A typical Asian praise for treats: “It’s not too candy.” Whereas the West tends towards extremes — thus our penchant for fad diets and reliance on dietary supplements — the Japanese strategy towards well being is about balancing the physique, in and out. Vietnamese-Canadian sisters Kristine and Jessica Tran are bringing a holistic strategy to Austin’s well being meals scene with Nufs, an all-natural superfood firm specializing in vitality bites the dimensions of a giant truffle.
“The philosophy of Nufs is to be simply candy sufficient, simply filling sufficient,” says Jessica.
The sisters moved to Austin from Toronto in 2020, on the peak of the pandemic, after an opportunity assembly with a purchaser resulted in a distribution cope with Central Market. Together with Central Market, they’re at present on the cabinets of a number of Royal Blue Grocery shops and native espresso outlets. They’re targeted on the Texas market and use an area packer based mostly in New Braunfels, Good n’ Free Meals. (Data: www.getnufs.com.)
The bites are vegan, gluten free, low sugar and constructed from all-natural components filled with protein and fiber designed to maintain snackers satiated and athletes energized. They arrive in 5 flavors — coconut pandan, orange ginger, peanut butter cacao, brownie and black sesame — reflecting their Southeast Asian heritage. Nufs have succeeded within the bigger well being meals market due to the current wave of Western shoppers opening their style buds (and their wallets) to extra various, international palates.
Extra:Legendary Mexican restaurant Fonda San Miguel introduces new chefs and plant-based menu
Coconut pandan is the hottest taste, outselling brownie by a mile, to the sisters’ shock. Rising up in majority-white Canadian cities the place the closest ethnic grocery retailer was a three-hour drive away, Kristine and Jessica would’ve by no means believed that may occur.
Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, because the youngest of 4 youngsters to Vietnamese refugee dad and mom, additionally they by no means might’ve imagined that they would go away the safety of 9-to-5 jobs in conventional sectors to pursue a dream constructed on flavors their white classmates discovered unusual.
“We had been at all times advised to review exhausting, work exhausting — the immigrant dream,” says Jessica.
Their father labored as an engineer at nuclear energy crops, following wherever the work was, largely in small cities. Ultimately, they settled in a suburb north of Toronto, the place their mom began a small alterations enterprise that she ran for 25 years earlier than retiring in 2020.
“She was working on a regular basis, coming house at like 2 o’clock within the morning. And (such) exhausting work — and it isn’t one thing that we take without any consideration,” says Jessica.
Extra:The Statesman’s cookbook history now lives in the Austin Public Library cafe
Their dad and mom’ immigrant expertise not solely imbued them with a way of exhausting work but in addition gave them the inspiration for Nufs. Their father came to visit on a ship as a refugee of the Vietnam Warfare, and after a childhood of wartime hunger, he was decided to by no means be hungry once more. He beloved sweets, and he discovered it a logo of success to by no means should deprive himself of the meals he craved.
“Through the holidays, my dad has goodies in all places, and truffles hidden in cabinets and issues like that, as a result of for him it’s an indulgence,” says Jessica. “You’re treating your self, you’re treating your visitors. It’s one thing that he’s actually happy with.”
Like many immigrant households, the Tran household’s eating regimen consisted of largely homecooked meals with occasional forays into Western quick meals, which elevated when the household grew to become extra established.
“We undoubtedly prescribed to aspirational consumption of, like, ‘Hey, we will afford to go to KFC, it is a deal with for the household,’” says Kristine.
“I do not assume that they ever actually had any formal training about vitamin,” says Jessica.
Their father’s prognosis of Kind 2 diabetes in 2011 was a shock to the household. He had by no means been obese, however as adults, the women discovered themselves having to show their dad and mom a few nutritious diet. Jessica knew the fundamentals; Kristine was well-versed in vitamin starting with coaching for her faculty’s (and metropolis’s) solely feminine rugby workforce, which she based when she was denied entry to the boy’s rugby workforce. A lifelong adventurer at all times able to discover a resolution, the newbie baker began baking more healthy treats and experimenting with completely different all-natural components that may preserve her father satiated.
On the time, Kristine was working in gross sales for a financial institution, bouncing between New York and Toronto, and Jessica was constructing a profession in promoting. Neither of them severely thought of the bars they had been making for his or her dad as a possible enterprise till Kristine misplaced her job in 2018 and moved in together with her sister in Toronto. She went on a year-long self-exploration journey mountain climbing in Patagonia and backpacking in Southeast Asia. She realized throughout her Patagonia trek that the bagful of vitality bars she introduced had been making her really feel infected as a consequence of their shelf-stable components.
For subscribers:‘I was hungry for having’: How H-E-B icon endured racism, fostered customer ties
“I used to be most likely mountain climbing 20 kilometers plus a day, and on the finish of 10 days, did not really feel nice,” says Kristine.
Coming again to Canada, she enlisted her sister and started experimenting once more with bars, which developed into bites when the cookie scoops they used had been too small to make bars. They discovered that a number of bite-sized servings inspired shoppers to cease consuming after they’re full somewhat than having to complete the entire bar.
“The bar has grown to be senseless consumption, and part of our philosophy is intentional and conscious consuming with clear components,” says Kristine.
They rented a business kitchen, ordered components from Costco and had been excited to begin demo’ing their product round Toronto when the pandemic lockdown halted their plans. Nufs’ future seemed dim till Kristine met a Central Market purchaser on trip whereas mountain climbing in San Antonio. After he expressed curiosity, she rented a automobile and drove all the way down to his house in Dallas, her trunk filled with samples and her stereo blasting Matthew McConaughey’s audiobook of memoir “Greenlights.”
“It was the proper motivational guide to hearken to as a result of he is simply primarily, like, ‘Take a threat. Observe your journey. Search for the greenlights,’” says Kristine.
The impromptu journey paid off, and Central Market supplied them a distribution deal. They moved to Austin eight months later, and after being rejected by a number of overbooked native packers as a result of provide chain scarcity, Kristine heard again from Stuart Beaullieu at family-owned Good n’ Free Meals.
“I get a variety of inquiries and with the dearth of capability, I simply felt like they actually wanted me to make it occur,” says Beaullieu.
Beaullieu admired their work ethic and beloved the snacks, particularly the coconut pandan taste.
“They’re undoubtedly hustling. They went from nothing to one thing,” says Beaullieu.
Whereas Jess says it might be cheaper for them to ship packaged items from Canada, native manufacturing is a part of their enterprise philosophy.
“As a result of Central Market gave us an opportunity, native is essential. Being Texas is essential. And we wished to be in step with that and have our manufacturing in Texas,” says Kristine.
“For us, it’s about being in Austin and the group right here.”
