Flavor Trends, Strategies and Solutions for Menu Development

July-August 2018

Magazine > July-August 2018

Jul-Aug 2018 Flavor cover

 

A world of flavors – old and new – from Gerry Ludwig. Fresh salad trends, hot potatoes, fried seafood, shakes and smoothies, pasta trends, and much more including our new Flavor ROI section.

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Stories in this Issue

You Say "Potato"

Chefs today are stretching the potato's capability, bending it to glide seamlessly into modern snacks, sides and shareables while counting on its steady stance as one of America’s favorite comfort foods

On-trend: Plant-based Purées

The opportunity with plant-based purées keeps pushing further into menu development, energized by a number of factors, from the hummus boom and veg-centric innovation to chefs looking to add complexity to textural combinations.

10 Veg-Forward Upgrades

No longer the also-ran to protein’s starring role, vegetables are the driver for some of the most exciting innovation happening in foodservice today.

Pasta's Next Move

Chefs are looking at pasta as a platform for creative menu development. Here are five emerging opportunities that help position pasta as trend-forward, while never losing its inherent charm and likability.

Hooked on Fried

Unique breadings, global sauces, inventive formats and sustainable sourcing paint a picture of the elevated fried seafood landscape of the future.

Flavors on the Edge

Gerry Ludwig calls out three leading-edge ingredients, showcased at the CIA’s Worlds of Flavor conference.

Flavor ROI: Winning With Hash

The first of our new series: Flavor R.O.I. A case study of First Watch’s successful innovation platform - in which the daytime café is hitching on-trend flavors to the beloved potato-centric dish.

Flavor Makers

Chefs know that the secret is in the sauce. Or the dip. Or the spread. It’s those condiments that carry big flavor, impacting all of the senses in significant—and hopefully memorable—ways. Creativity is key, offering big flavor in unexpected, but enticing combinations.

Cold Calling

It’s all happening in the world of smoothies and shakes. Health-conscious moothies and bowls. Crazy freakshakes - the bolder, the better. Cold-brew shakes and cold-pressed lemonade smoothies. And nutrient-dense smoothies filled with flavor detail.

Signature Flavor: Like Butter

This Grass-Fed Aussie Beef Sous Vide in Grass-Fed Butter is a prime example of a modern entrée that pays serious attention to both flavor detail and integrity of product.

On-trend - Plant-based Purees

Plant-based purées are pushing further into menus, energized by a number of factors, from the hummus boom and veg-centric innovation to chefs looking to add complexity to textural combinations

Ciao Italia!

See the winners of this year's trip to Italy, and enter to win a trip next year

Eyeing The Future

The twentieth Worlds of Flavor Conference provided the opportunity to reflect on the exciting changes and innovation that have moved foodservice forward over the past two decades, and contemplate the changes to come. As global cuisines continue to exert their influence on American menus, whether highly authentic or playfully mashed-up, that world becomes just a bit smaller with each passing year.

'Cue Up Flavor

Barbecue today invites experimentation—melding Korean with Texan, Carolina with California. It also encourages a push outside of traditional barbecue formats, moving into bar bites and shareables, and adapting flavor systems that don’t typically see a play in barbecue.