Three Kristin School students have been demonstrating their entrepreneurial strengths with the development of their product/brand as part of the Youth Enterprise Scheme at the school. These are Year 12 students Miriam Al Shaar, Florence Welton and Matha Lenden-Hitchcock.
The Youth Enterprise Scheme is a programme for high school students which encourages them to use and develop their entrepreneurial skills in the creation of a business. This is done through various challenges throughout the year which help them to design and sell our product.
Their business is called Global Indulgence, with an accompanying slogan of "Bringing the sweets of the world to your doorstep". They describe their product as a safe-to-eat cookie dough that can also be used as ready-to-bake cookies. They have four flavours each based on a different country from around the world. Chocolate Chip (USA), Apple Pie (England), Dulce de Leche (Argentina), Lemon & Poppyseed (Italy).
“As New Zealand is an island nation we are quite separated from the rest of the world so we aim to spread global awareness and different cultural flavours through food,” explained the students when discussing their venture with Channel Mag's Kim McIntosh.
“To do this we selected flavours from different countries around the world for our cookie dough. Each flavour has an explanation containing information about the country it is from and how the flavour came to be. This is on our packaging so that we can teach people about different countries through our product.”
We have included slightly abbreviated versions of these explanations below. You’ll need to purchase to get the full stories!
Chocolate Chip (USA). Chocolate chip cookies are best known for originating in the 1930s from a recipe by Ruth Wakefield in Massachusetts. One of the first recipes appeared in her cookbook and took the rest of America by storm, with Wakefield even giving Nestlé the right to use her cookie recipe in 1939. The Great Depression (a financial crash that happened around the 1930s) helped to push the chocolate chip cookie because that's when Ruth Wakefield decided to open her business. Not only this, but WW2 further popularised the cookie as mothers were often encouraged to send cookies in care packages to soldiers. The chocolate chip cookie is a great example of how food can play an integral part in cultural identity and how bad times can present opportunities to be creative.
Fun Fact: When chocolate chip cookies were first invented, they were recommended to be eaten with ice cream.
Apple Pie (England). Though popularised in the United States of America, the apple pie originated in England in the 1300s, thanks to nearby culinary influences from France, the Netherlands and the Ottoman Empire. It was only in the 20th century that apple pie was used as a symbol of America when WWII soldiers reportedly fought 'for mom and apple pie'. The apple pie is a perfect example of how globalisation and bordering influences impact cuisine.
Fun fact: Other common English sweets: Old English trifle, madeira cake and banoffee pie.
Dulce de Leche (Latin America, Argentina). Literally meaning ‘Sweet from Milk’, Dulce de Leche is a staple for many households in Latin America. Although its exact origin is disputed, a popular origin story is said to be when the maid of Argentinian general Manuel de Rosas left milk and sugar on the stove for too long and came back to find it a creamy, caramelised mixture. Although originating in Latin America, globalisation has meant that is it a confectionery now enjoyed in places all over the world like Spain and the Philippines. There are 33 countries in Latin America.
Fun fact: In many cases, this caramel-like delicacy is used as a condiment or topping, for example on toast, waffles or pancakes and is usually eaten for breakfast.
Lemon & Poppyseed (Ancient Romans, Italy). The history of lemon and poppy seed has been debated for many years as the pairing is so old. However, one of the first documented civilisations to use poppy seeds in cooking was in the ancient Rome whose citizens were known for combining honey with different spices. Lemon and poppy seed is a great example of a flavour pairing influenced by global culinary ideas due to globalisation. Lemons travelled from then Persia to Italy as early as 200 BC which is why lemons form an integral part of the Italian cuisine.
Fun fact: To say ‘Lemon Poppy seed’ in Italian is papavero limone!
For more information visit: globalindulgencenz.wixsite.com/global-indulgence
You can also catch them on social media: global_indulgence_nz
This part in a panel… (within the article)
About Global Indulgence
Name: Global Indulgence
Slogan: "Bringing the sweets of the world to your doorstep"
Members: Miriam Al Shaar, Florence Welton, Matha Lenden-Hitchcock
Website: globalindulgencenz.wixsite.com/global-indulgence
Social media: global_indulgence_nz
Product: Cookie dough, 200g containers, $10 per container
