Grocers are appealing to the hearts of shoppers with romantic fare sourced from the indulgent Mediterranean region.

The heart-healthy culinary traditions of Greece and southern Italy from around the 1950s — when the rates of chronic disease there were discovered to be among the lowest in the world, and life expectancy among the highest — are being revisited in international aisles throughout the U.S.

The Mediterranean way of eating recommends making olive oil the primary source of dietary fat; food from plant sources; low to moderate consumption of fish and poultry weekly; and low to moderate amounts of cheese and yogurt daily. It also supports moderate wine consumption, according to Oldways Preservation Trust, the Boston-based nonprofit food-issues advocacy group that created the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid in 1993. Tips include substituting olive oil for butter; snacking on almonds instead of fat-free cookies; and substituting mayonnaise with an avocado spread.

“We started working on it around a time when the U.S. government said heart disease was a major problem for Americans, and it was almost frantically trying to figure out what to do,” said Dun Gifford, president and founder of Oldways. “Who doesn't like crusty breads, salads, fish and spaghetti? The science supporting it is so strong and, by gosh, it tastes wonderful, so it's not like putting some ketchup on sawdust.”

Indeed, the taste and health benefits of the fare are appealing to a host of retailers.

“Almost all of our [retail] accounts are asking for Mediterranean foods, because many of these items are all-natural and typically they contain little or no preservatives,” said Kimberly Wallace, category director of ethnic foods for specialty food distributor Tree of Life. “It also appeals to so many because it's exotic and romantic.” The category is achieving year-over-year growth in the 35% range, she noted, with items like hummus and tahini selling particularly well.

Grecian Holiday

Bethesda, Md.-based Balducci's is so keen on foods from the Mediterranean region that it recently added more than 50 items imported from Greece to its shelves. Spoon sweets, olive oils, whole fruits preserved in sugar syrup and vinegars made from Corinthian grapes are among the new arrivals. About 80% of the Mediterranean foods that Balducci's carries are imported.

“It is typical for our merchants to find exceptional new products in their travels around the world — olive oils and cheeses especially,” said Pascal Jubault, vice president of buying and operations for Balducci's. “A monthlong celebration of Greek Mediterranean cuisine allows us the opportunity to showcase the rich heritage of Greece, and how its traditional flavors impact so many of our favorite dishes.”

Balducci's wrapped up its chainwide Greek food festival last week. The celebration included food tastings, expert chef cooking demonstrations and a chance to win a trip for two to Greece. In the past, it's hosted similar events highlighting Italian and Australian foods.

“From fragrant olive oils to hard and soft piquant cheeses, crisp salads and hearty meat dishes, there's so much to discover,” read an educational handout distributed during the event. It featured a guide to understanding fine Greek olive oils and cheeses and information that let shoppers know that because it's rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, olive oil works to raise HDL (good cholesterol) while lowering LDL (bad cholesterol).

Newly imported products and their health benefits were also outlined. Evangelia's Olive Oil Cookies in Orange Juice, Wine and Petimezi flavors, for instance, are low in fat and contain no cholesterol — and they work well with the vegan diet, since they're egg- and butter-free, the retailer imparted to shoppers. Recipes for Mille-feuilles, Garlic Bucatini, and Mushroom, Amfissa Olive and Sun-dried Tomato Pilaf were also distributed.

“For the festival we added a lot of products to our line, and due to strong sales we will continue to offer them,” noted Jennifer Barton, spokeswoman for Balducci's. “The customers are responding well and seem to love the products that we brought in. We'll definitely consider running a Greek promotion again in the future.”

Event-related coupons were distributed by mail to Balducci's rewards customers and prospective shoppers who live near its locations. Offers included $5 off any purchase of $20 or more; $2 off any $10 Greek product purchase; buy one Eleona Extra Virgin Olive Oil, get one free; and buy one Fage Total Yogurt and get the second one at half price. In-store demos took place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays from Sept. 29 through Oct. 20 and included moussaka made from ground lamb, eggplant and tomatoes; spinach and feta pie with greens inside a puff pastry shell; nutty Kefalotyri cheese; and peppery Lakonian and buttery Messinian olive oils.