0315 Ingredients Column
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[INGREDIENTS] by Karen Nachay Spicing Up Food Formulating cuisines continue to have a big impact on culinary applications and consumer packaged food and bever- age products. Using authentic ingredients and drawing inspiration from regional cuisines within larger geographical regions is reflected in menu options and consumer product goods. In addition to global cuisine influencing consumers’ preferences and product development, bold, unusual, or unexpected flavors and ingredients have an effect as well. Many consumers want something different from their food, and ingredi- ents like spices and herbs can give these consumers the taste sensa- tions like heat, sweet, umami, herbaceous, warm, smoke, and more, and allow them to experience the foods and flavors of cuisines from around the world right in their own dining rooms or at local restaurants. “Eating is always an experience for people,” says AnnMarie Kraszewski, Spices and herbs are o plane ticket? No problem. For developers, and home cooks con- food scientist at Wixon Inc., St. global ingredients used a trip around the world, look no tinue to use spices and herbs for Francis, Wis. (www.wixon.com), who for centuries in food further than your spice rack. these purposes, but they also incor- explains that the more complex the preparation. N © Krzysztof Slusarczyk/ There you will find cinnamon from porate these ingredients in flavor profiles are in a food product, iStock/Thinkstock Sri Lanka, Aleppo pepper from Syria, formulations and recipes to differen- the more the consumer will enjoy the saffron from Spain, and so much tiate products, add global or regional product. Product developers and more. Not only have spices brought cuisine characteristics to foods, and chefs know this and that is why they people from diverse cultures add layers of flavor to meat, vegeta- continually look for new ways to add together, under both positive and bles, and more. Be inspired by the global cuisine flair to food products, negative circumstances (explorers myriad of spices, herbs, and season- explains Barbara Zatto, director of navigated the world in search of ing blends offered by ingredient cuisine and sales manager west for these “exotic” ingredients, forming manufacturers and well-stocked Mizkan Americas Inc., Mount beneficial trade partnerships, but spice purveyors to create foods and Prospect, Ill. (www.mizkan.com). also giving rise to colonialism), they beverages that appeal to a wide Ingredient manufacturers, espe- have also changed people’s eating range of consumers, including those cially those that offer spices, herbs, and cooking habits. For centuries, who enjoy experiencing new food seasoning blends, and flavorings, people have used spices and herbs to flavors from around the world. oftentimes employ marketers or sci- flavor and color foods and beverages entists who keep track of the latest and to help keep spoilage microbes at Spices Add Flavor Impact culinary and consumer trends affect- bay. Today, chefs, product Global and regional American ing the food industry, and their teams pg 50 03.15 • www.ift.org of food technologists develop ingre- point out other herbs and spices find- remarks Kara Nielsen, culinary direc- dients and routinely create ing new uses in applications. Juniper tor at Sterling-Rice Group, Boulder, innovative product concepts with berry, known best as an ingredient in Colo. (www.srg.com). From her them to illustrate some of the latest gin, has been used in a range of reci- research of menu offerings, she notes trends. Kim Holman, director of mar- pes, from sweet pies to savory pot that sumac and spice blends za’atar keting at Wixon, explains that the roasts, according to information in and dukkah are having their moment, cuisines of Asia, the Middle East, the 2014 Trends to Taste list. The especially as more Mediterranean South America, and even regions Sensient analysts even learned that chain restaurants open. Many consumers want something different from their food, and ingredients like spices and herbs can give these consumers the taste sensations like heat, sweet, umami, herbaceous, warm, smoke, and more, and allow them to experience the foods and flavors of cuisines from around the world right in their own dining rooms or at local restaurants. around the United States are more the chain Chipotle has used juniper The trend analysts at FONA orga- familiar to consumers than ever berry to season carnitas. They also nized ingredients listed in the 2015 before, thanks in part to increased discovered the growing popularity of Flavor Radar ® report into four cate- travel and the popularity of cooking the spice blend ras el hanout—a gories: novel, up and coming, and food-related television shows. combination of up to 20 different mainstream, and everyday. A few Wixon specializes in customizing spices used in some Middle Eastern spices appear in the first three cate- spice and seasoning blends, drawing cuisines—at restaurants and by gories. Like the experts at Sensient, on inspiration from global