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Organic Food
at the ALCRON
For several years now the Hotel Alcron has supported
the health of its guests by offering dishes prepared
using organic ingredients. These products are supplied
by ·árka Dittrichová, who was kind enough to provide
more details for us.
What specific organic foods do you supply to the hotel kitchen?
Mainly savory and sweet baked goods, cheeses, particularly goat cheese,
yogurts and dairy products in general, fresh fruit juices, fresh and dried
fruit, vegetables, and lamb meat. We try to introduce at least two new
products each year.
So what can we look forward to in the near future?
We are planning to start with ricotta, which is actually a by-product
of cheese production. Ricotta in translation means “re-cooked”.
A large sieve is used to very gently remove whey separated from fresh
milk in a kettle over a period of three hours; it is then shaken out into
a two-liter sieve, left to drain, and then sold. Ricotta should not even
be cooled and is best consumed at room temperature. Ricotta is a
completely natural product – the single added ingredient is a twig from
a fig tree. Ricotta contains only 14% fat, which is less than any other
cheese. It is light and easily digestible and can be eaten by people who
can’t normally consume dairy products. Ricotta can be used to prepare
sweet and savory cakes, ravioli, sandwiches, salads, pasta, and spreads.
What are the benefits of organic food?
Organic food does not contain any emulsifiers, stabilizers, rising agents,
or other chemical substances. Organic food is honest; it gives the body
energy, not bulk. It doesn’t fatten, but provides nourishment. Fortunately
a good number of people are starting to realize today that we are
what we eat.
What is the mission of your company Rezonance?
We support locally grown foods and try to do business on the principle
of sustainable development. At the same time, we point out open potential
in the market. The demand for organic foods is much higher than the
available supply. But doing business in this field is very difficult here because
Czech legislation does not support ecological farmers to any great extent.
The result, unfortunately, is that many organic foods are imported from
other European countries. Rezonance would like to make changes in this
area in favor of supporting local organic production. We are creating an
organic catering service for hotels; preparations are always made in
cooperation with the chefs at individual hotels. The Hotel Alcron fully
supports the idea of organic food and currently works with twelve Czech
farms which supply products to the hotel daily through our service. This
is already normal business for global hotels.
And for that reason even Hotel Alcron Executive Chef Jifií ·tift has
something to say about organic food.
What specific dishes do you prepare from organic ingredients?
We don’t have entire dishes that are prepared strictly from organic
products, but in general we use organic vegetables, dairy products,
and lamb meat. For breakfast we offer guests organic baked goods,
dried fruits, goat cheese, and other items.
What percentage of the total volume of ingredients that are bought for
the hotel are organic?
Probably around 15 - 20%. We buy food according to seasonal availability
and always try to give preference to organic-quality goods.
What is your perception of organic food and what do you think the
difference is between standard and organic ingredients?
More important to me than an organic label is that the ingredients I
work with are high-quality and fresh. I am happy to support farmers
who are able to produce quality products without chemicals. The
organic label is added value, but for farmers it mostly means too much
bureaucracy.
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