cincinnati Invite your guests to take a trip around the world! There’s no place better for the adventure to begin than at Jungle Jim’s International Market, with an international department that carries over 70,000 products from over 75 countries. The Hispanic food specialist for Jungle Jim’s, Mike Wilson, recommends a traditional Mexican Christmas punch that will fill your home with a spiced, sweet aroma:
Ponche Navideño Ponche Navideño is often enjoyed at the culmination of Las Posadas festivities in Mexico, explains Wilson. Groups of families and neighbors travel door to door singing. At the final destination, they are welcomed in, where Ponche is served, traditionally in clay mugs. This year, consider treating your family and friends to the exotic flavors of raw sugar cane, guavas, tamarind, and hibiscus flowers blended with the more familiar flavors of cinnamon, apples, and raisins. Adding an authentic and flavorful touch to your holidays, this punch is a tradition that your guests won’t soon forget. A quick and simple way to celebrate this tradition is to pick up pre-made Ponche in dehydrated, jarred or frozen form at Jungle Jim’s. Or if you have some extra time on your hands during the holidays, you can make it yourself. Wilson recommends a traditional recipe from the Mexico in My Kitchen blog: mexicoinmykitchen.com.
Icewine Forego the expected bottle of merlot and treat guests to a dessert wine with sweet yet complex flavors. The fruit of risk-taking winemakers, icewine is made from grapes that have frozen on the vine. The delicacy of the harvesting and production process means icewine is produced in relatively small quantities. The grapes must be ripe yet not begun to rot, and cannot be harvested until a hard freeze hits the area. While icewine originated in Germany, most fine wine enthusiasts would say that Canada has perfected its production, in part because the Niagara Peninsula provides more predictable freeze patterns, says Todd Wiggs, beer and wine manager for Jungle Jim’s. The grapes are harvested and pressed while frozen, so that the water is trapped as ice molecules and just the precious nectar is extracted. High levels of sugar allow icewine to achieve a high level of fermentation without losing its sweetness. But because the grapes have had an entire season to develop richly concentrated flavors, the fruity sweetness is balanced by “expressive notes” and the crispness of high acidity, Wiggs says, yielding a smooth, multi-tonal taste. For a dessert wine or as a hostess gift, Wiggs recommends trying a quarter-bottle of Jackson-Triggs Riesling Icewine. Just two ounces is an appropriate serving, given icewine’s concentrated flavor. And make sure to serve it very cold “so the acids are very bright,” Wiggs adds. junglejims.com
Photo courtesy of Jackson-Triggs Winery
DECEMBER 2014
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