Gourmet Chevalier: Ihsan Gurdal

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Super Chef congratulates Ihsan Gurdal, owner of the Boston area's Formaggio Kitchen, who becomes a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Merite Agricole, a Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit, today. This great honor has been awarded only rarely in the past, to the likes of Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Paul Prudhomme and Alice Waters. Though it may come as a surprise to Ihsan, it should come as no surprise to those who know about his tireless work finding, importing and promoting the products of small producers around the world, primarily from the EU. His gourmet stores in Cambridge, Boston, and New York City are packed with precious and delicious products that are difficult or impossible to find elsewhere in the US. Formaggio sells 90-95% non-US products, and of these, 50% is exclusive to his stores, or very small producers available at only a limited number of other places. The process of finding and importing new products is difficult. Ihsan told Super Chef that he starts with one small producer, and then gets introduced to another and another. He tries to consolidate their products for shipment to the US. "Sometimes it takes as long as three to five years to convince a producer to export. After all, everything they make they sell where they are. They don't need to sell outside, they go to their town's market and sell what they make that year." He and his staff make at least six international trips a year in search of new products. His policy is that you have to taste before you buy: "To me its very simple. You are the one that is going to buy it - you might as well get what you want. We have four different balsamic vinegars. Why would you plunk down 200 dollars for a bottle without knowing if you like it?" Ihsan, who hails from Istanbul, started his career in California in 1977 working in a wine and cheese shop while attending UC Berkeley on a sports scholarship. "I thought it was suave learning about wine. We were beer and raki drinkers. He [the shop owner] introduces me to all these wines, and then cheese." After college, he moved to the East Coast and began working at Formaggio Kitchen as a counter person, eventually buying the business with his wife in 1992. Formaggio Kitchen is in the grand tradition of an Ottoman Empire emporium, run by a worldly man who searches out all four corners of our modern world for artisanal products. Without his passion for great products, we would sorely miss all these new flavors. Previous articles: Nancy Silverton: Leadership and Legacy Award SOS's Bill Shore: Top Leader Emeril Lagasse: Wine Spectator Award Requiem for Granita AIWF Honors Norman Van Aken James Beard Awards: Dearth of Top Women Chefs Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef