To understand how Vladimir Putin is weaning Russians off foreign food, look no further than the apple trees growing in the Krasnodar region near the Black Sea, where a Soviet-era orchard once flourished. They’re mostly from Italy. Russia is the world’s largest apple importer because local varieties spoil faster than those grown in Europe or China and shoppers often prefer the taste of imported fruit. When farm operator AFG National Group sought to upgrade supplies in 2015, rather than use domestic crops, the company shipped in 143,000 trees from fields 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) away. It’s new orchard near the Caucasus Mountains will produce about 8,000 tonnes of Gala, Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples this year. “Deciding to use the latest technology in planting orchards, we realised that, unfortunately, national research in this area lags behind the leading European and global trends,” says Oleg Ryanov, who runs the orchard unit at AFG, … [Read more...] about Importing apple trees instead of apples, Russia secures food
Food
Wines of the week: seven bottles to go with spicy food
A recent holiday in southern India highlighted once again the difficulties of matching wines to spicy food, and how much is down to individual taste and the specifics of the spicing, which can vary from dish to dish and according to time and place. And the weather is itself a factor – in 30C Kerala the only choice for me was an ice cold beer to accompany the fish curries and masala dosas. But, on the rare occasions we could find it, my partner preferred a chilled white wine, such as a chenin blanc or sauvignon blanc, which actually worked reasonably well with such fish and vegetable dishes, because the Keralan spicing is complex and not aggressively packed with chilli. Read more Three recipes from ‘Chai, Chaat and Chutney’ In the Languedoc last summer, where it was even hotter, we drowned ourselves in buckets of permafrost rosé, which worked much better with Mediterranean cuisine. In neither place did red wines get much of a look in – including … [Read more...] about Wines of the week: seven bottles to go with spicy food
Brexit: No deal will be ‘disastrous’ for food and drinks industry, MPs warn
Failing to secure a free trade deal after Brexit will be “disastrous” for Britain’s £28bn processed food and drinks industry and must be avoided at all costs, a committee of MPs has warned. In a new report they claimed that without access to European Union markets after the end of the transition period, in December 2020, exports of processed foods such as chocolate, cheese, beef, pork and soft drinks would suffer while UK consumers would face higher prices and less choice on the supermarket shelves. The stark warning comes from the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, with MPs also saying that reversion to World Trade Organisation rules after withdrawal from the bloc would have a “seismic impact” on the country’s largest manufacturing sector. Read more UK Brexit negotiators offered no new solutions in Irish border talks May’s Brexit divorce bill ‘could cost billions more than estimated’ Sketch: Anger … [Read more...] about Brexit: No deal will be ‘disastrous’ for food and drinks industry, MPs warn
Risk Food And Drink Prices Will Increase If There Is A No Deal Brexit, MPs Warn
A no deal Brexit risks an increase in food and drink prices for consumers and would cause “seismic” damage to the chocolate, cheese, beef, pork and drinks industries, MPs have warned. In a report published on Sunday, the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee said striking a free trade deal with the EU must be the government’s “biggest priority”. It comes following reports that the EU has suspended its internal talks about the future trade deal over a disagreement between Britain and Brussels about how to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland. Theresa May is facing a fresh parliamentary showdown next week after senior MPs tabled a motion on a continued customs union between the UK and the EU. The processed food and drink industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK and contributes £28.8bn to the economy. Exports were worth £22bn in 2017. The industry directly employs 400,000 people throughout the … [Read more...] about Risk Food And Drink Prices Will Increase If There Is A No Deal Brexit, MPs Warn
From Onist Food to Pudology skinny pots, we share healthy chocolate puddings
CHOCOLATE is good for your heart, boosts brain power and may help combat sleep deprivation. And now chocolate puddings are on the market that are even healthier because they contain some of your five-a-day. We look at the latest and also test out curling wands. Avocado Onist Food’s frozen avocado choc pots contain dates, cashew nuts, cocoa powder – and nothing artificial. The salted caramel pot is satisfyingly dense, with a rich avocado creaminess. Less than 200 calories per pot, but 12g fat and 18g sugar per 100g. Every £3.79 pot sold buys breakfast for a Gambian child. See onistfood.com. Potato Pudology’s new £1 chocolate and raspberry skinny pots are gluten and dairy free. They contain a potato protein but you can’t taste it – these treats are a rich and chocolatey indulgence. There is a handy little spoon tucked into the lids – and with 53 calories per pot, 3.2g fat and 13.2g sugar per 100g, they are pretty healthy, too. See … [Read more...] about From Onist Food to Pudology skinny pots, we share healthy chocolate puddings