In this interview series, HSWT presents startups that are part of the Food Startup Incubator Weihenstephan (FSIWS) . The series presents the companies, their product ideas and how they work.
Raw tarts handmade with love - that's what you get at Felicitartes . Founder Mariana Schmitz has had a close relationship with unprocessed foods since her childhood. From Munich she produces her desserts, raw and not baked, from natural and high-quality ingredients.
HSWT: Mariana, how did your startup come about?
I grew up on a farm in Romania and we didn't buy any processed products - not even bread. Thanks to our garden with vegetables and fruit as well as farm animals, we were able to make our own food. When I came to Germany in 1997, I was surprised at how heavily processed the food was - and how little connection people had to "real", unprocessed food. Which I found very unfortunate. For me, cooking and relating to food is like yoga.
If you develop this attitude and a relationship with food, you will also have a close relationship with your body and your health. I founded a cooking school where I advised and motivated people on eating, shopping and cooking. With the birth of my third child, I wanted something new, and my husband also had food allergies. I had to reorient myself when cooking and baking - away from gluten, away from eggs, hazelnuts, etc. I then noticed that some friends and acquaintances had similar problems with gluten, lactose, etc. - and were enthusiastic about my recipes, especially those Raw desserts.
You offer your “Felicitartes” in different flavors.
Yes, in four variations – avocado-lime, strawberry, raspberry and cocoa-banana – and two different sizes: as a birthday cake and a mini tart.
What ingredients do the tarts consist of?
Made from natural ingredients such as almonds, dates, cocoa, avocado, limes, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, cashews, coconut oil and cornflower blossoms. Our tarts are raw and not baked. The less a product is processed, the more its naturalness remains. A shock freezing process makes it possible to offer the products without additives and flavor enhancers. This not only enhances the taste of the fruits and natural ingredients, but also preserves all the nutrients.
