Metro : MPULSE - The METRO Magazine - 02/2022 August

Focus on

fine foods

To coincide with the Gourmet Festival, we take a look at what some gourmets serve up

METRO MAGAZINE

2/2022

Maggot cheese from Sardinia: if it's not wriggling, it's no good

Surströmming from Sweden: fermented fish that makes tins explode

Durian fruit from South-EastAsia: the king of

the stinkers

F a -

foods

In Asia, it's a fine food that fetches high prices, but its smell is notorious the world over. The thorny durian fruit is known as the 'king of fruits' because

it is so healthy and delicious, but it is also known as the 'vomit fruit' due to its dreadful smell. It grows on trees, primarily in Thailand, Malaysia and

Indonesia, and is used to make jam, cakes, ice cream, juice and curries. Its sweet and creamy flesh is tempting. But daring tourists fail the durian test time and again - it's said it takes 3 attempts to overcome the urge to gag and really enjoy its flavour.

Curious to know about other bizarre delicacies?

Can you really eat that? Time to take your taste buds on a brief journey of discovery.

Sold in a small, round tin, surströmming is a fish from Sweden which is famous for its putrid smell. The Baltic herring soused in brine is fer-

mented by lactic acid bacteria. Approximately

1. month before the 'surströmming premiere', the start of the selling season, the fish is tinned and the fermentation process continues in the tin. This causes the bottom and lid of the tin to bulge. This method of preparation lends the fish its singular, very pungent smell, which many people find unbearable.

When cheese flies have begun to lay their eggs in a block of

cheese, this is usually an indication that you shouldn't really eat it any more. But in the case of casu marzu from Sardinia, they have an important task - they enhance the pecorino.

It is not considered mature until the maggots have eaten much of the cheese. Their digestive action transforms the cheese, giving it a strong flavour and making it easy to spread. Casu marzu is served with red wine, flat- bread - and the live maggots.

ENJOY

VARIETY WITH all the senses

A goat's cheese mousse served with figs marinated in port, an Earl Grey Martini or nigiri with scallops - with its international food service industry, Düssel­ dorf is a delight for all gourmets. Over the past

2 tough years, we have had to make do without many cherished pleasures of everyday life. This has shown us just how important the food service industry is.

We are therefore all the more excited about the pro­ spect of shared experiences once again, such as the Gourmet Festival Düsseldorf. METRO will be there in the thick of Europe's biggest open-air food event - as a food service industry partner and as the main sponsor of the festival in Düsseldorf. Promoting a popu­­ lar gourmet event which is open to all foodies, our customers and our employees and which is being held where our headquarters are based is a matter which is close to our heart. This ties in neatly with our goal at METRO of promoting food culture and culinary variety.

In this issue, we present 3 restaurateurs as examples of Düsseldorf's vibrant food service scene - the Michelin-starred restaurant Agata's with its Hawaiian- inspired cooking, EssBar, which has been recognised for its value for money, and the cocktail caterers Starkeepers, who celebrate complex drinks with and without alcohol. You can also read up on some inter­ esting facts about the true gourmet classic, oysters, and the top fine food trends as identified by culinary expert Hanni Rützler. Also, how Classic Fine Foods, METRO's food service company, delivers food from all over the world from haute cuisine to novel food as well as some of the far-out things that foodies around the world are tucking into such as surström- ming, the durian fruit and casu marzu.

Enjoy this latest issue of MPULSE!

Dr Steffen Greubel

EDITORIAL 1

1. What is a gourmet?
   Restaurateurs describe indulgence
2. All you need to know about oysters
   How do you keep them fresh? How do they open?
   How are they served?

6 In demand: Gourmet products that taste good and 'do good' too

An interview with food trend researcher Hanni Rützler

8 Flavour, indulgence and hospitality

Invitations from

3 restaurateurs: Agata's, Starkeepers and EssBar

18 Classic Fine Foods

METRO supplier of fine foods between haute cuisine and novel foods

1. Tips from professionals, for professionals
   How to make uramaki and nigiri: 7 tips from sushi chef Kim Phan
2. Tidbits

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2 APPETIZER

WHAT IS   A

gourmet?

