Zingerman's

Drum roll, please... Here is Ari's Top 5! "Above all, keep working together." —Timothy Snyder Food for thought A Reminder of the Real-Life Possibilities of Mutual Aid: Actualizing Peter Kropotkin's beliefs to work through hard times Great food * Award-winning Author Molly Stevens Cooks for a Cause: Mutual Aid on the menu at the Roadhouse on March 25 * Sotto Fiesole Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The Tuscan sunshine of my life * Our Annual Pie & Mash Pop-Up at Cornman Farms: A bit of classic British street food to warm up the final weeks of winter * Special Single-Origin Coffee from Guatemala: A beautiful brew from the coffee-growing star of Central America Listening Krystin Daelyn's?new album,?"Beyond the Break," is beyond beautiful. The Philadelphia-based guitarist and singer-songwriter’s playing offers hints of John Fahey, Allysen Callery, Nick Drake, and Leo Kottke with poetic lyrics—including some inspired by Mary Oliver. Daelyn’s guitar playing is as special as the poetic nature of her lyrics. Reading "In the Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones"?by historian, author, and filmmaker Andrea Chalupa, illustrated by Brazilian comic book artist Ivan Rodrigues. It tells the true story of British journalist Gareth Jones, who secured an interview with Adolph Hitler as the dictator was rising to power. Later, Jones gained permission to travel to the Soviet Union to meet Stalin. En route, he passed through the region devastated by the Holodomor—literally meaning “death inflicted by starvation”—the horrific famine Stalin orchestrated in Ukraine in 1932 and 1933, which claimed the lives of between three and eight million innocent Ukrainians. Happy reading and feel free to share what else you're reading in the comments. We'd love to hear about it. Links in the comments, too. ??

What is a cheesemonger? Just for fun, guess the right answer: a) A farmer who makes cheese. b) An artist who makes sculptures out of cheese. c) An athlete who chases wheels of cheese down mountains. d) A merchant who shares their cheese expertise with shoppers. Did you guess d? Nice work! That’s what Zingerman's Delicatessen cheesemonger (aka professional curd nerd) Scott Evans does for a living. He decides which cheeses to buy for the Deli’s specialty food shop and helps customers choose which ones to take home. Pairing a shopper with the perfect cheese is an art. Figuring out how their sense of taste works is the name of the game. “You can give someone a cheese they walked in wanting but had never heard of, and that they didn’t know how to ask for, if you know how to ask the right questions,” Scott explains. The key is knowing how to ask “why.” Sometimes Scott asks why a customer likes a particular flavor. Sometimes he explores why they’re drawn to a certain texture. Sometimes he inquires about how they want to use the cheese. “Nailing that down is what gives them an extraordinary experience,” Scott says. Extraordinary cheese experiences weren’t a big part of Scott’s upbringing. Like many Midwesterners, he encountered so much block cheddar that he almost stopped noticing it. As he grew up, he started appreciating more complex flavors, and as he entered the culinary world, he learned how to tease out what shapes people’s gustatory preferences. An appreciation for “why” questions drew Scott to Zingerman’s in 2019. He’d worked behind the scenes in restaurants, and the Deli’s specialty food shop offered an opportunity to interact with customers face to face. He started specializing in cheese – especially cheese from American producers – in 2021. “I help people learn that a cheese from Indiana or Wisconsin can be as good as anything you’d find abroad,” Scott explains. Learning from cheesemakers is one of Scott’s favorite parts of the job. Visiting farms and other producers is a special perk. He’ll never forget his first trip to Wisconsin to watch suppliers work their magic. “That trip crystallized the value of cheese for me, and how different it is from other products,” he explains. “Cheese is an agricultural product at its core: It’s weather, it’s grass, it’s cows. That makes it regional, seasonal, and something that changes. So much work goes into it, and so many hands touch it. They all influence what you’re ultimately selling.” Ready to tap into Scott’s expertise? Check out Real Simple’s guide to cheese shopping. Link in the comments. Cheese-tastic photo shows Scott Evans with Deli colleague Trevor Murray. ??

We've learned a *ton* about customer service over the past 43 years! It's an honor to share it with others such as the great folks at Walt Churchill's Market. Our ZingTrain crew makes the training experience as delectable as can be. Learn more in the comments. ??

We say it's our birthday, we're gonna have a good time... Here's to 43 years, Zingerman's Delicatessen ! ?? ?? ?? To celebrate, enjoy this early-days photo of our co-founders -- Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw -- with Mike Monahan of Monahan's Seafood . What do you think they're looking at? Head to the comments for more on our flavorful history, too. ??

