Global Flavors in Southwest Asian Cuisine, Instant Noodles, and Teas Among Day 1 Trends

Early picks from the SFA Winter Show Trendspotter panel point to new regional cuisines emerging in the mainstream, and global flavors and recipes driving categories like teas and instant noodles.

The SFA Trendspotter panel, made up of buyers, chefs, and industry watchers, are reporting daily from the show. Here are some examples from Day 1 and more can be found throughout the exhibit halls.

Emerging Regions in Global Cuisines: Southwestern Asia and the Caribbean
Regional cuisines around the world continue to gain mainstream interest, with foods from southwestern Asia and the Caribbean in the spotlight at the Winter Show. Two companies in Incubator Village are offering traditional Persian recipes. Niloofar makes Persian Trail Mix, or ajil, and roasted Persian-style almonds, and Oyna Natural Foods offers kuku, a Persian-style frittata. Tortuga Rum Cake Company showcases a new rum cake made with mamajuana, a native beverage from the Dominican Republic that contains rum, wine, honey, herbs and tree bark. 

Teas: Functional, Sparkling, Global and More
From antioxidant-rich to digestive-friendly varieties to products based on indigenous tea leaves, new teas and tisanes are prevalent. Examples include Nuba Tisane, ready-to-drink hibiscus tea based on a traditional Egyptian beverage, and Shaka Teas, sustainably grown herbal teas brewed with mamaki, a superleaf from the Hawaiian Islands. Another product, BOS sparkling unsweetened rooibos red teas are made with antioxidant-rich organic rooibos from South Africa. 

Instant Noodles
A popular food in many parts of the world, instant noodles have morphed into a big category that includes fresh, frozen, and dried, notes Trendspotter Chef Tu David Phu of Top Chef 15. Products and traditions from Asian regions are driving offerings including Eastland Food Corp. Indomie, instant noodles from Indonesia, and Tat Hui Foods Pte Ltd. Singaporean instant noodles. Another company, New Frontier Foods, has created an update on ramen with its Organic Noodle Bowls.  

from Food Trends https://ift.tt/38qEv39