Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Monday, October 3rd, 2016
Many would-be seafood lovers are deterred by the smell of fresh seafood; however, seafood clerks can allay their fears with a few simple suggestions to eliminate harmless odors. Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons user N Wong
Last Monday evening I planned on preparing an amazing home-cooked dinner consisting of grilled albacore tuna steaks dressed with lemon and rosemary, accompanied by garlic asparagus and fingerling potatoes. I bought some beautiful, fresh tuna steaks and was ecstatic to begin preparing them. So you can imagine the sinking feeling I had when my partner pulled the tuna steaks out of the refrigerator, opened the plastic ziploc that contained them, and immediately plugged his nose with his fingertips and hollered, “Gross, they stink!” As I grabbed them from his hands, I caught a whiff of what he was smelling and breathed a sigh of relief–they weren’t at all spoiled–quite far from it.
Read the full article…
Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Friday, September 16th, 2016
Watching my grandmother suffer from cognitive decline was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever experienced. I’d known and loved this amazing woman my entire life–she was strong, willful, and confident, yet I watched her slowly lose her identity over just a few short years. At the time I felt powerless; there is very little action that family members can take against Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other types of cognitive impairment. Our family’s situation is not unique; millions of seniors in America suffer from some type of age-related cognitive decline.
Seafood Fights Cognitive Decline
Recent studies are suggesting that eating seafood at least once a week actually helps slow down the rate of cognitive decline, . Moreover, eating seafood is associated with larger grey matter volumes in brain areas responsible for memory and cognition in the elderly. We’ve known for a long time that the omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood are excellent for protecting the heart, but we’re now learning that they have powerful brain-boosting capabilities! The complex mix of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, protein and other micronutrients found in oily fish and shellfish can actually help protect the brain as our bodies age.
Read the full article…
Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Monday, September 12th, 2016
Local wild king salmon is highly sought after, but a number of factors have made it expensive and hard to find. Image source: Flickr CC user pui wong {as*q}
The king (also called Chinook) salmon is not California’s state fish (that’s the golden trout) but it ought to be because of its popularity. Fans of the fish like me have great memories of fresh king salmon filets on the grill or reeling in one of the beauties on a party boat off the coast. The season is something I look forward to all year.
But in recent years this seasonal delicacy has become a special occasion fish instead of a kitchen mainstay because of spotty availability, fishery closures, and its often high price. You might remember how, in 2008 and 2009, there was no season at all due to a state closure aimed at helping the fish’s population recover. That’s a frustrating situation for customers and vendors alike.
So what can you tell your customers about this year’s salmon season when they ask why prices remain so high or why there is often no local salmon?
Read the full article…
Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Friday, September 9th, 2016
Over the last few years, I’ve witnessed the local salmon industry evolve just by observing what’s available for vendors to sell in our Bay Area restaurants and stores. The California king salmon is an incredible fish in terms of taste and healthiness, but where it once dominated seafood counters and menus, it now seems much more common to find only wild Alaskan or farmed salmon.
Read the full article…
Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Friday, September 9th, 2016
More San Francisco Bay Area residents and increasing interest in sustainable seafood means more customers will be looking for sustainably sourced fish, like this black cod. Image source: Flickr CC user stu_spivack
I’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for a number of years, and in that time I’ve witnessed numerous small ways that The City has grown. My commute to work has slowly tacked on minutes with more cars on the road, the checkout lines at my local grocery market now creep into the aisles, and all of my friends and coworkers lament the increasingly cutthroat housing market.
