TRENDING: for food scientists, by food scientists SOUTH AMERICAN brought to you by FOOD PRODUCT DESIGN CUISINE South America can provide food and beverage product inspiration in a number of categories: Health and Food integrity Bold flavors and Craft and Purposeful wellness and authenticity flavor tourism artisanal eating South American ingredients and products to consider: Use aji peppers and rocoto for sauces and snacks with a global flair Aji pepper: Hot (30,000-50,000 Scoville), fruity Rocoto: The fiery (30,000-100,000 Scoville) Capsicum baccatum chile, particularly the Ají Amarillo black-seeded Capsicum pubescens chile, also known chile, is typically associated with Peruvian cuisine, as the locoto, appear frequently in hot salsas or as often combined with red onion and garlic. stuffed rocotos rellenos. Purple corn and purple potato score as authentic and healing foods, and appeal to those seeking non-GMO Purple corn: An anthocyanin-rich variety of maize Purple potato: Anthocyanins also give these (corn) used to make the drink chicha morada (made by potatoes a purple or bluish skin and flesh; plus boiling purple corn with pineapple, cinnamon, cloves they have a high starch content and floury and sugar) and mazamorra, a Peruvian fruit pudding. texture, and a nutty flavor. Amaranth and pichuberry contribute texture and flavor attributes, as well as health and wellness, for the specialty and natural market. Amaranth: High-protein (13% to 14%) gluten-free seeds Pichuberry: Physalis Peruviana, also called the Inca from species of amaranthus, that are rich in phytosterols, berry or cape gooseberry, is a small, sweet/tart golden used as a psuedocereal that can be made into baked fruit wrapped in a papery shell that contains high goods or cereal, popped, or cooked as a whole grain. levels of vitamin C and carotenoids. Pisco and caipirinha pique interest in international spirits and for new mixology and flavor applications. Pisco: A distilled grape-based Peruvian or Chilean Caipirinha: An alcoholic drink made with cachaça brandy used for cocktails such as the pisco sour (a fermented sugar-cane liquor), sugar and lime (with key limes, egg white and Angostura bitter) considered to be Brazil’s national cocktail. and the chilcano (with lime and ginger ale). South American stews, including feijoada and chupe de camarones, are currently featured menu items. Feijoada: The national dish of Brazil is made Chupe de camarones: A thick shrimp chowder, with black beans and smoked beef or pork (such seasoned with tomatoes and hot, red peppers, as pigs’ feet, bacon, ham hock or corned beef), thickened with starchy corn, yuca and potatoes, traditionally served over rice with farofa and rice, that hails from the Peruvian coast. (toasted cassava flour) and orange slices. Source: Packaged Facts, Culinary Trend Tracking Series (CuTTS): Culinary Trend Tracking Series: South American Flavors.