Nostalgia Sunday – Sugar and… rice?

December 20, 2009 - 7:44 PM by Rachel Neiman · 1 Comment
Filed under: Business, Food, General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Nostalgia Sunday 

superbrand_book2I came across Israel Superbrands 2009 while book shopping the other day and stopped short in my tracks. The book, large and glossy, is an annual compendium of the country’s most recognized brand names, from international ones like Toshiba and Lancome, to local favorites like Milky cup o’ chocolate pudding n’ whipped cream and national lottery Mifal HaPayis.

I was surprised (though I shouldn’t have been) to learn that Shimon Peres is a top brand name in Israel. Another non-shocker: there were many different brands of milk products, manufactured by only two companies, thus perpetuating the illusion that there is competition in Israel’s dairy sector.

But perhaps most surprising of all was to learn that Sugat, the Kiryat-Gat based factory whose name is a combination of the “Gat” region and “sugar”, its traditional product since the early days of Statehood, has over the decades cleverly repositioned itself as a purveyor of rice and beans.

sugat_sugar_1kHow’s that again? And why did this happen? This was the company that in 1967 opened the most advanced sugar manufacturing plant in the Middle East. But times – and water policies – change.

As the Sugat website wordily explains it, “At the beginning of the eighties, changes occurred which compelled the founders of Sugat to alter the Company’s policy. Subsidies to European sugar producers led to a steady fall in the price of sugar in the world market, reaching a level much lower than the cost of refining and production of sugar in Israel. The problems of water in Israel were such to render the production of sugar beet no longer feasible as the quantities of water required for its growth were relatively large. At this stage a decision was taken to close the sugar-producing factory and instead become a company packaging and marketing sugar.”

Sugat_factory_oldHaving redefined itself as a packager and marketer, Sugat decided to enter into commodities, starting with rice, a staple product of the Israeli diet. Superbrands writes, “In 1990, when the company decided to brand rice and turn Sugat into a brand, the three advertising agencies refused the account, claiming that the move didn’t stand a chance.”

How wrong they were. Today, Sugat sells packages of everything — from 10-minute prepackaged brown rice and lentil mix to quinoa of every stripe and color. Their logo is all over the supermarket shelves. According to Superbrands, the brand is so ingrained in the Israeli psyche that, “Research showed consumers were convinced that their cupboards at home contain Sugat salt (which, by the way, does not exist).”

They still keep a hand in the sugar biz though — and their website has a nice little article about the history of sugar in the Holy Land.

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Good eats

August 18, 2008 - 9:06 PM by Jessica · 1 Comment
Filed under: Food, General 

Still got my head in the mercaz, local lingo for everything north of Jerusalem and south of Haifa, more or less, and following our weeklong stay in Hofit. It’s not that we’re starved for entertainment or consumer opportunities here in Jerusalem, but the towns and cities of center Israel offer just a tad more in terms of choice and range, which is not a bad thing to have for a change.

So a brief mention of two, nay, three places of interest that we visited over the course of the week, and not to worry, I’m not including Ikea, although we did spend a very intense morning there amidst the annual summer sale. Never again. But, for a food shopping experience that even the kids will like — and we were there with at least four of varying ages — check out Eden Teva Market, a Whole Foods-like emporium in Netanya that is right next door to Ikea.

Said to be the largest health food store in the Middle East, Eden Teva’s shelves are stocked with more than 14,000 products in 20 different departments. They’ve got aisles of unusual dried fruits and nuts, a specialty chocolate counter, an organic hummousiya in the middle of the store, right next to an Aldo sorbet and ice cream stand, with summer features such as green and red grape sorbes and fig ice cream. And if you check it out on a Friday, they’ve got many free treats to taste, as well as fresh greens and other veggies brought straight from nearby organic farms. There is also an Eden Teva Market in Rishon Lezion and one in Or Yehuda.

eden teva.jpgJust to complete the fresh food bonanza, make one more stop on your way out of the Netanya industrial zone and check out Lehem Artisan (5A Giborei Yisrael Street), a really wonderful local bakery with breads, cakes and other baked goodies that also offers many free samples for the hungry and cranky. It’s worth the trip.

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