San Francisco residents and leaders are always first pushing sustainable actions–the city had its first “Sustainable Seafood Week” last year–which means our seafood markets must also be leaders. A denser population means more and more customers will be walking through the doors of grocery stores and restaurants, and they will be looking for sustainable seafood. This puts the pressure on businesses to be prepared to not only meet the demand of more customers, but also to make certain our products come from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
Read the full article…
Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Monday, September 5th, 2016
Lingcod is a great local fish that deserves more attention that it usually gets. National Seafood Month is a good time to change that. Image source: Flickr CC user dirtsailor2003
I think a lot of us, me included, are guilty of thinking that customers only care about price when they shop for seafood–that they’re really just looking for the best buy, not necessarily the best quality or the most ocean-friendly. But fascinating new research shows shoppers actually value the sustainability of seafood sources above market price. On average, consumers are willing to pay 11 percent more for fish with the Marine Stewardship Council seal or other third-party certification. That’s great news for retailers who value sustainability.
So what should vendors do with these findings? October, as National Seafood Month, is the perfect time to highlight sustainable and lesser-known fish using brochures, demos, and signs about certification. Here are five ideas to make the most of October:
Read the full article…
Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Friday, August 5th, 2016
Positioning recipe cards near the seafood counter may encourage shoppers to take the plunge on something new. Image source: Flickr CC user Jungle Jim’s International Market
We’ve already talked about the fear that many consumers have when it comes to cooking and preparing seafood. They are worried about overcooking, undercooking, choosing the “wrong” cooking method, what to serve with their seafood. In–store demonstrations are a great way to help your customers feel comfortable with fresh seafood preparation, but is that enough on its own? Will that capture all of your customers?
The fact is that there are certain customers that demonstrations just do not work for. These customers are in a rush to get home from work, or they’re just the “Do–It–Yourself” type. A great way to capture this audience is by offering free recipe cards. Maybe you’re thinking that it’s a lot of effort to give out free recipes that people can likely come up with by searching the internet, but trust me, it will be worth it.
Read the full article…
Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Monday, August 1st, 2016
Customers should know that it’s safe to buy oysters during the summer, and how to keep shellfish alive in the heat once they’ve bought them. Image source: Flickr CC user Malcolm Murdock
When I think of oysters I always remember my first trip to Hog Island Oyster Co. in the tiny Tomales Bay town of Marshall, California. The spectacular view of the bay, the warm sun and the fresh, cold oysters we shucked open one after the other made for a memorable day, and it’s why I equate summer with briny oysters and a big group of friends.
But as a seafood industry expert, I know hot weather also makes some customers worried about the safety of their seafood. A little customer education will go a long way toward allaying their concerns, but that doesn’t mean seafood vendors have nothing to worry about during the lazy days of summer.
Read the full article…
Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Monday, July 4th, 2016
Pacific ocean perch are actually a type of rockfish, and can be cooked any way you would cook a mild white fish. Image source: Flickr CC user Joe
One of my greatest joys is seeing a sustainable seafood operation. I love accompanying fishermen as they catch fish using traditional methods, or visiting a fish farm to see how they’re working to make their methods more ecologically friendly. It can be tough to fish and farm seafood in a way that is gentle on the environment, and, as seafood vendors, it’s important that we celebrate the sustainability success stories—and communicate them with customers. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the greatest successes in recent history is the resurgence of rockfish.
Read the full article…
Posted by
puccifoods on
Wednesday, June 18th, 2014
The average American is no stranger to stress. We lead extremely busy lifestyles between work, family, and hobbies. We feel stress on a daily basis, from the moment the alarm goes off until we fall tiredly into our beds again at night. This mental stress can directly impact our bodies in very interesting and harmful ways. It can make us overly tired or completely wired. We can develop headaches and stomachaches, muscles tension, and sleeplessness. Over time, mental stress can even have a detrimental effect on cardiovascular health.
Eating seafood regularly helps our hearts cope with the effects of mental stress.
Image credit: Flickr user N Wong
Your customers know that seafood is good for the heart. After all, fish oil supplements now constitute a $1.1 billion industry because consumers are aware of the fantastic benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. But those of us who love eating seafood will seek out the natural sources because, well, they are delicious! Your customers will glad to learn that a new study that has revealed that the omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood help protect the heart during episodes of mental stress.
Read the full article…
Facebook
Twitter
