Samai “Breath of the Rainforest” – Exotic Brand with Wholesome Values

by Ashley Morgan

I spend a lot of time in Publix’s produce section: wandering the aisles, checking different labels to see where something was grown and looking for inspiration for my next culinary endeavor. While I’m doing all of this, my fiancé is normally either in a different part of the store or standing there playing with his iPhone, bored. But this time he found a treasure for me, something that he originally planned on eating himself until I snatched it away from him once we came home. Samai, a brand that I’d never heard of before this weekend, is now one of my favorite snack brands. Their name enough captivates me, meaning “Breath of the Rainforest” in Quechua (a native language of Ecuador). But it was their values that really caught my attention. They procure all of their produce from independent farms, dedicated to maintaining the rainforest and therefore never cultivating from protected areas. I’ve never been to Ecuador, but I have been around other areas of Latin America and I know that a brand like this, which cultivates solely from small farmers, is a god-send. They also return their produce waste, i.e. plantain peels, to the farmers to use as fertilizer. That is truly thinking full circle.

The great part is that not only do they have an awesome business model, but their product really tastes great. There are many eco-friendly, locally procured and otherwise “greener” companies out there that fail to actually produce a product people want to eat. But Samai’s plantain chips are absolutely delicious. Even my totally omnivore, un-eco-conscientious fiancé picked them up off the shelf, just because he thought they looked tasty! I was nice and I shared the goodies with him. We both thought they were crunchy and had great flavor. He devoured the garlic ones, while I preferred the pacific sea-salt.

I’ve noticed on their website that they also carry other varieties and flavors, including banana and yucca chips. Their products are also 100% vegan and kosher. I applaud Samai for creating such a conscientious company without sacrificing flavor. They are truly one of a kind and I look forward to trying their other varieties.

Visit their site at http://www.theexoticblends.com/