P.A.N., the number one pre-cooked cornmeal brand in Venezuela, and the leading cornmeal product in Latin America, announced today the launch of U.S. marketing efforts designed to inspire American foodies to try the brand and make it a pantry staple. P.A.N., which stands for ‘Productos Alimenticios Nacionales’ (National Food Products), was launched in Venezuela in 1960 by Empresas Polar. As part of their efforts, P.A.N. is announcing a year-long partnership with renowned chef, restaurateur and philanthropist Lorena Garcia, whose Venezuelan roots make her the perfect ambassador as P.A.N. becomes available nationally.
“There’s no better chef to inspire consumers to cook with P.A.N. than Lorena,” said Pablo Baraybar, director of Alimentos Polar, C.A. “Her influence on Latin cuisine in the United States cannot be understated and her passion for our product will highlight that P.A.N. is a must-have for foodies whether they want to make a dish like arepas or a homemade favorite like cornbread.”
Traditionally used to prepare Venezuelan arepas, P.A.N. is unique in that when mixed with water and salt, the mixture creates dough that can be kneaded and formed into the recognizable pockets. Bold packaging helps consumers distinguish the three varieties: yellow corn, white corn and sweet corn. The yellow and white corn varieties are 100 percent gluten-free, adding to its versatility as a substitute for flour in both sweet and savory baking.
“My relationship with P.A.N. goes all the way back to my childhood,” said Chef Lorena. “It’s extremely gratifying for me to be able to introduce American consumers to a brand that is a big part of my culture and culinary traditions. I can’t wait to show them all the delicious recipes they can create with it.”
The brand is also tapping influencers via partnerships with blogger communities like Influence Central and Kin Community to create content incorporating P.A.N. as an ingredient for brunch recipes or American favorites like corn dogs and hush puppies. Online influencers are recreating their favorite recipes and cooking up new ones to share with their followers using the #PANfan hashtag.
Culinary enthusiasts can begin their culinary exploration online by visiting the newly launched P.A.N. Tumblr andPinterest pages where they will find these and many other creative and tasty recipes.
For more information on P.A.N., go to panrecipes.tumblr.com or www.pancorn.com.
posted by Andrea Gonzalez 6/10/15
