Food

And It's Kosher!

Some very exotic products under rabbinical supervision.

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM

AppleTree Editor

hen Esther Posner was a lit-
tle girl, her aunts had the
solution to her every stom-
ach problem.
"In my German-Jewish family, if I
ever complained of a stomachache
my aunts would say, 'I have some-
thing for you,"' says Posner, of
Southfield. "And then they would
haul out the Underberg bottle. They
believed in its curative pow-
ers totally."
Underberg, imported
from Germany, promotes
itself as "natural herb bit-
ters" to help "feel bright
and alert." Its curative
powers, if any, come from
the gentian root, also the
base of Moxie, the most
popular drink around the
turn of the century (and
the first thing Calvin
Coolidge reached for when
he learned he was about to
become president).
Cased in a distinctive
green box, Underberg bears a
very large OU, kosher certifi-
cation from the Orthodox
Union.
Remember when the only
kosher food you would see at
stores was a cereal or two, some bak-
ing products, maybe cookies?
These days, you can find every-
thing from exotic jams made in
Muslim countries to caviar from
Great Britain, each with a heksher
(kosher certification) — and quite
accessible.
Take that Underberg — which was
what, exactly?
"The back of the package explains
that the product is not to be sipped or
savored, but poured and taken all at
once and quickly because of its strong
herbal taste," Posner says. "The ingre-
dients include water, alcohol (44% by
volume — so who is going to feel any
pain after that?), natural flavors from
herbs and roots of the genus gen-

tiana." And one more bit of wisdom
from the package: "Underberg ... it
cannot be explained: it must be expe-
rienced."
If you want the Underberg experi-
ence, you can find the product at the
Holiday Market in Royal Oak.
Or maybe you're already an
Underberg connoisseur, in which case
you might want to check out these
other unusual kosher finds:
Cajeta Vainilla from Coronado
Products actually lives up to its exotic
name: it is produced in Mexico.
This is a bread spread made of
goat milk, sugar, corn syrup and
vanilla. (In short, it's yummy and
exactly the sort of thing that
can help put your dentist's
child through college).
There is an 800 number
to call for more informa-
tion, but brush up on
your Spanish before you
pick up the phone as you
will, of course, be calling
Mexico. Cajeta Vainilla,
sold at Meijer in Royal
Oak, comes with a
heksher from the
Kashrut Council of
Mexico and is even
marked "Kosher
Dairy."
Rosa's Horchata
bears the image of
an elegant woman in a large
sombrero and a rose behind her
ear. It's also OU dairy and,
according to the bottle, una
buena fuente de calicio ("A
good source of calcium").
Despite the bottle design
and product name, Rosa's
Horchata actually is made
in Glenview, Ill., and is
basically a sweet milk drink.
Available at Meijer.

If your life needs a little sparkle,
consider L'Chaim Products' Sparkle
Paint Nosh. This OU, pareve treat
looks like a paint can and paint
brush, but it's edible. The tiny can is
filled with a sugary candy, while the

candy paint brush is
clear with tiny bits of
even more candy bits
twinkling within.
To eat, dip paint brush (i.e.
sugar) into paint can (i.e. more
sugar). This has the added bonus of
making your tongue turn blue, which
kids think is very cool. Available at
One Stop Kosher in Southfield.
While you're at One Stop, check out
the pineapple slices from Unger's.
They're kosher, and they're from
Indonesia.

your favorite grocery store. Certified
by the Orthodox Union.

Turkey is, of course, a Muslim
country. This didn't stop the Turks
from coming up with a delicious
Cornelian Cherry Jam that's kosher.
This is a wonderfully sweet
(look out for the pits, though) jam
certified OU.
You can find it at specialty shops like
Arabic Town Imports in Oak Park.
The owners, who are Christian, could-
n't be nicer, and stepping in Arabic
Town Imports offers a wonderful taste
of the Middle East.
The smell — Turkish coffee and
pungent spices — hits you as soon as
you open the door. The store sells
numerous imported items, including
many from Israel.
Be on the lookout for kosher pickles
from Iran (yes, Iran), which may or
may not be in stock. Also, if your taste
runs to the hot and exotic, look for
Arabic Town Import's offering of
Marco Polo brand Hot Fefferoni (also
known as hot
peppers). These
tiny treats, red
and green, thin and
very hot indeed,
are made in
Bulgaria. They are
certified by the
OU.

-

Feeling like a Bad Boy? Now you,
too, can be like P. Diddy, of Puffy, or
Puff Daddy, or Sean Combs. This
entrepreneur, rap artist and clothing
designer has been seen drinking
Glaceau Vitamin Water.
Critics say it's basical-
ly water with
sugar and fla-
voring, but it's
certainly tasty,
and bottles
always have a
clever message
(the "energy"
version offers
this:
"We, the
makers of this
product, hereby
rebut any offers
by any profes-
sional sports
leagues to become
`the official water'
of anything.
Although this is a
7
great alternative to
sports drinks, we do
not believe in suc-
cumbing to commer-
cialism. Unless, of
course, there's a, lot of cash.
Then we'll talk.")
Glaceau Vitamin Water comes in a
variety of funky flavors, like kiwi
strawberry and tropical citrus, each of
which issupposed to help calm stress
or give energy. Bottles are bright and
beautiful, so you can't miss them at

Your breath is
as smelly as an
alligator-infested
swamp on a hot
afternoon.
O000h. You
need some
Zingo's. These
kosher breath mints

AND IT'S KOSHER on page 40

7/14
2005

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