'Being a gourmet­ means something different to every guest because every guest has different gourmet tastes.'

 Alexander Aisenbrey, CEO of the Öschberghof resort

'The German word for gourmet is "Fein- schmecker" - someone who knows about sophisticated dishes and drinks. But that's far too stereotypical and elitist. I would ascribe that to people who appreciate quality foods. Qualitydoes not necessarily mean those plates with just a few small splodges of food, it's about  love of the product.'

Martin Behle, member of the Commercial Board, METRO AG

'For me, a gourmet is someone who is happy to see good products which have been lovingly prepared on their plate and in their glass. Ideally in friendly company.'

  Michael Widmer, Düsseldorf store manager and Rhineland regional manager, METRO

All you
need to
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'I'm vegan. This limits me in some ways, but also  opens my eyes  to

It's incredible to

see what the professionals can conjure up without animal additives. This is being reflected more and more at the Gourmet Festival. I have a great time working my way

around, sampling everything.'

  Hendrik Schellkes, Wellfairs GmbH, organiser of the Gourmet Festival

'As a gourmet, I assume responsibility for our

culture­ of indulgence.

I foster bliss, including for the generations to come.'

 Andrea Gallotti, owner of the restaurant erasmus in Karlsruhe

a

o

y

s t e rs

'For me, anyone who looks for and appreciates good products is a gourmet. It's unfortunately often the case in Germany that outra­ geously expensive grills are bought, only for them to be used for the cheapest meat available.'

 Dirk Wittau, Head of Catering and Events, METRO's Inn

'It's a lifestyle, a culinary experience you share with others. Being a gourmet is not always about being a connois- seur, it's more about being a lover of good food and an admirer of the talent behind each dish.'

Olivier Batel, Managing Director, Classic Fine Foods (CFF) UK, and member of the CFF Management Board

We talk to METRO Düsseldorf store manager and Rhineland regional manager Michael Widmer about wholesale and restaurant scene trends.

Alongside truffles, champagne and caviar, oysters are the epitome of gourmet foods. Some interesting facts about the luxury shellfish.

4

The luxury shellfish and its varieties

There are more than 50 different oyster varieties. 88% of the oysters consumed in Europe come from France and the rest from Ireland and the Netherlands. Creuses and fines de claire are the standard grades. Gourmets consider spéciales de claire to be especially delicious. The stars of the oyster world are the Gillardeau, Belon and Pied de Cheval. French oysters are classified by size ranging from

0 to 5, with 5 being the smallest and 0 the largest. 'Numéro 3', weighing 66 to 85 grams, is the most frequently sold oyster size as most people find this size pleasant to slurp. Very large and very small oysters lend themselves better to cooking.

Pay attention when buying oysters

Fresh oysters are only ever sold alive. They should have a slight seawater smell when bought. Caution - if they smell very fishy or smell of ammonia, they are already bad. Oysters that look overly dry should likewise preferably be rejected. It is also important that the shell is still tightly closed. If it is slightly open, do the freshness test by gently tapping on the shell's edge - fresh oysters will immediately close. If the shell remains open, it is no longer suitable for consumption.

The same is true if the meat inside is dark.

Correct storage

Fresh oysters can go bad very quickly

SUSTAINABILITY

There are oysters that come from certified businesses at UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

There are now also oysters that bear the ASC label. The independent organisation Aquaculture Stewardship Council grants fish farms its certification mark if they avoid negative impacts on regional bio- diversity, pay attention to animal health and guarantee good labour conditions for their employees. They should also prevent environmental destruction such as waters being polluted with chemicals and antibiotics and the deforestation of mangrove forests.

ASSORTMENT 5

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There were once also oysters in the Hudson River in New York. And there are plans for them to be reintroduced there soon. The oyster banks there can also serve as water filters and breakwaters.

The perfect combination options

Raw oysters are usually eaten au naturel or with just a few ingredients - they are simply enhanced with pepper and thyme or with various sauces or toppings. The traditional varieties here are lemon, cocktail sauce or even balsamic vinegar. For more exotic options, they are served with fruit such as kiwi or watermelon. Cooked oysters can be found in stews and soups or in combination with rice, pasta or potatoes.

