The growing popularity of superfoods in Russia is partly influenced by the fact that developments of domestic nutritionists, culinary specialists and followers of healthy lifestyle ideas appear on store shelves. The editors chose the most interesting domestic superfoods and found out who produces them.
Cale from Superfood Farm
Kale is a superfood cabbage famous abroad. It is included in the top 10 most nutritious foods in the world: it contains 18 vitamins and 10 minerals, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and is also an oncoprotector.
In the Dmitrovsky district of the Moscow region, kale is grown by Daniel Lawrence and Olga Korogodina. “It all started with a small personal project, and eventually grew into a farm on several hectares,” says Olga. - About 6 years ago, Daniel tried kale in the United States during one of his trips home. He really enjoyed adding it to a variety of dishes, from smoothies to salads and side dishes."
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Returning to Russia, Daniel could not find a kale on sale and decided to grow it in the country with friends. After a year and a half, I realized that it was possible to present a unique product to the Russian market. “I offered to help me find land to grow kale for restaurants. We found an abandoned farm with greenhouses and are currently busy with renovation and improvement. It was an exciting business, but it was not easy for us, we came to farming from the financial sphere and at first did not even know how to sow correctly,”says Olga.
In addition to kale, Superfood Farm has salads, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, eggplant and zucchini. “A significant part of our success lies in our attitude to work, in high quality. Often the most delicious and beautiful varieties of vegetables are less resistant to diseases, pests and weather than others, so farmers prefer to grow popular ones. But we try to overcome any difficulties."
A small team has already achieved great results: Superfood Farm works with restaurants, large grocery stores - Azbuka Vkusa, Metro Cash & Carry and Perekrestok. In the future, the research farm plans to organize excursions for everyone.
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Alchemilla® Culinary Bio-flavors
The young Russian brand Alchemilla® turned one year old in July. He has two founders and ideological inspirers - Anna Popova and Natalya Makhneva, and they personally participate in all processes of product production. The company offers to try culinary bio-aromas® - organic-quality condiments made from essential oils (with the international eco-label "Eurolist", Demeter and Vegan Society), suitable for a wide variety of dishes.
“With the help of one drop, completely change the taste of the dish and turn the most ordinary salad into a gourmet dinner, and a bottle of water into a detox drink, that's what we had an idea,” says Anna. “At the same time, it should be fast, tasty, healthy and look beautiful in the kitchen.”
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How are bio-aromas different from liquid baking essences? First of all, natural quality and useful properties: they do not contain propylene glycol and artificial additives. All raw materials with organic certificates are brought by the creators from Germany. “Unfortunately, there are very few companies in the world that produce essential oils with organic food certificates, so we buy raw materials in Europe,” Anna Popova continues.
Can Bioaromas® be classified as superfoods? Yes, because they contain a number of healing ingredients and have a positive effect on the state of the body. Herbs, spices and fruits used for cooking improve the taste of lean and dietary dishes, allow them to be better absorbed, have a positive effect on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and bile secretion. In addition, Bioaroms® reduce blood sugar levels, regulate appetite, accelerate satiety and detoxify the body. Essential oils in their composition destroy fungi, bacteria and cope with viruses.
Each bioaroma® is enclosed in a laconic spray bottle. There are 8 species in the line, and each has its own serial number, color and name. For example, Italiana contains mandarin, thyme and rosemary, Asiata contains lemongrass, coriander and ginger, and Marnier, which contains orange, lemon, grapefruit and bergamot, is suitable even for sweet dishes.
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Hey Day Superfood Powders
Hey Day is the first and so far the only company in Russia that produces functional powders from superfoods. It was founded by two young girls - Aliya Mansurova and Anastasia Pavlova. Aliya is a raw foodist who is studying to be a nutritionist, enjoys sports and is exploring healthy lifestyles, while Anastasia runs several large businesses.
According to the creators, taking the necessary superfoods only once a day can fully satisfy the need for vitamins and important trace elements. “In America, such products have long been in vogue, but they have not yet been produced in our market,” the girls say.
The powder line includes three products. All ingredients are vegetable and natural, so they can be consumed by both vegetarians and supporters of the traditional type of diet.
