The Next Taste Sensation
A few generations ago, avocados were the exclusive domain of fancy restaurants. Halved, seeded and stuffed with a mound of seafood salad, the avocado was all about value, not volume. That is, until the avocado found its killer app: guacamole.
Some decades later, in the 70s, the kiwifruit, having changed its name from the unfortunate Chinese gooseberry, became the darling of nouvelle cuisine, providing the perfect, dramatic garnish for minimalist plate presentations.
So what’s today’s next taste sensation?
Take your pick. Produce expert Robert Schuller, the voice of Melissa’s/World Variety Producers, Inc. gave me some interesting choices. Melissa’s is the largest distributor of specialty produce in the U.S. The company carries 800 items at any given time.
Robert says the exotic fruit category has seen a sales increase of 25 percent in five years. He attributes the popularity of exotics to two factors: 1) exposure when dining out, through the food media (including the Food Network) and by vacation travel and 2) the desire for novelty to avoid boredom.
“Once the consumer experiences a new exotic fruit, whether from a restaurant dining experience or from purchasing it at the store, they get hooked on the fruit and share their enthusiasm with family and friends,” Robert says.
Here’s some interesting trend information from Robert:
The most popular exotic fruits:
The fastest growing in popularity:
Newest exotics to the U.S. in the last five years:
Most of these will never be more than a passing fancy — something to sample in an ethnic eatery or a novelty flavor at a trendy restaurant looking to intrigue patrons with the next new thing.
But my bet for the next taste sensation for mainstream America is the mango. Although it’s already popular with various ethnic groups and with upscale shoppers, the appeal of the mango will continue to grow. Not only is a variety at the top of each list above, OXO, the innovative ergonomic tool company, seems to be tracking the popularity of the mango and investing in it, too.
One of the difficulties of fresh mango is cutting the large, flat seed from the middle of the fruit. OXO has introduced the Mango Splitter to solve the problem. Position the tool over the mango, and with one press, the double stainless steel blades split the two sides of the fruit from the flat seed.
Mango, a summer fruit, is out of season now. But to the current crop of mango sorbets and mango nectar, frozen and dried mango slices, expect to find mango flavoring in more processed food to up the ante for exotic flavors.
INSIGHT: Americans continue to grow more adventurous in their flavor preferences. Exotic fruits — especially mangoes — will whet their appetite for more.
October 24th, 2005 14:04
In your experiences at both foodservice and retail, what do you see as some of the upcoming varieties (trends)of exciting fruits?
October 24th, 2005 15:15
Some of the exotic fruits such as the monstera or dragon fruit have elusive and intriguing flavors but they still seem vaguely familiar — so it’s not so hard to convert the average consumer, while adding sophistication to dessert menus. The revival of heirloom fruits and new hybrids have also introduced us to amazing varieties with nuanced flavors and textures. Where once we had a few types of apples or citrus fruits or grapes available — we now have so many more to delight and amaze us. Restaurants are merchandising these fruit varieties by name on their menus and retailers are starting to stock and promote them.
November 11th, 2005 16:07
Because food trends generally begin in California, this information is key for culinarians who want to stay on the cutting edge. Thank you.