Most Panettone in Argentina is made with candied fruit and I just do not like it. I know it´s a matter of taste--to each his own. However, there were so few options for those of us who only liked the more noble inclusions like hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, and walnuts laced with orange peel and raisins soaked in cognac. Now it looks like there is some competition in the market place.
Bacanal went through the trouble of selecting their top 8 "most delicious and original" offerings and Sugar & Spice was among those chosen. We are rubbing elbows with the likes of Jean Paul Bondoux (Alvear Palace Hotel), Plaza Mayor, Beatriz Chomnalez (Ceasar Park Hotel), Las Violetas, etc.
If you click on the picture below you will be taken to the scanned images of the full article in this month´s Bacanal.
15 comments:
You better sell some of that down here next year! I can't stand the fluorescent speckled garbage that is available.
And is stollen only available in Ushuaia? I can't find it at the large super here. Or should I be looking at another location other than where the cookies and brownies are at.
Congrats too on the hotel deal.
Hi Marc,
This year La Anonima did not buy the Pan Dulce even though their own people were asking for it (I had gone previously and told them all about it). Maybe next year. Be sure and bug your local store about it.
As for the Stollen, they sell more than anyone else in Argentina. It is a very big seller for them. You should ask because they buy lots of Stollen from us.
Your store was the only one that I did not get a chance to visit so I don´t know if they have an "alta gama" section. You could ask them though.
Thanks!
I think Ushuaia keeps it to themselves. Just like fresh mozzarella (arghh). I'm heading over there next week so I'll see if I can pick some up.
Hi Marc,
In Ushuaia you have one other client that might have some pan dulce. They are called Laguna Negra and it´s a chocolate / cafe store on their main strip. They did not buy too many but they did buy some. Funny enough, in Ushuaia the 3 Anonima supermarkets, 2 duty free stores, and 1 Laguna Negra chocolate store make for 6 retail outlets for our products in such a small town. I am sure you will be able to find something there. Let me know if you don´t find anything and if you drop by Laguna Negra, you could tell them you drove over 2 hours to find a stollen that they should consider having at their store. ;-)
Oh, by the way, the employees at La Anonima usually pool their money together to buy our products themselves.
I know the place, they have great chocolate products. I'll mention the stollen if I stop by.
Driving over there is a blast, occasional potholes aside, and time flies compared to typical sceneless rutas. Sometimes I don't see any other vehicle for miles at a time so it's pedal to the metal. The mountain pass alone would make a great car commercial. One local guy made the trip in little over an hour in his new porsche carrera. (yes, everyone else is wondering why someone would have that type of car here)
Funny you mentioned the number of locations. I can't remember if told you before about how well a lot of "new" or "out-of-the-norm" products sell down here. Imports and craft beers, for example, sell like hot cakes despite their high prices per bottle. I'm one of those types who go to the supermarket almost every day hehe.
I believe there are a bunch of amalgamated factors for that. Heavy mixture of people from all over the country and neighboring countries. Quite a number of very well paying jobs at assembly plants (one large electronics store chain is about to open a HUGE assembly plant in Rio Grande) and petrol companies. I think this is the kid capital of Argentina. Everything is "duty free" so for ages people have become accustomed to imports or products outside the norm. Then there is the isolation (why this is a kid factory??) and lack of activities that one would find in major cities.
Also regarding La Anonima, Carrefour built a large supermarket right down the street from the large L.A.(in Rio Grande) yet they draw about a fraction of the number of shoppers.
Well deserved frank. Our expat and Argentine friends all loved the ones we bought from you.
After tasting a few of the traditional brands here, I have to say your's was way better.
Thanks!
Marc and Dave,
Thanks! I will have to share all your comments with my team.
Congratulations on being one of the few BEST!
And I agree.
Feliz Ano Nuevo, Frank, to you and yours, with continued sweet success in 2008!
I look forward to trying your pan dulce next year when I grow teeth!
Happy New Year Frank & Sugar-family!
We also tasted it and it´s great. You deserve the fame. I also like the shape.
(BTW, I traveled the road that Marc mentions from Rio Grande to Ushuaia and is one of the most beautiful road trips in Argentina. The mountain pass -Paso Garibaldi- used to be also one of the most dangerous but your pan dulce is worth the risk)
Thanks Cherie!
Isabella, welcome! You are most definately the youngest person to ever have posted a message here. I am honored. Just a hint, my little ones are also crazy about the savory cookies; they are easy to chew since they are not so crunchy being that they are made with real grated cheese and butter.
Hi 99! I know I will make that trip at some point. The next time I go down there I will leave time to visit Rio Grande. I only know a tiny bit of that road but would love to know the rest. It is beautiful down there.
And to all of you I also wish you a great new year and look forward to experiencing some of it with all of you.
The whole route is all paved now but, yeah, greeting a semi on a blind curve on an unpaved road that could barely fit two vehicles side-by-side, often muddy, and a shear drop on the side with no guard rail right above Lago Escondido was not my cup of tea.
Ah, the memories... we went to lago escondido. We had a Land Rover (part of a tour), it got stuck in the mud so they had to use the winch to get it out. The day was beautiful so we didn´t mind it one bit. This was after our asado by the lake.
On another venture, along that same road, we ate at a restaurant that gave us a certificate for having eaten at the southernmost tip of Argentina. It was kind-a tacky, but we were on the honeymoon and I was spankin´ new to Argentina.
Tengo un amigo que trabaja en Bacanal.
También es blogger.
Feripula,
Did he try the Pan Dulce and voted? By the way, one thing that I did not mention is that all the pan dulces mentioned in the article were fresh pan dulces from bakery type stores with the exception of ours. That means that our, store bought pan dulce is on par with what you would get at one of these bakeries. I find that pretty remarkable. Following that logic, we are the best, store bought pan dulce.
Anyway, what is his blog?
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