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Superfoods work in three areas: energy, brain activity and beauty, each with its own product. The energy elixir contains guarana, Peruvian maca, camu camu, coconut extract and lucuma - such a set can help to overcome difficult sports distance. To activate the work of the brain, ginkgo biloba extract was added to the composition of the second elixir - it improves cerebral circulation, increasing the flow of oxygen. BeautyElixir includes goji, moringa, acerola and acai berries. The creators promise that after one or two months of "therapy" the skin will become cleaner, and hair and nails - stronger.
The ingredients for Hey Day are sought all over the world: they are brought from Brazil, India, Peru. Powders are produced at a pharmaceutical plant in the Moscow Region - raw materials are processed there and extracts are added to make the effect of taking superfood more pronounced.
The principle is simple: one sachet or one scoop per day. The powder mixes with water, juice, even coffee and tea. The course is no more than two months, after which it is recommended to take a short break so that there is no getting used to the product. They say the elixir already has many fans. For example, it is regularly ordered by members of the Olympic hockey and skiing team.
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Smart Food Octa
The multifunctional drink Octa® is based on milk. The creators of the product claim that it quickly and efficiently satisfies the feeling of hunger at any time of the day or night, while being very useful. Octa® contains the required amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, 11 vitamins of groups A, B, D, E, minerals, fiber, Omega-3 and Omega-6. The drink in compact bottles, which tastes like a milkshake, is available in three flavors: vanilla, strawberry and chocolate.
One of the creators of the Octa® drink, Andrei Reduto, says that the idea for the product was born suddenly: “The story began in 2015. Due to being busy at the university and project activities, I did not monitor my diet, and I started having health problems. I was looking for ways to normalize my diet without wasting time on food, I consulted with a chemist I knew, and together we found a solution. One serving of Octa® contains all the nutrients the body needs and can replace breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a snack.”
Octa® was developed taking into account the recommendations of nutritionists and the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. The protein for the drink is purchased in New Zealand, and the milk is chosen from domestic farmers. The cocktail recipe is still being adjusted, and in the future the creators promise to develop a version of the drink based on an alternative, plant milk.
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Now Andrei is conducting an experiment: he eats only Oktoy for a whole month and shares his impressions on the Telegram channel.
Kombucha and coconut yoghurts from the Green Company
The Green Company was opened in October 2016. The project specializes in the production of fermented products: coconut yoghurts, coconut and hazelnut kefir and kombucha.
“Our product is a rarity in the healthy food market in Europe. We're not just creating vegan food and drinks. We combine high technology and culinary excellence,”says Anna Desyatova, founder of the Green Company.
According to Anna, hazelnut kefir is rich in nutrients that should be in a child's diet. For adults, such kefir is also irreplaceable: it protects the body from carcinogens and prevents aging. It contains a large amount of vitamins of groups A, B, E, omega fats, amino acids and important trace elements - iodine, iron, phosphorus, zinc, sodium and magnesium.
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Kombucha is very popular among visitors - "the elixir of health and immortality", "a drink endowed with magical power and allowing you to live forever." Kombucha is a refreshing fermented tea made from Japanese mushroom. It is famous for its probiotic properties, contains a large amount of vitamins C, D and P, has a beneficial effect on the immune system, promotes detoxification of the body, improves intestinal microflora, and also prevents the occurrence of cancer and diabetes.
“Our team prepares a refreshing kombucha based on ivan tea. Since Ivan tea contains a large amount of protein and vitamin C, the Japanese mushroom infused with it quickly restores strength and soothes the nerves,”Anna says.
All dishes of the Green Company are prepared without flavor enhancers and preservatives. The founder of the project claims that their secret lies in fresh produce, high-tech methods and creative thinking. They work with suppliers that have been carefully selected throughout the year. Some products are ordered from America, others from Europe and Russia. The Green Company store operates on the territory of the Kazakov Plant Moscow business park. You can buy groceries there or try them at the Verde Cafe.
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Natural caramel with superfoods LO-LI
LO-LI is a truly healthy caramel that can be eaten by both adults and children. Vita Kirilina, the creator of the brand, claims: there is not a single product in her candies that contains chemistry and could harm the health of a child.
As a mother of allergies, she was constantly tormented by the choice of sweets and in the end decided to release the product herself. “In the store I always tried to find something natural for the child,” says Vita. "But it was either candy or some kind of candy bar that looks completely unattractive."
