The start-up nation has done it again. ANINA, a new company in Israel, has created a line of shelf-stable vegan, individually packaged meals in a variety of international flavors. Each one includes a healthy mix of protein, veggies and carbs. The package is beautifully designed, and encloses an attractive pod that is ready to cook in the microwave or on the stove and takes just minutes. “Our premise is you don’t have to compromise,” said Lior Arussy, a member of the board, investor and resident of Englewood. “ANINA meals are about speed, quality and nutrition.” Arussy got involved in the company after he met the founders in Israel and realized they had a great concept. ANINA meals are now available at Glatt Express and Cedar Market in Teaneck, and Aisle One Kosher in Passaic.

The company started with co-founders Meydan Levy and Esti Brantz, industrial designers from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel, who knew about the huge amounts of fruits and vegetables being discarded due to their imperfect shape, despite being perfectly tasty and nutritious. They realized that this needed to change and came up with a revolutionary idea to create a new, sustainable way of using imperfect produce. “The idea was to take something that is being discarded and bring it into a new experience of food consumption,” said Anat Natan, CEO, in a Zoom interview from Israel. As an example, she said about 50% of sweet potatoes are discarded because of imperfections, even though there’s nothing wrong with them.

The artistically designed packaging is striking. And the individual pods are works of art. That’s intentional, and not surprising since the founders are trained designers. “If we go into a restaurant, the phone eats before the people,” said Natan. “That’s because we eat with our eyes.”

ANINA developed recipes by collaborating with chefs and learning from consumers. “We conducted extensive consumer research to ensure that the concepts and flavors meet consumer expectations,” Natan said. The company is creating different flavor profiles for each geographic market to appeal to local preferences. There are five flavors for the U.S. market: Pasta Primavera Bowl, Spicy Thai Noodle Bowl, Mediterranean Bulgur Bowl, Mixed Mushroom & Rice Bowl and Smoked Chili Bowl.

The pods are designed in a functional and visually stimulating way. Some of the pods are lined with zucchini slices on top. You can see the slices open up like a blooming flower if you have a see-through cover on the pot, or you stop the process in the microwave and peek.

Each pod is a complete vegan meal but can be used as a side dish for someone who also wants meat or dairy. The pods are fabulous for couples, or several people in a group, who want to eat together but have different requirements.

The Jewish Link office had an ANINA tasting, using the microwave method. “The bowls/pods looked great in and out of the packaging,” said publisher Moshe Kinderlehrer. “And what came out of the microwave was certainly hearty, healthy and filling. The Mixed Mushroom and Rice was my favorite.”

I did a taste test at home, where I had the time to try out a number of options. If you’re an adventurous soul, the international flavors give you a chance to try cuisines you may not be familiar with. The Spicy Thai Noodle Bowl was my introduction to Thai flavors. I confess to stopping the microwave to watch the zucchini slices unfold.

I really enjoyed the Pasta Primavera. As Natan had explained, the pasta was perfectly al dente, since it was on the inside and not exposed as long to the simmering water. The tomato sauce was thick and rich. The addition of pine nuts was an unexpected delight. I had never thought of a tomato/pine nut combination.

I tried the Mediterranean Bulgur Bowl, an aromatic blend of vegetables, black lentils, bulgur wheat, roasted almonds and spices I love—sumac, cumin and cinnamon. I divided the bowl three ways. I ate some as is. I added feta cheese to one part while it was still warm, and stirred to add creamy notes throughout the pilaf. I let the third part cool down and added some extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Then I topped it with feta cheese crumbles. Lentil salad!

I had asked Natan to tell me what’s behind the name ANINA. She said it stands for Artisan. Natural. Innovation. Native. Art. An apt description of the product. In Hebrew, anina is a woman who has very high culinary tastes. How fitting!

For more information, visit https://anina.com/. Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/aninafoods. Look for ANINA meals at Glatt Express and Cedar Market in Teaneck, and Aisle One Kosher in Passaic.