Ready-to-eat cereal, commercial baby food, and frozen garlic bread all share a surprising connection: their rise to success can be traced back to Michigan.
Local authors Gail Offen and Jon Milan are celebrating these and other interesting culinary origins in their new book, Classic Michigan Food and Drink: The Stories Behind the Brands. Released last month, the book is filled with stories, photos, and fun details about iconic and lesser-known food and drink brands that call Michigan home.
Offen, a former advertising professional, and Milan, who worked in corporate communications, have spent over a decade together documenting Michigan culture. `Together, they’ve authored four books exploring the state’s unique history — from guides on Grand River Avenue and Michigan Avenue to a “tongue-in-cheek” look at Michigan’s haunted public places.
With this newest project, the pair turned their focus to Michigan’s food history.
“Our books are sort of secret travel books to get people to travel around Michigan and just discover all the fun things, and this was our most fun yet,” Offen says. “People don’t realize how important Michigan is to the food landscape, not just in this country, but the world… We spent two years traveling around Michigan watching people make food. I wore more hair nets than I’ve ever worn in my life.”
She adds, “We watched people making jam at American food in Petoskey. We watched them stuffing kielbasa at Kowalski. We watched them make potato chips at Better Made. It was a lot of fun.”
Following two years of uncovering surprising food history, some of the authors’ favorite stories highlight Michigan’s unexpected contributions. For instance, the prototype for Ritz crackers was developed in Jackson, Mackinac Island is the world’s fudge capital, and Michigan is the leading global producer of cucumbers used for pickles.
“All kinds of wonderful things started in Michigan and that’s what we’re trying to tell people,” Offen says.
Even long-established brands remain hidden gems to many Michiganders, such as Becharas Brothers Coffee, a family-owned business roasting coffee in Highland Park since 1914.
“They’re a commercial coffee roaster, and if you’ve ever had coffee at Big Boy — delicious coffee — they roast the coffee for Big Boy and restaurants all across the country,” Offen says. “They’re just incredible and people don’t know about them, but they’re a family business in Detroit and we love telling their story.”
Milan adds, “These are stories that people don’t know. The Becharas family [have] a cupping ceremony that goes on every day. They actually take samples of every coffee they’re making, and they sit around this rotating table and they put a spoonful in their mouth and spit it out to make sure that it tastes the way it’s supposed to. And they’re very discerning. It was amazing.”
With so many unique companies and brands in Michigan, Offen and Milan say they had to establish criteria for inclusion, focusing on products that have been around for over 20 years and brands available at grocery stores.
“We’re storytellers. We like to educate people. We’re both educators,” Milan says. “We like to give people a taste of things they don’t know, kind of walk them through, whether it’s the story of Vernors or these many different companies, but with humor and in a light hearted way, we want it to be a fresh, breezy read.”
He adds, “It would be a good book for people in Michigan to read, but anywhere, it could be people that used to live here, it could be people who are interested in the origins of food, the marketing process.”
Ultimately, the authors hope the book inspires readers to appreciate Michigan-made products and shop locally.
“I want people to buy Michigan products, as many Michigan products as you can, and keep the culture, the agriculture, the economy growing by really focusing on Michigan products,” Offen says. “If this book helps sell more Michigan products, I would be really, really happy to have that happen.”
Looking ahead, Offen and Milan are eager to “put their hairnets back on” and get back into the world soon for another book, possibly exploring food again.
For now, you can purchase Classic Michigan Food and Drink at local bookstores, on Amazon, and at Barnes & Noble. Below, you can learn more about some of the brands featured in the book.
