News from Eretz International

For more information contact: Yaela Datuin, 917-806-8489

New York Deli Reinvents Kosher Eating with Healthy International Twist

NEW YORK, NY (05/28/2008; 1202)(readMedia)-- Step inside the kosher food specialty store at 692 Columbus Avenue and you might think you’ve arrived in a typical New York deli. The 1300 square foot establishment in New York’s Upper West Side isn’t out of the ordinary in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood that’s home to a host of kosher delicatessens. A few tables in the front for casual diners. Two deli cases of prepared food. Some grocery aisles to house frozen and refrigerated goods. A kitchen in the back. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

Wrong. Never judge a deli by its signage. First impressions can be very deceiving and such is the case with Eretz , a kosher food market with an eclectic and healthy offering that has quickly become a fixture of the New York kosher food scene.

The moment you step up to the deli counter, you’ll quickly realize that ERETZ has more to offer than the typical potato salad, coleslaw and knishes found in most New York kosher markets. The deli case at this unconventional food market reads more like a travel agency brochure than a kosher menu.

South East Asian Noodles. Mulligatawny soup. Mexican chicken. Chinese fried rice. Sour fish soup. Chicken dumplings. Curried tofu and peppers. Filipino beef strips. General Y’s Chinese sweet and spicy chicken. And we’re just getting started.

At Eretz , you don’t just browse the deli counter. You globetrot through it.

Established in 2003 by entrepreneur Gemma Yaela Datuin, a native of the Philippines, Eretz Foods has built a solid reputation in the Upper West Side.

The store’s internationally inspired prepared foods continuously make their way into synagogues, offices, schools and other organizations in the city. And for good reason.

“We’re doing something vastly different and the community seems to love it,” says Yaela.

What’s so different? For the most part, kosher food stores tend to specialize in traditional Jewish foods like matzo ball soup, cholent and potato kugel. While Eretz offers an assortment of amazing traditional dishes as well, they’ve added a lot of international cuisine to the mix that’s more flavorful.

That international flair hasn’t just attracted members of the Jewish community to the kosher food market. Those who don’t keep kosher have also taken notice of the unique menu. Eretz attributes that to something unique to the world of kosher food.

But in additional to the international flavor of their cuisine, something else very different is going on behind the counter. Eretz is turning the concept of kosher eating on its head.

While undeniably delicious, traditional kosher food has never been known for its health benefits. Oil is often a popular ingredient. Foods can seem thick and heavy. Sure, everyone walks away from a Shabbat dinner feeling satisfied. But do they feel good about what they ate? No nutritionist has ever said you can maintain a healthy weight eating only potato kugel, cholent and stuffed beef cabbage.

Eretz believes that eating kosher doesn’t have to mean clogging your arteries. The deli employs healthier methods of cooking including baking, grilling and steaming when preparing their international dishes. Olive oil and soybean oil without transfats are favored over less healthy alternatives.

While other delis count on fat and oil for flavor, Eretz is big on spices, vegetables and salads. To highlight how different Eretz really is, it takes nothing more than a trip to a dozen or so other kosher New York delis.

Potato knishes. Fried zucchini. Breaded cauliflower. Fried kreplach. Mini egg rolls. Large egg rolls. Double-fried egg rolls. Potato pancakes. Wrapped chicken livers. Chicken fingers.

Still with us? That’s just a small taste of the appetizers available. Browsing through the Main Course menu at a typical kosher deli could very well induce a heart attack. A bold statement? Tell that to the approximately 3.2 million New Yorkers classified as obese.

And it’s no wonder why. Ask any New Yorker to name the four food groups and you’ll likely hear Pizza, Corned beef, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Starbucks – a testament to the always-on-the-go persona of a city that never sleeps.

With the weight of New Yorkers tipping the scales, Gemma Yaela wanted to change the way New Yorkers think about eating kosher. In 2003, Eretz opened its doors and introduced exotic, healthy and refreshing kosher foods to the Upper West Side community.

