Colorful new book highlights historic Michigan food brands

If Gail Offen and Jon Milan weren’t the authors of the new book “Classic Michigan Food and Drinks,” they could easily make a living as circus barkers, and I mean that in a good way.

Offen and Milan can’t wait to pull readers into Michigan food culture and history as they excitedly share information about brands like Faygo, Vernors and Trenary Toast, an Upper Peninsula staple.

The authors’ 205-page book is a combination travel guide, history text and foodies’ delight, containing details about more than 150 popular Michigan brands.

Offen said that “three well-known Michigan brands changed how America eats,” pointing to the contributions of Gerber baby food and Kellogg’s and Post cereals.

But the book isn’t just about the “big three” of Michigan food brands — it also delves into the little guys, like the Jampot in Eagle Harbor, where monks toil making jam.

In compiling the book, Milan said he and Offen conducted more than 150 interviews.

“We overwrote the book, and the publisher, the History Press, ended up cutting one-third of the text,” Offen said.

The duo had to set some criteria for inclusion and exclusion. It was decided up front there would be no listings of alcohol-related businesses.

“There are books for that,” Milan said.

Also, the products had to be readily available in retail outlets or online.

Courtesy photo Authors Gail Offen (left) and Jon Milan’s new book, “Classic Michigan Food and Drinks,” is an excellent travel guide for exploring the origins of Michigan food culture.

Lansing companies included in the book are Paramount Coffee Co., Biggby Coffee, Cravings Gourmet Popcorn and the Peanut Shop. Offen said she would have liked to include Fabiano’s Candies, but it doesn’t ship.

What helps make the book pop are the scores of product photos, both historic and contemporary, including numerous color plates of people, places and products.

The authors also peppered the book with stories of immigrants who started food-related businesses and became famous for their products, like Dearborn Brand, which was founded by a Hungarian immigrant and manufactures sausages, hams and hot dogs. The company sells 75,000 to 80,000 hams each year at Easter time.

Another meat packer, Grobbel’s, which was founded in Detroit’s Eastern Market in the late 1800s, typically ships 25 million pounds of corned beef around St. Patrick’s Day.

Milan said his favorite product in the book is Vernors.

“I grew up on it,” he said.

One of Offen’s favorites stories is that of Germack Pistachio Co. in Detroit, which was founded in 1924 and became the first company to import pistachios into the United States, which were dyed red and sold in vending machines for a penny. The book describes the simple reason for the red dye: It covered flaws in the nut’s shell. It was also a promotional device, branded as “red lips.” The red dye was discontinued in 1970, but for a nostalgia trip, Germack still dyes some nuts during the Christmas season.

Speaking of nuts, St. Laurent Brothers in Bay City was a pilgrimage for my grandfather, who during the Christmas season would make a trip to the candy and nut purveyor to buy candied fruit for my mother’s scores of fruit cakes. He’d also pick up roasted peanuts and popcorn balls, which were put away until Christmas day.

Offen and Milan have definitely struck it big with the food nostalgia milieu; their book is an excellent travel guide for exploring the origins of Michigan food culture.

You don’t have to look much further than the late Harry Ryba, who almost singlehandedly created the fudge industry in Michigan from his shop on Mackinac Island. Milan said, “He was known as the king of fudge, and he was the first guy to make fudge in a window.” He also installed fans in his shop to pull in customers.

The book is also dedicated to telling the story of mom-and-pop shops that grew into larger enterprises, like American Spoon, founded by Justin Rashid in Petoskey in the 1980s.

Milan said Rashid was the “grandfather of foraging” and helped create the farm-to-table movement in this country, fed by his relationship with Larry Forgione, a noted New York chef.

The authors are pondering a volume two; if you have suggestions or ideas, contact them at classicmichiganfood@gmail.com.