Flavor Trends, Strategies and Solutions for Menu Development
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While plenty of barbecue sauces feature fruit flavors like peach and blueberry, Darryl Harmon, executive chef of New York’s Clinton Hall flips the concept, using barbecue sauce to flavor fruit. His Grilled Watermelon Salad features traditional flavor accompaniments like feta, red onion, micro arugula and mint, but it’s all given a more savory, smoky twist with the addition of barbecue sauce, while candied chickpeas add crispy texture.

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American barbecue has never showcased more flavor diversity than it does right now. Across the country, chefs are putting their own spins on the classics while also introducing consumers to the country’s wide array of on-trend regional variations. These sauces are true dynamos, showing up across the menu in everything from sandwiches to pizza and beverages to salads. Plus, a truly successful sauce can be bottled and sold at retail, extending the brand and providing an additional source of revenue. Here, we look at the broad range of flavor builds that are driving barbecue sauce innovation on menus today.

About The Author

Mike Kostyo

Mike Kostyo is the VP of Menu Matters. Mike has been a recurring guest on Fusion TV’s “The A.V. Club” show; has been featured on NBC News, CBS Radio and Gimlet Media’s “Why We Eat What We Eat” podcast; is regularly featured in newspapers and magazines; speaks at numerous conferences across the country; and was a judge on Food Network’s “Eating America.” For nearly 11 years, Mike was an associate director and trends expert at one of the industry's largest research firms. He has a master's in Gastronomy from Boston University, plus certificates in the culinary arts, baking arts, wine and artisan cheese production. [email protected]