Last updated on March 30th, 2018 at 02:39 pm
RifRaf Ricotta Cups—a first-of-its-kind ricotta cheese snack, according to startup company RifRaf—are coming to the dairy aisle at select Whole Foods Market stores. Combining spoonable, lightly cultured whole milk ricotta and a sidecar of flavored jams and honeys, RifRaf hopes to “upset an otherwise uniform yogurt category.”
The Ricotta Cups will launch in five inaugural flavors: Serrano Pepper Honey, Wildflower Honey, Sun-Dried Tomato, Strawberry Balsamic, and Meyer Lemon in 4.6-oz. cups. The ricotta cups began rolling out on March 26th at Whole Foods stores across the Tri-State Area. They retail for $3.39.
The concept for RifRaf Ricotta Cups came to David Eisenman, CEO of Brooklyn-based creative agency Madwell, by accident: “Believe it or not, RifRaf came to me as I was making lasagna in my kitchen, eating spoonfuls of ricotta cheese and thinking how well this would pair with honey,” he said.
Eisenman shared the idea with friend and business partner Chris Sojka.
“He talked me into buying a pint of ricotta to see what’s out there, and I instantly thought it would be something exceptional to snack on,” said Sojka.
The two tapped chef Will Hickox to develop the dairy snack. Hickox has a background in recipe development and years of experience in the restaurant industry, including a position at Blue Hill.
“One of the reasons RifRaf is such an innovative idea is because if you look at CPG trends over the last few years, they tend to mimic the restaurant industry,” Hickox said. “That industry can obviously move much quicker, so you see this trickle-down effect of things starting out at a fine-dining level—premium ricotta being served as appetizers or desserts with different garnishes—and then moving to conventional dining. Once they’re accepted in conventional dining, they can launch into the CPG world.”
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