Firecracker Farm is family owned and operated in Palm City, Florida. From planting, growing, and harvesting their peppers, to developing, designing, and producing products, it’s all done one small batch at a time. It’s a handcrafted operation that handles with the care and enthusiasm that only a family business can.

Alex Bonamarte is the founder of Firecracker Farm, known for creating unique, hot pepper-infused salts that bring a fiery kick to any dish. With a passion for bold flavors and a dedication to quality, Alex developed his signature infused salts to elevate everyday cooking. Firecracker Farm’s products, crafted from carefully selected hot peppers and premium salts, along with a cool delivery push grinder system, have gained a loyal following among spice lovers and culinary enthusiasts. Under his leadership, Firecracker Farm has grown into a brand recognized for its innovative approach to seasoning, adding heat and depth to food in a fun, flavorful way.

Enjoyed having Alex on the podcast as we talked about this journey from Minnesota, New York , France and now Florida. Always finding a way to figure his next venture whether its food/art photography and design, web development and now growing hot peppers to infuse into salt for everyone. I’ve been cooking with his products for over a year now and honored to share his origin story.

FireCracker Farm

https://firecracker.farm

Use Code : FOODORIGINSPODC for 10 % off

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Mark Melnick was born in Tokyo, Japan of Japanese and Polish/Ukrainian descent . At an early age, Mark learned the struggles of managing a business because his parents owned an export company. After graduating high school Mark came to the United States and studied business and accounting. A turn of events caused Mark to change careers and take a job as a beef exporter. It was an exciting time and a growing business. The beef trade was a hot button issue, overcoming many obstacles, including disease, BSE , duty taxes and many other parts of the business.

Trex Corp. was founded in 1996 by Mark and his business partner in the San Francisco Bay Area. Trex has been responsible providing quality service for exporting US meat products and importing some of the best Japanese Wagyu.

Mark goes into great detail about the Beef industry and talks about the many different farms Japanese Wagyu comes from and the care that goes into it giving the beef its wonderful flavor profiles.

Hope you enjoy our conversation and learn more about how complex the meat industry can be and in doing so providing a great product to meet customers needs. If you haven't tried Japanese Wagyu it's a must!

https://www.teamtrex.com/

Sponsored by FireCracker Farm
https://shop.firecracker.farm/?ref=FOODORIGINSPODC

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Andy Hung is a dedicated lifelong martial artist who has a wealth of knowledge in multiple fields. Andy was born and raised on the island of Oahu,Hawaii. Andy is a 2nd Degree Black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a 4th Degree Black belt in Judo. Andy is the founder and CEO of Dojo Outfitters where he sells his own brand of Martial Arts apparel and gear through his online store and brick & mortar shop in Portland, Oregon. Andy has owned academies PDXBJJ and Portland Judo which unfortunately closed due to the pandemic. Andy is also currently a defensive tactics certified instructor for law enforcement sharing his expertise with first responders.

Andy Hung is a phenomenal business man with a keen sense for operating successful businesses. Andy and I met through our mutual Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Instructor, Mike Prudencio, owner of One world Jiu Jitsu.

While on our road trip through the Western States, I sat down with Andy on location at his beautiful shop Dojo Outfitters in Portland,Oregon.

We had a fun conversation about growing up in Hawaii, training martial arts, the food scene in all the places he’s lived and a short dive into his favorite distilled spirits and sustaining his business through tough times. Great advice and wise quotes dropped in this episode so be sure to listen all the way to the end!

Dojo Outfitters
https://www.dojooutfitters.com

Show Notes
https://www.foodoriginspodcast.com/podcast-episode-46

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Chef Eduardo Garcia is a chef and avid outdoorsman driven by wild curiosity and a deep love of food and landscape. For Chef Eduardo Garcia, meals are meant to be shared. Food and cooking have served to connect with others in meaningful ways: taking him around the world as a yacht Chef, motivational speaker, and big-screen storyteller as the host of the James Beard Award-winning Big Sky Kitchen on the Magnolia Network. His appetite for exploration has taken him on a journey from chef to grower, and he and his family now run a small regenerative farm, with the simple goal to unite others through curiosity, education, and cuisine. His work in food is most readily eaten and experienced via the handful of products and recipes available through his purpose-driven brand: Montana Mex.

It was an honor to sit down with Eduardo and record this podcast on location in Montana after following his work five years ago. Thank you to everyone at Montana Mex for their support.

Show Notes
https://www.foodoriginspodcast.com/podcast-episode-45

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Original Music by Ulises Bella of Ozomatli

Show Notes
https://www.foodoriginspodcast.com/podcast-episode-44

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On this episode of the podcast I am solo. I take about some of my favorite tools, sauces and goods that I've come to love over the years. Although not sponsored by any of these brands, some of the products have become friends of mine, guests on the podcast and affiliates. Great visuals of everything will be uploaded on my Food Origins Podcast Youtube Channel. Links are in the show notes below.

Show Notes

https://www.foodoriginspodcast.com/podcast-episode-43

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Chef Ryan Gallego is a highly accomplished sushi chef with an impressive 20 years of experience in the art of Japanese cuisine. Graduating from the prestigious California Culinary Academy in 2005, he embarked on a culinary journey that would shape his expertise. His training at renowned establishments, including Morimoto Napa, Nobu in Palo Alto, and Village Sake in Marin, enriched his skills and refined his palate. Inspired by his father, he developed an unwavering passion for creating exquisite sushi dishes with a meticulous attention to detail. Chef Ryan Gallego continues to leave a lasting impression on diners with his culinary creations, crafted with both technical expertise and heartfelt devotion.

I met Chef Ryan over a year ago and we connected over working food events together with some of our dear friends we have today. Appreciate Ryan for taking the time to sit down with me on location in Northern CA to share his story and the origins of Trifecta Cooks.

Trifecta Cooks
https://trifectacooks.catering

Show Notes
https://www.foodoriginspodcast.com/podcast-episode-42

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Mohammad Abutaha is Palestinian but grew up in Amman, Jordan and moved to America when he was 20 years old to study mechanical engineering. In 2015, he dropped out of university in his final year to pursue his dreams of owning a restaurant. Mohammad started as a dishwasher and worked his way up the kitchen ladder, working in iconic kitchens around the Bay Area including Reem's California.

At the end of 2019, Mohammad and his brother Feras launched a shawarma pop-up, and then turned their pop-up into the brick and mortar restaurant Shawarmaji in December 2020. Since opening the restaurant in Oakland, CA Shawarmaji has been named in San Francisco Chronicle's Top 25 Restaurants and Esquire magazine's 2021 Best Restaurants.

Some of their featured dishes include: Slow-Roasted Chicken Shawarma Sarookh & Arabi style, Falafel Sandwich, and Lamb Sarookh.

Currently located in Oakland and Santa Clara, California . Listen until the end for more special updates on expansion/projects and about their spices and sauces for sale online which can be shipped to your door.

Shawarmaji

https://www.theshawarmaji.com

Special Thanks to Trifecta Cooks for sponsoring their space to record this podcast.
https://trifectacooks.catering/

Original Music by Ulises Bella of Ozomatli

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