cuisine, spice purveyors. the analysts at FONA highlighted consumer trends, and customers’ The jump in popularity of spice juniper berry as a novel ingredient requests, she adds, and it has devel- blends from Middle Eastern cuisine is used to flavor meats, sauces, stuff- oped blends such as Indian Bazaar due in part to the growing interest in ing, and beverages, and used in Cardamom Rub, Bananas Foster Dip the region’s cuisine as well as the beverage products sold in Russia, the Seasoning, and Korean BBQ Wing increasing number of recently pub- United Kingdom, and Mexico. Black A well-stocked spice rack is a Seasoning. lished Middle Eastern cookbooks like garlic is another novel ingredient key to developing flavorful Trend information from flavorings those written by London-based chef noted by FONA analysts that is find- foods. © serezniy/iStock/ manufacturers Sensient Flavors LLC, and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi, ing favor with American chefs at fine Thinkstock Hoffman Estates, Ill. (www.sensient- flavors.com), and FONA International, Geneva, Ill. (www. fona.com), points out several spices and herbs—some familiar, some not so much—that either have the potential to affect product develop- ment or that have widespread appeal. Take African blue basil, for example. In the Sensient 2015 Trends to Taste list, Sensient’s trend forecasters say that this sterile hybrid of two kinds of basil with anise undertones is an up-and-coming regionally inspired ingredient that may appeal to con- sumers who are curious about global cuisines and regionally inspired fla- vors. Previous Trends to Taste lists 03.15 • www.ift.org 51 pg [INGREDIENTS] Spicing Up Food Formulating continued... dining establishments but is mainly seen ingredients because of their use in res- to add a pungent bite to quinoa, beer, and in packaged goods sold across Asia. taurant chains like Au Bon Pain (Thai ice cream bars. FONA also produces a Cardamom, an aromatic spice used in Coconut Shrimp Soup with Curry Broth), monthly 10 Things You Should Know list Indian cuisine, is an up and coming spice P.F. Chang’s China Bistro (Ginger Panna that highlights trends and products of still used in traditional stews and curries Cotta), and California Pizza Kitchen note. FONA called out the Egyptian spice but also in packaged goods like bars, tea, (Sesame Ginger Chicken Dumplings). blend dukkah, a combination of sesame and ice cream. The FONA analysts con- Product developers are using curry to seeds, coriander, cumin, nuts, and salt sider curry and ginger mainstream season snack foods and dips and ginger that can be used as a salad topping, a meat rub, or a seasoning for sautéed veg- etables, in the December 2014 edition of Ingredient Roundup the list and galangal, a root that is often used as a spice in soup, curries, and tea, Looking for more ingredient in the October 2014 edition. solutions to season your latest Keep an eye out for more smoked food product development? ingredients like chili peppers, salt, and Consider the following options for ground pepper in seasoning blends. Zatto improvements and enhancements. says that the different types of woods • Seasoning sheets and roasting like hickory, alderwood, and applewood bags from Flavorseal, Avon, Ohio each produce a unique smoke flavor that (www.flavorseal.com), are coated manufacturers can call out on the pack- with a liquid sugar adhesive and spice age. Holman and Kraszewski note how blends of various formulations. The spices tea is increasingly used as an ingredient, are transferred when coming in contact with including as a seasoning in foods. Several the moisture in the meat. This means a more examples of these types of seasoning consistent coating and less waste, according Spices coated on seasoning sheets are evenly transferred onto blends and other products are presented to the company. meat products. Photo courtesy of Flavorseal throughout this article. • Scientists at Kalsec, Kalamazoo, Mich. (www.kalsec.com), have developed tech- industry, Newly Weds Foods, Chicago, Ill. Flavor Forecast Offers Trend Insight niques to isolate specific components from a (www.newlywedsfoods.com), uses its Global food trends like those mentioned variety of herbs, spices, alliums, and chili pep- Kitchencounters™ global culinary multimedia in this article and the utilization of spices pers that can add pungency and heat or program to keep up to date on the global food in different cooking and preparation contribute to the flavor and aroma profile of industry and trends affecting product develop- methods play a big role in the McCormick food products like seasoning blends. ment. To that end, the company’s food Flavor Forecast ® 2015: The Future of • Soy sauce is used to add savory and technologists and culinary professionals work Global Flavor report, an annual list of the umami tastes, but there are some applications with customers to develop seasoning blends trends and ingredients driving the future like dry seasoning blends where liquid soy that focus on the leading trends, helping prod- of flavor from McCormick & Co.