Today, households and businesses take advantage of the opportunity to eat healthy and exotic food all week long.

In addition to walk-ins, Eretz caters a variety of functions including bar mitzvahs, weddings, brit milahs, baby namings, and other private celebrations. While such occasions keep Eretz busy, to truly gauge their success, just head to 692 Columbus Avenue on any given Friday.

Welcome to the busiest day of the week at Eretz. With Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, beginning at sundown, members of the Jewish community flock to Eretz to buy prepared foods and groceries for their Friday night dinners and Saturday lunches.

While customers can pick and choose from an assortment of salads, soups, sandwiches, fish, chicken, beef and other side dishes, Eretz makes it easier for customers to get their Shabbat shopping and cooking done with Eretz’s catering service.

Meditteranean and Asian selections are available for $25 per person. They include such popular dishes as Moroccan salmon, beef brisket, Filipino beef strips and General Y's sweet and spicy chicken. Eretz also offers full-service catering packages featuring wait staff for both large and small events.

“The Jewish community loves spending Shabbat with family and friends,” says Yaela. “We’re glad to make that time easier, healthier and more flavorful.”

That’s not to say that Eretz does all of their business toward the end of the week. In fact, the opposite is true. With sandwiches and small meals on the menu, Eretz is a popular destination for those seeking take-out or a quick bite to eat during the lunch hour.

Judging by traffic inside the deli between 12 and 2, it’s safe to assume that more and more New Yorkers are putting down the fried food and realizing the benefits of healthier lunch alternatives.

Watching the Eretz staff interact with the crowd of customers, one could easily assume that the New York deli has been in business for decades. It’s hard to believe this kosher food gem in the Upper West Side is less than 5 years old.

At the turn of this century, Eretz was nothing more than a dream. New to America, Gemma Yaela decided to take a chance on her entrepreneurial spirit and love of exotic foods. With New York full of traditional kosher markets serving ordinary food, she knew that there was something special in her global cuisine concept.

While she marveled at the success of several kosher food markets in the community upon arriving in New York, Yaela noticed an unhealthy trend that she was hoping to break.

Today, it’s difficult to argue her success in changing kosher food for the better. Eretz boasts some of the most flavorful and healthy food in New York and is making it easier for New Yorkers to eat food that’s actually good for them.

The store’s Healthy Office Meal Subscription is becoming increasingly popular in and around city. For just $12 per person, per day, businesses can provide their employees with a chicken or fish entrée, vegetables, Spanish or Moroccan rice, fresh salad and fruit for dessert.

“It’s hard to eat healthy at work,” says Yaela. “If we can help people eat better, mission accomplished.”

That healthy-living philosophy is echoed in virtually everything Eretz prepares. While nourishing, healthier food isn’t a groundbreaking concept, it’s definitely not commonplace in the world of prepared kosher foods.

Although healthy eating remains front and center, Eretz recognizes that everyone has a sweet tooth. In addition to all the exotic prepared foods made on site, the kosher deli also sells an assortment of quality baked goods on the premises including challah, cookies, cakes, pies, brownies, rugelach and black & white cookies.

Eretz uses Glatt kosher meat and poultry in their prepared foods. All vegetables are carefully washed in accordance with Kashrut laws. Eretz Foods is under the strict kashrut supervision of New York Kosher (NYK) under Rabbi Yaacov Neiman. A Masgiach Temidi supervises the facility at all times.

Best of all, eating healthy, international cuisine is more convenient than ever before. Eretz has modernized kosher eating for busy New Yorkers, offering patrons the option of ordering online through www.eretzkosher.com. It’s a timesaving feature that both individuals and businesses will value.

The store is open every day except for Shabbat (Friday afternoon and Saturday). So put down the pizza, forget about the bagels and ignore the typical Shabbat spread. Your kosher international culinary adventure begins and ends in New York with authentic global flavors unlike anything you’ve ever imagined- only at Eretz.

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