News from My Table
News from the 2009 National Restaurant Association Show
By Virginia Mampre
The 2009 National Restaurant Association Show held annually in Chicago weathered the dual storms of the economy and H1N1 fairly well. Though
there were approximately 25 to 30 percent fewer booths and vendors present with the whole lower North Hall gone, those present reported brisk traffic and significant meetings, orders and sales.
In the trends category, “green” environmentally friendly is everywhere, and promotion of such is a key selling point. In general, there was a very strong Asian influence in both the types of foods and flavors offered as well as preparations and equipment for creating Asian foods. On the all-American side, sliders are coming in every form and using a great variety of proteins from beef and its very high end versions such as Kobe to fish, abalone, mini veal parms and the like.
To compliment the slider and mini-protein trend, bakers are baking mini buns and broadening their offerings to include mini pastries of all sorts including mini cinnamon buns, mini pitas, and mini biscuits.
With the exception of a very few vendors, almost no sipping chocolate and fewer slushies, smoothies and the like than in past years. There was far less Mexican food present (flu related?), and more Asian, Southeast Asian, East Indian even with companies like Phillips presenting only far smaller booths but with foods only containing Asian profiles, Thai, Indian, Malaysian, Indonesian and Japanese.
Foods and drinks with pomegranates continue to proliferate. The rise in sweet potatoes is taking hold with several variations of sweet potato fries in several booths. Gluten-free was also the buzz. Despite the peanut allergies, the peanut producers were well represented with a variety of products and oils, and gluten-free flour used in everything from shakes, soups and dusters to pastries. Many vendors had flat breads and water crackers presented in various herbs, seasonings and flavors as well as from all over the globe.
Less chocolate than normally shown, through Guitared showcased some new and delicious variatals from South America. Organic is a growing trend and world seasonings another key trend (when blended some work, others do
not) from both domestic and international vendors. The global cuisines continue to proliferate into domestic mainstream foods and food preparations. Some short notes in no particular order:
- Origami Wraps, www.origami-foods.com, sheets of color and flavor when wrapped around something with moisture, they change from a cellophane-like substance into a burst of flavor, carrot/ginger, barbecue, tomato basil, carrot, corn, broccoli, mango, strawberry and more being developed; they can wrap around foods, be made into cones, wrap around sushi, meats, salads etc. and made into
unique appetizers. - Mussels – more than ever and from all areas of the world. Particularly delicious versions come from Prince Edwards Island, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and rock lobster steaks from Australia and delicious fresh abalone from New Zealand and Australia.
- Delicious pre-packaged avocado mash with citrus. Add to orange juice and ice for a gallon of a delicious very refreshing, healthy, high-fiber drink, with or without the tequila.
- Oils in a great variety of substances, flavors and seasonings from all over the world.
- Mizkan salad dressings for commercial and rental markets – though not new, are ever so delicious and fresh tasting in the Japanese style, Sesame, Mustard and Soy, Yuzu (like a citrus) flavors, used for salads, marinades and dipping sauces, have low oil and high flavor profiles.
- Drysoda Company has developed cucumber dry soda – picks up on the Asian theme.
- Some seafood companies are pushing to replace tilapia with caught flounder filets.
- Sushi/sashimi was very prevalent and now almost a standard food offering.
- Black rock grill cooking presented their packaged “rocks” and companion plates for presentation/dining.
- Cherries are showing up in more foods and in more dried varieties packaged singly, as a medley and of course, dipped in chocolate.
- Greek Island Spice had some interesting new products:coconut chutney, pomegranate chutney and Mexican chocolate barbecue sauce.
- FancyNap has a unique set of pre-folded star-burst, tuxedo and other forms of elegant napkins made of cloth-like paper that is tough and absorbent.
- Blossoming teas showed up in force, some with special accent flowers such as jasmine sewn into the tea ball for additional visual, flavor and aromatic notes are becoming more available such as those from te’ company, Adagio Teas and other purveyors of teas. Though around for many years, they have a higher price point and visual impact and therefore add value to a pot or cup of tea, making them worth the extra cost in this economic market.
- Berto’s spumoni was like the original in Italy made that way through high-quality ingredients—delicious.
- The bottled new offering from Scout Marketing was the divine smoked extra virgin olive oil (cold smoked with pine wood) from Arbequina olives, like lightly smoked butter, no after taste or bitterness.
- Spanish foods are making a ever larger push into the USA market. Iberico ham, cheeses, food stuffs in general including boquerones, those delicious, not salty naturally white anchovies from the El Cantabria sea in Northern Spain, are showing up in more vendor booths.
- Where the salt varieties continue, there seems to be a growing diversity of paprikas showing up in diverse foods.
- Amid the swine flu, the pork raisers are feeling the challenge, but the juicy delicious taste of the all natural Premium Compart Duroc will have you wanting more, in dry aged, rib chop, quarter ham and other cuts, and it takes far less cooking time from cut to table. The pork is bred for flavor and taste with a dark pink color, high marbling, natural moistness and 96 percent lean. Back again, the interest in their pork remains high despite the flu scare.
