sweets (www.shabtai-gourmet.com). The “Best New Passover Product” at KosherFest 2008 was Shabtai Gourmet Brownie Bites. The company also offers some 200 varieties of baked goods certified for Passover, including blueberry crumble and chocolate fudge sheet cake.
MATZAH
Shibolim is offering a new product that’s kosher-for-Passover: Whole Wheat Chocolate Matzo Squares. They are designated all-natural and free from any preservatives and additives, and they come in two varieties: whole wheat and whole spelt (for those allergic to wheat).
Manischewitz is offering what it calls a “must-have collector’s item: an original wooden matzah box.” They are selling a replica of the original Manischewitz matzah box that was created in 1888 by Dov Behr Manischewitz, who opened a factory in Cincinnati and packaged his machine-made matzah in a wooden box. Limited quantities are available, according to the company.
WINES
From Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard comes Generation VIII 2006, a Cabernet Sauvignon made with specially selected grapes that were cultivated at the historic To Kalon vineyards in the Napa Valley. This kosher-for-Passover wine is a limited release, and you’ll pay handsomely for it at about $180 a bottle. It’s part of a series of handcrafted, single-vineyard lots meant to honor the Herzog family’s history of winemaking over eight generations.
Other kosher-for-Passover wines include: 2008 Teal Lake Sparkling Muscat (a semi-dry white from Australia, $15); 2004 Porto Cordovero LBV (a port from Portugal, $56); 2004 Segals Cab (a mevushal, which means it was cooked or boiled, from the Upper Galilee in Israel, $20); 2006 Agur Kesem (a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petite verdot from Israel, $35); Weinstock Cellars White by W (a new release from California’s Central Coast, $12); and Carmel Ridge Red (a dry red from Israel’s oldest winery blended mainly from carignan grapes, $20).
There is also a new kosher grape juice from Kedem Food Products International. It was rated the “Best New Beverage” at KosherFest 2008’s annual New Product Competition last October in New York City.
MISCELLANEOUS
A wide range of kosher-for-Passover, gluten-free food products are available at www.glutenfreemall.com. Check out their turkey chili with beans or their penne pasta with meat sauce.
If you’re in the market for kosher, organic baby food, try Bella Baby Food products (www.bellababy-foods.com) or check out the best new product from Israel — according to Kosherfest — Beit Yitzhak Pomegranate Spread (www.npbeityitzhak.com).
Manischewitz is introducing kosher-for-Passover salad dressings in the following flavors: Classic Italian, Creamy French, Creamy Thousand Island and Classic Balsamic Vinaigrette. These products can be used as marinades and tenderizers.
Manhattan Dark Chocolates with Almond and Cranberry are not only kosher for Passover, but they’re also lactose-free. The company says they are dark, premium chocolates containing high quality nuts, espresso beans, mint berries and fruit.
Cabot Creamery of Vermont is offering kosher-for-Passover sharp cheddar cheese. It’s available in random weight deli bars weighing approximately 10 ounces each, each clearly marked with the OU’s hologram sticker. You can also order online (www.shopcabot.com).