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BUSINESS Local gourmet food company has hit product Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jul. 27, 2016 at 7:42 PM Updated Jul 27, 2016 at 7:43 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jul. 27, 2016 at 7:42 PM Updated Jul 27, 2016 at 7:43 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Ashland startup MaskIT signs deal with angel investors • Ashland company wins Pitchfest competition in Utah • MaraNatha sold to Hain Celestial • Hershey buys Dagoba » Social News An exotic Salt Caramel Syrup that Ashlander Lori Forrest created and made for years in her kitchen has gone viral, becoming a star on nationwide “foodie” sites and winning solid 5-star ratings and raves on Amazon. “It’s addictive," says Forrest. "That’s all there is to it. My neighbors all know I make it and they keep coming over for more of it.” She’s right. The amazing spectrum of tastes explode in your mouth, if not your brain, and go perfectly with ice cream, pancakes or oatmeal, taking them to a stellar level. Best of all, it’s reasonably healthful, with none of the corn syrup that drove fake maple-flavored syrup off so many shelves. The little 8-oz bottles, available here at Market of Choice, contain caramelized cane sugar, mineral water, high-end vanilla, natural boyajian maple flavor and Jacobsen sea salt. These may sound like routine ingredients, but Forrest, a long-time chef and restaurant owner, says the secret is in the carmelization, which has to be brought to the point of almost burning — and it all must be handcrafted. No factories or assembly lines. Forrest has a team of cooks around the valley to handle the considerable task. They use no butter or cream, though it tastes like they do. She offers a taste on a popsicle stick and waits for the “omg” to be gasped out. Then she offers a taste of maple syrup. It seems, by comparison, to have only the mildest taste. Maybe the curious mix of salt and sugar add to the outrageous taste of her product — and she’s right about the ice cream, with vanilla being enough; you don’t want to crowd out the syrup explosion. She tells long, convoluted tales of the ever-shifting food industry, the blogs that can blast a product to stardom, the endorsements, lawsuits, buyouts — but says she started with Norm Thompson, worked a bit with Au Fudge, Cost Plus World Market and other,s but has settled with Amazon, Market of Choice, Grass Roots and The Hatchery. The cost is $9 off the shelf here, on up to $15 online. A native of Boston and Palo Alto, where she catered, owned a bar-grill and understudied celebrity chef Jacques Pepin, she moved with her young son to Ashland in 2000. She came for the school system and to be near her aging mother, she notes. It was her mom who hooked her on cooking and always had Gourmet magazines around the house. Her time on a floating university, traveling the world, she adds, gave her the chance to study a range of exotic, new ingredients. “The taste is amazing, really. The caramel is luscious stuff – so many esters,” says Forrest. She has invented many food products, some using meringue, and is launching a new spread with prestigious Williams-Sonoma, which she won’t reveal yet, but says it has Oregon hazelnuts in it. The website for her company, The French Connection, is at www.frenchconnectionllc.com . John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jul. 27, 2016 at 7:42 PM Updated Jul 27, 2016 at 7:43 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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