Thanks Quinn and Chef Douglas for joining us at the Coffee Company! So glad you enjoyed your visit and meetup with Ari! Never know who you'll find at the cafe! Our Mission statement includes: "showing love and caring in all our actions" So great to find entrepreneurs who agree!

Ari's Top 5 is here! ?? "People will say, about … the story of Tikkun Olam, the birthday of the world, 'Well, how can I make a difference, when I’m so wounded myself? How can I make a difference, when I feel so not-enough?'" —Rachel Naomi Remen Food for thought A Look at Zingerman's Through the Lens of Jewish Mysticism: The unexpected influence of a "religious anarchist" scholar Great food * Zingerman's Food Tours Fosters Culinary Fun for 2026: Ireland, Italy, Korea, Mexico, and more! * Irish Brown Soda Bread Arrives for the Season: The country bread of Ireland emerges from the Bakehouse ovens * Goodio Chocolate from Finland: Really good chocolate made from raw cacao in the world's happiest place * Dragon Well Green Tea from China: A great way to greet the day! Listening * I did a?podcast with Josh Kopel from Full Comp?about the new chapbook, “Life Lessons I Learned from Being a Line Cook.” * Writer Rachel Naomi Remen, who comes from a family with roots in Jewish mysticism, did a?lovely interview for On Being?three years ago. Entitled “How We Live With Loss,” it might be helpful to hear right now. It also offers some insights into understanding what Jewish mysticism might mean for those of us who are not really religious. * Osvaldo Golijov is a Jewish Argentine classical composer whose family came to South America from Ukraine and Romania. In 1994, he composed?"The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind," done for klezmer clarinet and string quartet.?Kronos Quartet?later recorded the piece as well. * Buffalo Kin?is a pretty cool couple, Seth Brewster and Kate Eisenhooth, who met in Pennsylvania, relocated out west to the town of Fossil, Oregon, and play some awesome rootsy high lonesome music, haunting old cowboy tunes, and their own original pieces as well. I’ve been loving the seven songs on their debut album,?"Vaquera," which came out a couple weeks back. Reading "The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworker's Reflections"?by the amazing artisan American woodworker, George Nakashima. Enjoy this installment and let us know what you think! Links in the comments.

How do the “Leaders and Best” boost team morale? University of Michigan employees head to Zingerman’s Bake! , our hands-on baking school for team-building with tangible (and tasty!) takeaways. Here’s what some U of M staffers had to say about the bonding baking experience: * “It was a fun team-building experience and educational too!" * “Great food and fun! The class exceeded my expectations. Great group activity and delicious recipes to take home.” * “The residents had a wonderful time! It was exactly what they needed! They had a blast! And the pizza was great (they brought me some leftovers). You Zingerman's people keep raising the bar! Nice job and thanks again.” * "It was fun! I love food and learning in general, so this was a perfect fit. It was a good combination of info about science and technique, and tasty food" Bring your team to the southside of Ann Arbor to Go Blue! and Go BAKE! Registration link in comments. ??

If pride were corned beef, we'd be a #81 Oswald's Mile High. We're bursting with it! Congrats to Zingerman's Delicatessen for being named Michigan's best deli in a recent Taste of Home feature. ?? ?? ?? Article linked in the comments. Enjoy! #delisandwiches #cornedbeef #congratulations

8 of the 11 businesses in the Zingerman's Community of Businesses are led by women. Their journeys, of leadership, service, (and of course great food!) make the community of businesses what it is today. Toni Morell, Amy Emberling, Grace Singleton, Ji Hye Kim, Kristie Brablec, Katie Janky Frank, Lisa Schultz, and Tabitha Mason (from left to right) lead or co-lead Zingerman's Mail Order, Bakehouse, Delicatessen, Miss Kim, Food Tours, ZingTrain, Roadhouse and Cornman Farms. Earning national, and international recognition for their accomplishments in our industries, we are honored to work with each one of them. Among the many outcomes of their servant leadership? The majority of managers in the ZCoB are women. #InternationalWomensDay

Thanks for the scrumptious shout-out, Who's Mailing What! Highlighting the people and places behind the products we offer in the Zingermans Mail Order Inc catalog is a treat, and we're lucky to have such a talented team of writers, illustrators, and designers. There's no such thing as #toomuchtuna if it's from Ortiz, right? ??