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While scrolling through some linkedin folks I found Jessica Goldstein’s lecture she did at the RCA. About a week before, one of my friends sent me a link to her and said she might be good to interview. So I did.
Jessica is part of the Nu Spice family business, with her partner in crime being her father. She’s grown up in the food industry all of her life but she first decided to work in an electronics firm’s marketing company. But after a few weeks, she hated it and decided to go all in for the food industry. That means hustling small buisnesses, reading the USDA Standards and Labeling guideline page to page, and enjoying and analyzing every part of her food.
One of my favorite things about Jessica is her ability to describe flavors in such a way, that both the technical minded and the culinary minded would just melt. You’ll hear a couple of great food descriptions within this interview such as when I ask her what she had for dinner yesterday. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by FoodGrads, an interactive platform for the Food & Beverage Industry, which focuses on closing the gap between students and employers with a broader mission to attract and retain people to a meaningful career in food. From Food Scientists to Farmers, Chefs to Plant Managers, QA Technicians to Dieticians, or Marketing and Sales, no matter what your passion–there’s something for everyone in Food—and they will help you find it.
Join FoodGrads for support, mentorship and guidance to start your career. Just go to foodgrads.com
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Knowledge Bombs
- How Jessica went from marketing to food
- The dynamic between Jessica and her father in the family business
- How Jessica learns and keeps learning about food science
Question Summary
The influences in how to where you got to where you are today: Grandfather owned food business in New York, Grandpa sold it, father worked in food industry and then bought it. Jessica decided to step in and modernized the business after she hated her marketing job
Popular in Cuba: no Cubano’s, after the age of seven, people don’t eat dairy
What do you tell people when you first meet them?: I play with your food, I design flavor profiles for food manufacturers
Education: Jessica has a masters in food science and bachelors in creative writing and psychology
Nu Spice’s niche: medium sized meat manufacturers who want to develop new flavors
Important Skills for developing: Know the customer’s consumer. Whole foods customer has a different perspective than Food City
How did you learn food science vocabulary?: My suppliers educate me. Also learning to educate people on this vocabulary
Important skills for selling: It’s a people business. People buy from people that they like
Food Trends and Technology: Veggie Burgers, Safeway launches Beyond Meat burgers
Who is feeding the world?: Monsanto (despite their controversy) is feeding the world in poor places
Food trends: Northern African flavors, stews, Horesus hue – Paprika paste, savory, fermentation such as sriracha and miso
Favorite Book: Modernist Cuisine. You can download it on a tablet
Be creative and innovation is everywhere
What was the most amazing thing you ate last?: Stuffed Artichoke Butterflies
Advice in the food industry: You need to love food
Other Links
RCA Conference
James Calvetti Meats
Nu Products Seasoning Company or Nu Spice – Family owned business
Hoboken, New Jersey
LG Electronics Marketing Department
Thai Basil
Sweet Basil
Red basil
USDA Standards and Labeling Guidelines book
Bone Marrow and bread
Bone Marrow in Hawaii where you take a shot in the bone
Life is too short to eat the same thing twice
Standards of Identity
Top-Note
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