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Bison Steals the Spotlight From
Supplements and Substitutes at the American
Dietetic Association's National Food and Nutrition
Conference and Exhibition J
The National Bison Association earned the spotlight
during the American Dietetic Association's annual
Food and Nutrition Conference and Exhibition on
October 17 - 19 at the Colorado Convention Center in
Denver. One of 2,228 exhibitors, the National Bison
Association was a standout among companies
introducing health foods, dietary supplements, and
an endless line of fat-free and sugar-free products.
The ADA was an excellent venue for spreading the
word about bison's exemplary nutritional profile.
Bison is lower in fat and calories than beef, pork,
lamb, and skinless chicken, and is an excellent
source of protein and iron.
Throughout the three-day trade show the NBA booth served more than
1,000 samples of sautéed bison sirloin donated by Rocky Mountain Natural
Meats. Sizzling hot off the skillet and lightly seasoned with salt and
pepper, the rich aroma of bison drew a crowd of curious registered
dieticians and dieticians-in-training. Each day the crowd grew
larger as word of this delicious and unique meat spread among the 9,428
attendees. Today, America's healthiest and original red meat, bison, is
the hot topic among culinary professionals, chefs, and consumers alike.
When roaming the Great Plains of North America before the mid 1800s,
the American Bison was the most integral element of Native American life
and culture. Native Americans relied upon bison as their primary source
of food, and created a distinctive cuisine of their own. Today, bison
meat has been rediscovered as one of the healthiest, and tastiest, meats
available.
Bison Meat Pizza - Stampedes Competition
Danny Wolf, owner of Wolfs Pizzeria in Manassas, Va., recently created the
winning "Ethnic" pizza, Buffalo Bacon Cheddar, at Pizza Festival Best of
the Northeast Recipe contest, sponsored by Pizza Today magazine and the
Wisconsin Milk Board. Wolf will join four other finalists to compete for
the best of the Northeast distinction during the Northeast Pizza Expo
2000, October 11 and 12 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
To introduce this healthy and delicious bison topping to his customers,
Wolf created a 29-inch pizza topped with ground bison. During a blind
taste test, Wolf found that an overwhelming majority of his patrons
selected bison, for its deliciously sweet flavor, over beef.
Seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, Wolf slowly precooks ground bison
to capture its nutrients, then pairs the bison with a complementary
robust combination of feta cheese, mild cheddar cheese, mozzarella
cheese, and bacon.
"I noticed that several of my regular customers were not coming into
the restaurant very often and learned that they were cutting pizza out
of their diets due to health restrictions," said Wolf. "So many pizza
toppings are extremely high in fat."
After tasting bison at a Native American powwow and discovering bison's
delicious flavor and healthy attributes, Wolf decided to create a
healthier pizza by incorporating bison. Bison is lower in fat, calories,
and cholesterol than beef, chicken, and pork as well as higher in
protein and iron. Since selected to showcase his pizza at the Northeast
Pizza Expo 2000, Wolf has been serving more than 100 pounds of ground
bison a week on his pizzas.
More than 350 booths, 2500 pizzeria owners, operators, and pizza makers
were at the Northeast Pizza Expo 2000 at the Atlantic City Convention
Center, Atlantic City, N.J.
Source: Smoke Signals, March 2001 |
