Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/480793
Denise Shoukas is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. OYSTER OBSESSION "Merroir" is the new "terroir." The term is used to describe the brine, acidity, and shape of oysters, a food- service trend for 2015. Oysters have become a creative muse for chefs, who are topping them with kimchee and horseradish granita or cooking them with chorizo butter. Oyster-harvesting regions are getting in on the action. The state of Virginia recently developed an Oyster Trail. "We have seven oys- ter regions that offer seven distinct favors, from sweet and creamy to briny," says Caroline Logan, director of corporate communications at the Virginia Tourism Corporation. Retailers, too, are turning their attention to the shellfsh. Mom's Organic Market, with locations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., sells fresh- harvested oysters from the retailer's own farm, which opened last year in Chesapeake Bay. At Whole Foods Market, a 10 percent increase in sales of oysters over the past two years encouraged the chain to estab- lish new sustainability standards for mollusk farms. Tears Be Gone After 20 years in development, U.K. supermarket chain Asda has launched Sweet Reds, a sweeter red onion with less pungency and odor than traditional varieties. It's also said to produce fewer tears and less-lingering odor in the mouth. Grown by Bedfordshire Growers, it's priced at £1 (or $1.50). WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW: TOP 5 TRENDS Every January, a panel of trend experts and industry professionals gather at the Moscone Center in San Francisco to scour the floors for the next big ingredients and flavors at the Winter Fancy Food Show. Here are the five trends that are emerging in 2015. Breakfast All Day. New products let consum- ers enjoy their favorite morning tastes any time of day. Standout products: Chuao Chocolatier Strawberry Waffle Wild Milk Chocolate Bar, Uncle Andy's Bandito Loco Spicy Coffee Beef Jerky, The Republic of Tea Cinnamon Toast HiCaf Tea. Cheese Twists. Producers are getting bold with new takes on the classic category. Standout prod- ucts: Silva Regal Style Spanish Food Manchego- Style Cheese Flavored Olive Oil, Sonoma Creamery Mr. Cheese O's, Yancey's Fancy Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger Artisan Cheese. Cruciferous Crusade. Kale has opened the flood- gates for crunchy nutrient-packed vegetables. Standout products: Creative Snacks Broccoli Chips, Alive & Radiant Arugula Cabbage Veggie Krunch, Wonderfully Raw Gourmet Tamarind Apple Crunch Brussel Bytes. Time for Turmeric. The health benefits of this ancient, flavorful spice are catching on with a modern audience. Standout products: Bruce Cost Ginger Ale Passion Fruit Ginger Ale with Turmeric, Rishi Tea Turmeric Ginger Tea, Navitas Naturals Turmeric Tamari Almonds. Vanilla Bean-anza. Producers are putting the bean front and center, with an emphasis on varietals. Standout products: Choctal Single- Origin Vanilla Ice Creams, Dancing Deer Baking Co. Pure Vanilla Bean Shortbread, Heber Valley Artisan Cheese Vanilla Bean Cheddar Cheese. trends & happenings PHOTOS: SPECIALTY FOOD ASSOCIATION STAFF 18 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com