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The project is coming soon. The recipe was developed for about four months, and the food institute and almost all confectionery factories rejected Kirilina's idea, claiming that it was simply impossible to achieve a beautiful caramel with an ideal composition. “The fact is that caramel is a very delicate and capricious product that is not easy to work with, so most manufacturers often sacrifice qualitative indicators in favor of quantitative ones,” Vita comments.
LO-LI lollipops have already been noted as one of the most interesting high-tech startups. For the production of caramel, Vita uses high-quality organic raw materials, freeze-dried and superfoods containing a lot of useful substances. When cooking, it adds the most extraordinary ingredients: spinach, chia seeds, anchan blue tea, black sesame seeds, ginger, lavender flowers and barley sprouts. The creator claims that, first of all, caramel should be tasty and beautiful, and she does it well.
You can buy caramel in healthy food supermarkets and farm shops. Now the company plans to expand production: to move to the workshop on Mozhaisk highway and recruit a large team.
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"Kedrokofe" and taiga elixir Sibereco
The idea of making healthy products united the creators of the Tomsk brand Sibereco several years ago. The first product of the company was "Chagochay", and at the same time work on "Kedrokofe" began.
In 2011, one of the founders of the company traveled to the southern regions of Khakassia, where, in a small village, he met people who were making a drink from pine nuts. The Sibereco team took an interest in him and obtained samples. After a while, they were able to improve the recipe, make the taste pleasant and rich - this is how “Kedrokofe” appeared.
"Kedrokofe" combines natural pine nuts and cream. The Siberian product is an alternative to the chemical coffee and cocoa sold in supermarkets. For the production of "Kedrokofe" only natural ingredients are used, therefore, when brewed, the drink gives an edible sediment. The product is presented in 6 versions: classic, vegan with corn syrup based vegetable cream, junior with powdered milk and powdered sugar, tropical with coconut cream, as well as diet and hot chocolate.
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The creators claim that such coffee helps to normalize digestion, improves liver and cardiovascular system, normalizes the endocrine system, prevents vitamin deficiency, and also tones up, like its "big brother".
In addition, Sibereco produces a taiga elixir from young fir needles growing in ecologically clean areas of the Tomsk region. The product contains a complex of biologically active substances, including vitamins, vital microelements, phytoncides and flavonoids. It is easily absorbed by the body, awakening the internal reserves of cells for rapid recovery, which leads to a significant increase in resistance to various diseases.
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Mojo Chocolate
Evgenia Tsyrlin came up with healthy chocolate after she was diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy. The girl believed that she could be cured not only by taking medications, but also by adjusting the regime and type of diet. Eliminated sugar, fast carbohydrates, started looking for alternatives to these products and eventually created the Mojo brand. The chocolate she developed matches the taste of those sold in supermarkets. On the contrary, it seems tastier when you understand that the next tile only brings health.
The composition of the chocolate is based on natural ingredients: cocoa beans, coconut sugar and superfoods. Mojo does not use animal products. Milk is replaced with coconut flour and raw cashews - together these products can achieve the desired taste and texture.
Cocoa beans for the production of chocolate also use unusual: premium varieties of Criollo and Trinitario, rich in aromas of plants sprouting in their neighborhood. They contain notes of mango, walnut, prune, coffee and even cigars. They are filled with trace elements and antioxidants, improve mood and harmonize energy balance.
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Cocoa beans are a famous superfood in themselves, but Evgeniya adds other useful elements to chocolate bars that give chocolate unusual properties. For example, for Japanese matcha tea, a storehouse of antioxidants - fried brown rice. The finish is long and soft. The fans of the brand were not left indifferent by the cookie-flavored white chocolate, in which there are virtually no cookies. Natural buckwheat tea gives chocolate notes of baked milk, enriching it with magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, amino acids and vitamins of various groups.
Another variety is chocolate with black sesame seeds. It tastes like halva and also saturates the body with healing microelements. In addition, Mojo makes Original chocolate bars and figs with coffee or peanut butter topped with a thin layer of craft chocolate with a high cocoa beans content.
Each season the team launches limited edition lines. They promise that a new Mojo will appear on the shelves in the fall - with a taste of pumpkin pie.
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The production of chocolate is located in Moscow, soon everyone will be able to visit it to learn more about how the process of transformation of beans into smooth bars occurs.>