In the United States, Big Dave has changed the name of kouign-amann and it's a hit!
In the United States, Big Dave has changed the name of kouign-amann and it's a hit!
His sandwich shop in a small town in the state of New Hampshire launched a trademark called “kweenies”.
In North Conway, in the charming state of New Hampshire, David Hausman is well known. For more than ten years, this American has been running a sandwich shop called Big Dave's Bagel & Deli where he prepares the most healthy foods America can offer to eat on the go. ?
For the past few months, the cook has made room among the bagels, wraps, burritos, cookies and muffins for a totally improbable product: the kouign-amann .
The success is such that the man decided to create his own brand called "kweenie". “I noticed that nobody knew how to pronounce kouign-amann correctly. I wanted to simplify the thing”, explains the sturdy guy.
Having become popular for a few years in some trendy corners of the United States and Canada, the specialty of Douarnenez (Finistère) had received the unexpected support of some influential stars like the model Emily Ratajkowski who ensured eating "one a day" (which we always doubt).
The elegant pavement of sugar and butter has also conquered North Conway, a town of 2,500 inhabitants nestled a few kilometers from the green peaks of the White Mountains, in the northeast of the United States. It is here that Big Dave sells more than 70 small kouign amann every day, he who has never set foot in France. “I discovered kouign-amann in a Montreal pastry shop, I found it incredible, so rich. »
After consulting a bunch of recipes online and messing up a lot of cooking, David Hausman finally got his hands dirty. He offered some of his kouign amann to the thousand high school students, students and regulars who frequent his establishment every day.
To his surprise, what he describes as a “croissant on steroids” quickly sold out, even selling for $5. “Not a day goes by that I don't receive a letter asking me if I can deliver”. His answer is always the same. - No, Dave prefers to sell everything in store, sometimes without having the time to put them in the window, overwhelmed by pre-orders.
Entirely shaped by hand, its small pastries follow a traditional recipe. To protect his concept and make it easier to pronounce customers not always inclined to twist their mouths to order a "queen-a-man", Dave chose to rename them to be called "Kweenies".
“I wanted to avoid having the idea stolen from me. It's America, when you have a good idea, you have to protect it, ”he slips laughing, before adding. “By creating my brand, I can innovate without offending anyone”. His “Kweenies” now come in cinnamon and maple syrup versions.
Who said Americans had bad taste?