Opening oysters correctly

The bulbous part should be facing down and the pointed section should be facing you. This is the spot where the oyster knife, the couteau à huîtres, is applied. With a little force, slide the wide, sharp knife between the shell halves. Some cooks wear a steel glove when opening oysters to prevent injuries. Once the blade has made it to the oyster's hinge, the shell can be eased open by turning the knife. Then cut the upper adductor muscle, which can be found in the middle of the oyster. Caution - do not damage the meat in the process! Use a brush to remove any sand and pieces of shell. The oysters are then ready for serving.

so you need to pay attention to where you store them, for how long and at what temperature. If stored correctly, freshly bought oysters are edible for 3 to 10 days after being harvested. They should ide­al­-­ ly be eaten on the day they are bought. Always store oysters in the refrigerator at 2 to 7 degrees. A 4% brine can also help keep them fresh. Fresh water is a death sentence for oysters, as is airtight pack- aging. Frozen oysters can be kept at −20°C for up to a year. Caution - these are not suitable for raw consumption and should be used in stews or soups instead.

Looking for the right equipment?

When oyster farming meets sustainability - the oyster fishing family Geay, METRO suppliers, in profile.

6 QUESTION TIME

In demand:  gourmet products that taste   good and 'do good'    too

Hanni Rützler is a nutritionist and food trend researcher. The Austrian culinary expert and author has been studying our contemporary food culture and the shape of things to come for more than 25 years. Her latest food report examines how and what we will be eating in the future.

QUESTION TIME

7

Can a trend be planned or artificially generated? If so, how? And if not, why not?

If, like me, you see food trends not merely as fashions and hypes, but as answers to problems, longings and desires, I would say they can't be planned. But if food producers or restaurateurs understand a trend's 'ambitions' and are able to deliver workable answers at the right time with their products and services, they can not only successfully ride the trend wave - they can also influence and help shape the trend. Take chefs like René Redzepi, Daniel Humm and Paul Ivić, who have come up with ingenious culinary answers to the problems of our far too meat- based food culture.

Ms Rützler, what immediate associations do you have with the term 'gourmet'?

For me, a gourmet is an informed connoisseur who has a particular appreciation of eating, food and its preparation, who consciously experiences it and differentiates, and who can ideally also talk about it.

What gourmet trends are making a particular impact right now?

The gourmet scene has changed dramatically over the past 10,

20 years, not least because it has grown younger and is no longer limited to well-off clientele. Foodies come from all social strata and milieus. And with their openness to new things, their ethical values and their sensitivity to the environmental problems of our food production, they have also changed the criteria that gourmets apply these days to what constitutes 'good food'. This is illustrated not least by the changed role of meat, which was the star of the culinary show for a long time, but which has long since ceded this role in high-end cuisine to vegetables, to variety and to the sensory qualities of plant-based products.

'I see

 food trends   as the answer  to problems'

Fundamentally speaking, how is a trend born, and why and when does it truly take off - and then go out of fashion again?

I see food trends as the answer to problems, longings and desires within our food culture. Whether or not a trend takes off is therefore primarily about how good the answers and solutions it offers or highlights are. And as food trends are not a static phenomenon and are always in motion, they are constantly changing. This is clearly illustrated by the ever greater differentiation within the local food trend, which came about in response to global­ isation. Take the 'local exotics' trend, for example, which responds to people's longing for 'exotic' foods by also producing these foods here in this country, regionally.

Trends aside, what would you say

are the most important characteristics of a convincing gourmet product?

Transparency regarding its origins and a focus on ethical and sustainable production criteria. It obviously has to offer a sophisticated sensory experience too, but these days a gourmet product does not only have to taste good - it also has to be perceived to

be doing good, for example in terms of animal welfare and sustainability.

And what are the main characteristics of a true foodie?

Curiosity, an interest in how food is produced and prepared, and enjoyment of focused and 'future- proof' indulgence.

Real omnivores, local exotics and zero waste - what influence do trends have on food culture?