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Recipes
If you work in the restaurant or catering business, you’ve already heard the buzz about trending fruit powders and vegetable powders and how manufacturers are adding them to products to cater to a health-conscious public. Likewise, a growing number of chefs have become aware of the practical advantages of using dehydrated vs. fresh produce and are adding them to recipes to meet demands from consumers hungry for more nutritious and natural foods and drinks.
Welcome to the World of Pinole, aka pinol or pinolillo, the ancient grain from the Aztec era that is experiencing a resurgence in the food industry today. Made from a blend of purple corn maize (the predecessor to modern corn) and raw cacao, the ingredients are slow roasted together and then ground to form a powder (in yesteryear, they were hand-ground by stone).
Welcome to the Buckwheat Guide for Foodservice Professionals and to the latest addition in our ongoing series on Trending Ancient Grains and Seeds. As we have seen, ‘ancient’ has been experiencing a rebirth in the food industry, breathing life into foods that have been in existence for thousands of years but are now returning to the spotlight.
Teff, a tiny grain with a lengthy history, is trending huge in the 2019 food industry. Popularly used in traditional Ethiopian cooking for thousands of years and still a staple of African cuisine today, teff’s spot in the modern limelight follows the trajectory of the other ancient grains we have been following in our ongoing “Trending Seeds and Grains” series.
Pumpkin seeds are trending strong, and there are MANY good reasons why. Also known as pepitas, pumpkin seeds are flying off grocery store shelves and emerging as a star ingredient in bakeries and restaurants, adding new flavor and a whopping nutritional boost to appetizers, main dishes, desserts, breads, and a wide range of baked goods.
Welcome to the world of amaranth, another ancient grain making a modern-day comeback. A relatively unknown powerhouse until recently, amaranth is now rapidly climbing the ‘superfood’ charts, emerging as one of the hottest trends in the food industry.
Avocado oil is no newcomer to the food industry. In fact, it is well-known for its multiple health benefits, which is why food experts deemed it a superfood and why its recent popularity has been soaring. Many restaurants prize avocado oil for cooking, and it is now a staple ingredient in many salads, entrees, and main course recipes.
Specialty grains and alternative flours are in demand! The new food trends reflect growing consumer calls for plant-based ingredients, gluten-free alternatives to flour, and an increasing appetite for ancient grains that are not only packed with nutrients but packed with flavors and textures that breathe new life into traditional recipes and dishes.
What popular food trends are taking prominence on restaurant menus this year? Food industry specialists predict the proliferation of spices and flavors from around the world. Let’s take a closer look at what they have to say, including the specific ethnic cuisines taking center stage, why the modern surge in global flavor exploration, and what chefs need to know about ingredient selection and cooking methods for preparing an authentic ethnic dish.