Our Story
A Century of Importing Excellence
Since 1919, Haram-Christensen Corporation has brought Europe's finest specialty foods to American tables — built on handshake relationships and an unwavering commitment to quality.
107+
Years Importing
33+
European Brands
8
Countries
The Founding
In 1919, two Norwegian immigrants arrived in New York City with an ambitious vision: to bring the flavors of Europe to the American table. Severin Haram and Carl Christensen founded what would become one of America's most enduring specialty food importers — a company built on handshake relationships and an unwavering commitment to quality.
From their earliest days, Haram and Christensen understood that great food tells a story. Each producer they partnered with carried generations of craft — the German mustard maker whose recipes predated the century, the Scandinavian fisherman whose family had worked the same waters for decades. These were not merely suppliers. They were kindred spirits.
“If it wasn't genuinely exceptional, it didn't carry the HCC name.”
— Our founding standard
A Century of Resilience
Through the upheavals of the 20th century — world wars, economic shifts, changing tastes — the company adapted while staying true to its founding principle: authenticity above all. The products changed, the partnerships evolved, but the standard never wavered.
Today, Haram-Christensen Corporation operates from Carlstadt, New Jersey, importing more than 33 European brands to distributors, specialty retailers, and restaurants across the United States. The portfolio spans German mustards and pickles, Scandinavian herring and crispbreads, French butter and yogurt, Austrian preserves, and Swiss and Nordic specialties.
Over a hundred years since its founding, HCC remains a family-spirited enterprise guided by the same conviction that drove Severin Haram and Carl Christensen across the Atlantic: that the finest flavors in Europe deserve a place on American tables.
Explore Our Heritage
Discover the brands behind a century of exceptional taste.
From heritage producers across Europe — each one chosen for its authenticity, quality, and generations of craft.