When tradition meets food trends
Superfoods from the Orient, animal surprises from Armenia and Georgian specialties: The Grüne Woche journey through West Asia has a lot to offer.
The orderly bustle at the Safran & Family stand is somewhat reminiscent of a hotel breakfast buffet. Guests bend over small bowls and spoons on which fresh dates, green raisins, dwarf figs and mulberries are arranged. There is a display board next to each snack. Here, visitors learn that green raisins are a source of fiber, aid digestion and contain folic acid, calcium, iron, vitamins A, B, C, E and K. Anyone who talks to owner Hajir Jenkouk will also learn that the small red barberries from Iran have a high vitamin C content and, unlike dried cranberries, contain slightly less sugar. “I think we are one of the busiest stands at the fair. Many people come to us because they are looking for dried fruit for their muesli, without sulphur, sugar and additives,” says Hajir Jenkouk.
Safran & Family has been importing oriental foods for 35 years, and the family business has been exhibiting at Grüne Woche for 13 years. “When I was here for the first time, I was still studying business administration. I had no idea what to expect here and came in a suit,” says Hajir. Today, he runs the company founded by his parents.
If you can't get enough of the taste of the Orient, try Iranian pistachios, dried figs and saffron at Famenin from Tehran (7.2b/105) and a Turkish apple-cherry or kiwi tea at Ottoman (7.2b/105a) before heading north.
Bright green tarragon juice from Georgia
In Armenia (7.2c/100), a cobra peers out of the shelf with an aggressive look. Lined up next to it are elephants, bears, rabbits and dragons, as well as a rooster, a wild boar and a soccer made of glass. All the figures are filled with ten-year-old brandy. The high-proof brandy has been used as a medicine since the High Middle Ages and is considered a traditional spirit. In Armenia, the history of wine growing goes back over 3000 years. “Armenian brandy” is even a legally protected term.
The Georgian stand (11.2/119) is located further towards the north entrance to the fair. Here you can find snacks made from dried grapes with walnuts, the traditional Georgian sauce adzhika (watch out, it's spicy) and bright green tarragon juice that tastes like woodruff. “I always drink it diluted,” advises Maryna, who helps run the Georgian Production stand. The company started out as a small online wine shop, but now also sells juices, spices and sauces and, for the past seven months, the Georgian restaurant Stumari in Schöneberg. Hot samples of Georgian specialties such as the stuffed dumplings Khinkali are prepared live at the stand - ideal for a breather after a trip through West Asia.
