TORONTO – The SIAL food show in Toronto was a launching pad for many exhibitors of food, beverage, packaging and machinery to highlight their products to buyers, investors and importers here in Canada.
Sebastiano Di Paola, representative of Luscioux, a Sicilian company based in Messina that produces dried fruit specialties for both individual consumption and industrial uses in confectionery, bakery and ice cream shops.
The company specializes in creams and spreads of pistachios, hazelnuts and almonds from Sicily. He presented me with a tasting of pistachio paste. It is a rich dark green colour and matches the richness of the pistachio flavour. The spreadable nut creams all contain 45% nuts; a much higher quantity than those currently in stores and hence the intensity of the flavour.
After securing my attention, he opened a bottle of white-chocolate-covered dried fig treats. I am not a fan of dry figs, so I was happy I did not understand what I was eating until it was already chewing it. The white chocolate coating offered just a subtle hint of chocolate while the fig centre dissolved immediately as I took the first bite. Not bad. I can imagine it could be a pleasurable treat to have with an espresso.
As I moved down the hall I stopped at La Cava Caseificio. Their representative, from Jesse Tree Import Company, invited me to sample the cheeses that remained. La Cava Cheese is produced in the Mount Etna region of Sicily. Obviously, the livestock in this area must eat well, live well to produce a delicious milk product base for this delight.
I moved on to the Pecorino, (sheep milk cheese), more specifically, the Canestrato, made from a blend of cow and sheep milk. The company’s “fan favourites” at this event were the Canestrato Cheese Sapori, infused with rucola, olives and chili pepper and the other, Canestrato Cheese with Pistachio. There was not much left over, most of their samples had been consumed long before I arrived.
I managed to score a taste of the award-winning Canestrato Nerello Mascalese, a variety that is left to soak in the red wine of the region for 45 days, prior to packaging for market. While they were all delicious, the last variety was awarded a Frankfurt International Trophy at the city’s Food and Beverage Tasting Competition earlier this year.
I ended my day at the Molino Bruno exhibit. Molino Bruno is a fifth-generation flour-production company based in Cosenza, Italy. Quintino Bruno insisted I taste the pizza prepared by Chef Lorenzo Fortuna specifically for me. He is excited to display his product here to Canada.
Molino Bruno has been producing flour and flour mixes since 1902. Upgrading technologies and facilities as they expanded. They vaunt a wide range of flours for all types of uses, from pizza, bakery, bread, and cereals.
The mill boasts a training lab on site for bakers and pizzaioli to learn about and understand the proper uses of each flour. For the SIAL Toronto Show, they are using Moretti Ovens for their demonstrations. Without prompting, I must admit the pizza, regardless of the shape, looked and tasted like pizza I enjoyed in Italy: soft, noticeably light, yet “crispy”. Well done!
In the photos: representatives of Luscioux (Sebastiano Di Paola), Caseificio La Cava and Molino Bruno (with the Chef/Pizzaiolo Lorenzo Fortuna)
