Palapa Azul is a frozen desserts company based in Los Angeles, California. The company, founded in 2002 by Mexico City natives Michel Algazi and Roni Goldberg, produces Mexican-style ice cream, sorbet, and frozen fruit bars that are sold in retail stores throughout the United States. Palapa Azul is also a member of NASFT (National Association of the Specialty Food Trade).[1]
The Mexican emphasis results in marketing flavors that are not commonly found in mainstream American frozen desserts, such as sweet corn[2] ice cream and hibiscus flower (Jamaica) sorbet, as well as Mexican versions of common flavors, such as cajeta, a Mexican goat milk-based caramel[3] — often used for dulce de leche — and Mexican chocolate,[3] which is spiced with cinnamon. The frozen fruit bars, which in 2004 were the first products launched by the company, include cucumber-chile and mango-chile mixtures along with single-flavor bars in Mexican papaya, strawberry, mango, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapefruit and pineapple. The company's founders have said that during their initial one-on-one product research in California farmer's markets, they found gender-based differences in flavor preferences: "Women would say, 'You have mango-chile? Interesting! I'd like to try that.' Men would say, 'You have mango-chile. Interesting! I'd like strawberry.' ... We could offer two dozen flavors, and still most men would want strawberry."[4] Tested flavors that have not been introduced to date include prickly pear, plum and kiwi.[4]
The fruit bars were introduced at the Winter International Fancy Food Show, a trade show for the foodservice industry, in January 2004, where the product was named "Best of Show" by several top retailers and media outlets.[5] The ice cream and sorbet products were introduced in June 2005.[3]
See also
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Notes
edit- ^ "Palapa Azul's Success Rooted in One of Mexico's Most Flavorful and Refreshing Traditions". www.restaurantnewsresource.com. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
- ^ (No author.) "Latin finds," Time, October 3, 2005, 166:14, page 95.
- ^ a b c Ron Givens. "Comidas latinas," Newsweek, 146:6 (August 8, 2005), page 59.
- ^ a b Play It Cool: Testing, planning, and patience put our fruit bars on the right path. by Michel Algazi, FORTUNE Small Business, October 1, 2005, volume 15, number 8, page 87. Retrieved Oct. 28, 2006.
- ^ Palapa Azul Announces the Newest Additions to the Product Line Archived 2005-11-29 at the Wayback Machine, Hispanic Business Online
External links
edit- Palapa Azul (official site)