Meat+Poultry - September 2023 - 48

INGREDIENT ISSUES
Outback
Steakhouse developed
a limited-time " Sweet
Heat Season " menu
running from July 26
to Oct. 31 that features
hot honey fried chicken
among other swicy
entrees, desserts
and beverages.
" The 'swicy' trend
is a natural fit for us
and appeals to all
our guests because
of its balanced flavor
profile, " said Becky
Boyd, director of menu
innovation and strategy
at Outback's parent
company, Bloomin'
Brands.
Sturm developed
numerous swicy
recipes for Monin's
foodservice customers
using the company's
fruit syrups. For a
unique spin on swicy
Sweet and spicy
pairings have existed
for centuries and can
be found in cuisines all
around the world.
wings, he suggests blending dragon fruit syrup
with sriracha sauce, along with lime juice,
soy sauce, minced garlic and butter. Another
concept uses the company's mango syrup
blended with pepper sauce, red pepper flakes
and butter.
THE THING WITH HEAT
Here's the deal with heat. When consumers
can control its addition to a dish, they are less
fearful of it. And when it comes with a little
sweet, all the better. This is not just at lunch and
dinner. It's at breakfast and snack time, too.
" We're often sitting down as a multigenerational
family with a variety of different
taste preferences and spice level affinity, so
sauces help make sure everyone is getting the
specific experience they want, " said Jill Houk,
director of culinary, Olam Food Ingredients
(OFI), Chicago. " They are one of the easiest
ways to switch up the flavor of a meal and are
a super easy way for consumers to ensure that
their entire family likes what they're eating. "
Itzel Rincon, sales and new product
innovation director, Chaucer Foods, Hull, UK,
48 MEAT+POULTRY | 09.23 | www.meatpoultry.com
said, " Shoppers are scanning for condiments
that bring new spices and flavors into their
lives. It's a simple way to test out new
taste experiences. "
Market research firm Datassential, Chicago,
said that demand for spicy foods has grown in
the foodservice segment, where 71% of menus
and 11% of drink menus feature the word
" spicy. " In fact, during the first half of 2023,
there were 270 spicy limited-time offerings
released by major foodservice chains.
" If you have this idea that (spicy flavors) are
super polarizing, that's actually not necessarily
the case, " said Mike Kostyo, associate director
and trendologist at Datassential in a July 6
webinar. " There's a good number of consumers
who agree that the things we're adding to
major chain menus are things they want
to purchase.
" Spice is almost like a lifestyle, there's these
trappings of 'I'm somebody that loves heat,' "
Kostyo said. " For a lot of people that love
spice, it's a true love for spice. It really is part
of who they are and how they eat. "
Within the world of spice, flavors like salsa
macha and tajin have grown the most over the
last four years across all categories, according
to Datassential. Nashville hot, spicy margarita
and mango habanero flavors also saw tripledigit
increases during the same period. Popular
pepper ingredient additions include pickled
Fresno, pickled jalapeños, ghost peppers,
habanero peppers and Calabrian chili peppers.
These peppers are often combined with a less
intimidating familiar flavor.
It was the familiar - honey - with a
touch of heat, that fueled Mike's Hot Honey to
condiment stardom. Other players are rolling
out their own twists. Howell's Standard LLC,
Marlboro, Md., for example, now offers honey
infused with pepper and a hint of vinegar, as
well as new mango hot honey.
Kelchner Food Products, a brand of
Huntsinger Farms Inc., Eau Claire, Wis., now
offers smoky maple chipotle marinade and
sauce. It has the consistency of honey with
" a little sweet, a little heat and a ton of yum, "
according to the company. With its distinctive
smoky flavor, it is intended for pulled pork,
grilled chicken and steak.
" Kelchner's research and development
team is on the pulse of the latest consumer
food trends and wanted to create a flavor that
Bachan's
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