- The mini or micro trend continues and Koppert Cress USA has a unique micro green “Architecture Aromatique” with 14 varieties of micro greens from all over the world – Japan, India, China, Africa, Mediterranean, Korea and the Middle East, including the Szechuan button that gives your tongue an “electric” and opening-of-the-mouth feeling as you consume it.
- Sous-vide cooking is growing more popular for larger scale operations, especially knowing that once cooked, the food (meat, fish, veggies), can be kept at a constant temperature without
further cooking until serving – hours later, and the silky flavorful results are a testament to its success (used for large-scale banquet and catering as well as small-scale fine and haute dining). - Starbites came out with a delicious kibe and will have a kufta in addition to their line which also includes Chicken Breast with Cheese in dough (number one seller) and their Risoles, boxed and ready for the restaurant or rental markets.
- The Italian-style Winona Reserve Gorgonzola cheese from Wisconsin won first place in the world championship cheese contest, and it is easy to taste why. The natural sweet milk and creamy consistency was dreamy.
- In the dairy theme, Lactalis has a new spreadable feta which has a great smooth even taste profile, and can be used in so many different ways to enhance, accent and compliment food.
- VitaminSpice has taken a new road to helping people stay healthy with their vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar/sweetener free, preservative and coloring free spices blended with vitamins and
minerals. - In the “green” vein, the company called banbu has a lovely line of bamboo and cork (from North China) serving and cook ware with cork bowls which, interestingly, do not absorb oil.
- Malaysian pink guava was delicious and nutritious with 54.0 ug/g weight of lycopene (compared with 8.8 for tomatoes, or 23.0 for
watermelon), and 5 times the vitamin C of oranges, and good source of vitamin A, calcium and iron while reducing blood sugar levels. - Try a Minnesota baked red-skinned potato and the natural sweet potato flavor comes to the forefront.
- PanaPesca frozen sea scallops are sashimi grade, sweet and delicious – come with the shells.
- Naturally harvested and monitored abalone was in force with presentations from New Zealand and Australia and shown in many different presentations.
- HomeStyle Foods had a presentation of old style comfort foods ranging from bacon and sausage to smoked picnic ham chunks – with the flavor and taste like a grandmother would make.
- Carotino sales are surging with their red palm oil replacing hydrogenated soy oils. The red palm oil comes in liquid red for frying light and nutritiously as possible, a shortening form of
the oil as a white solid for baking and pastries. Red palm oil, long used in Southeast Asia and India, is high in natural anti-oxidants, carotenes, tocopherols and tocotrienols, and has
no artificial color or preservatives, and no trans-fat or hydrogenation plus no cholesterol. The bunches of palm fruit are crushed to make the oil, which has a higher smoke point (400 degrees) than coconut oil – another oil with beneficial
properties. - Ten-Chi Cha – a fusion of 12 traditional Japanese herbs creates a unique, acquired taste, but the Japanese tout its many benefits including helping to digest fatty foods.
- BuQa is offering an alternative to butter for spreading: Sesame Paste, Greamy Paste and Coconut Paste, each made with a different oil base.
- Many vendors are switching to eco-friendly biodegradable (made in some cases edible) products for food service and packaging. Begware and Eatwear are two such companies, but look for more coming soon.
- Magic Pop sells a 4’ x 4’ machine which makes fresh multigrain puff discs in front of your eyes; the result is a delicious light and healthy alternative to bread, tortillas, pitas and
crackers, and an “animated” addition to stores. - Jaz Innovations has a great Oven Rack Guard, Cool Touch and other inventions to make cooking easier and safer.
- Vinture has a great gizmo for aerating wine instantly as it passes through the tube into a glass, not new this year, but very innovative and effective.
- More wine sorbets this year…and make your own wine sorbet options.
- Several vendors had Asian meals in a box or pouch. Steve Phillips Word Cuisines has a mix and match approach to food: sauce, protein, starch, vegetables = complete meal. Pick one from each category and make your meal in a minutes.
- Sardinian water in large and individual bottle serving sizes is clean and delicious.
- Low carb patented Broaster Chicken and their newer Bro-Tisserie Chicken, a long time vendor, continued to draw huge crowds as the steam-fry process greatly reduces the fat absorption of fried chicken and yet retains the moisture in the meat.
- Yawataya Isogoro is a delicious Japanese spice blend made for over 270 years; so, while it is not a new product, the company is making a push into the USA market.
- In this age of sever flu and higher safety standards, Mascare from Korea makes a unique sanitary mask with a clear plastic (reusable) sneeze and spittle guard for mouth and nose. It hooks over the ears for easy breathing and speaking. A hit at the NRA show: www.mascare.kr
- Bacon salt invented by David Lefkow of Northbrook, Illinois was a taste hit with the male and female attendees.
- Silar Microwave Flatstone Grill (a division of Advance Composite Materials) – amazing – has two different ceramic surfaces, one a set of flat slats and the other with a set of triangular slats
for grill marks—cooks a large pizza in 1.5 minutes. Also cooks steaks perfectly. This was their first food show as they come from the industrial world, but demonstrated speed and quality of cooking to the extreme. - Finally, many stylish new chef and cook jackets and clothing are available for women and men.
You may contact Virginia Mampre at mampremedi@aol.com.
