​Americans today apply the term “foodie” to anyone who loves gourmet dining and foodie culture isn’t limited to restaurants. Foodies enjoy discovering new and unique flavors wherever they can find them, including in their own kitchens and less prominent establishments like street food trucks. ​For these culinary enthusiasts, the experience of eating is elevated to a hobby or even a lifestyle.

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The top cities cater not just to people who enjoy dining out, but also to foodies who enjoy putting their own skills to the test by exploring new flavors in their own kitchens. In addition, these cities make delicious dining affordable for residents and visitors alike.”

Both sustainable and edible, you may soon find these culinary creations at a restaurant near you.

​There’s a fungus among us—and it’s tasty, according to scientists at the University of California, Berkeley. In a new study published on August 29, 2024, in Nature Microbiology, researchers go into detail about how this novel fungus can turn food waste into delectable desserts and main courses.

​Of course, eating fungus isn’t new. Mushrooms are a type of nutritious fungus. And fungi have been used for centuries to ferment foods and turn them into other food products—like how milk is turned into cheese and yogurt, or how grain transforms water into alcohol. 

But this latest concept turns food waste into edible creations—which would cut down on the amount of food ending up in our landfills. And even this concept isn’t totally new. It’s been happening in Indonesia for a long time. People in the Java region in Indonesia take the leftover soy pulp from making tofu and create red oncom, made from mold that grows on the soy pulp. They also take the leftover waste from pressing peanuts to make peanut oil and make black oncom. Both types of oncom are used in stir-fries, as fried snacks and with rice as a dumpling filling.

The lead researcher of this study, Vayu Hill-Maini (formerly Vayu Maini Rekdal) became intrigued by this concept because he’s not only a scientist—a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley—but he’s also a chef. So he’s found a way to combine his love of food with his love of sustainability. 

“Our food system is very inefficient,” says Hill-Maini in a press release about the study2. “A third or so of all food that’s produced in the U.S. alone is wasted, and it isn’t just eggshells in your trash. It’s on an industrial scale. What happens to all the grain that was involved in the brewing process, all the oats that didn’t make it into the oat milk, the soybeans that didn’t make it into the soy milk? It’s thrown out.”

How Was This Study Conducted & What Does It Suggest?
Hill-Maini and his team of researchers took 10 samples of red oncom from Java and analyzed the genetics of the fungus responsible for making red oncom. They determined that Neurospora intermedia was the main fungus in all 10 samples. 

How it works is that the Neurospora fungus takes certain types of fiber, including cellulose and pectin, and makes them digestible. It’s important to understand that fiber is the part of the plant that doesn’t get digested in humans. Instead, it goes into your gut, bulks up your poop, and moves it through your digestive tract and out of your body. 
“The [Neurospora] fungus readily eats those [types of fiber] and in doing so makes this food, and also more of itself, which increases the protein content,” says Hill-Maini. “So you actually have a transformation in the nutritional value.”

Nutritive value isn’t the only thing that this fungus changes. It also changes the taste. “Some of the off-flavors that are associated with soybeans disappear,” says Hill-Maini.

And you don’t have to wait long for the transformation. The process of turning food waste into edible creations takes place fairly quickly—about 36 hours. 

Hill-Maini and his team also analyzed black oncom and found that a different fungus is responsible for that food transformation. Various species of the fungus Rhizopus were found in the black oncom. This is the same fungus responsible for making tempeh, which is made from fermenting fresh soybeans.

Hill-Maini and his team dove deeper into the genetics of the Neurospora fungus to compare the genes of Neurospora found on red oncom and those of the Neurospora strains that are not found on oncom. They discovered that there are wild strains and domesticated strains of the Neurospora fungus. And the domesticated strains are better at breaking down the cellulose fiber. 
The researchers took the domesticated strain of Neurospora and applied it to 30 different kinds of plant waste, including sugar cane bagasse, tomato pomace, almond hulls and banana peels. The filamentous fungus grew and covered the plant waste—and without any toxins that can come from some fungi, like certain types of mushrooms and molds.

While the Neurospora fungus shows promise in reducing food waste, its success also depends on taste. After all, if people won’t eat it, it will still be thrown out.

“The most important thing, especially for me as a chef, is, ‘Is it tasty?’” says Hill-Maini. “Sure, we can grow it on all these different things, but if it doesn’t have sensory appeal, if people don’t perceive it positively outside of a very specific cultural context, then it might be a dead end.”

So Hill-Maini teamed up with Rasmus Munk, head chef and co-owner of the Copenhagen restaurant Alchemist. They presented red oncom to 60 people who had never tried it before to get their opinions. According to Hill-Maini, the feedback was mostly positive, with taste-testers consistently rating the taste above 6 out of 9 possible points. They described the taste as earthy, nutty and mushroomy. 
In addition, the chefs at Alchemist grew Neurospora on peanuts, cashews and pine nuts, all of which also had favorable reviews. Hill-Maini and Munk state that while the underlying taste of Neurospora is a mild savory umaminess, different food waste can produce various underlying tones, including sweet, fruity aromas.

Hill-Maini and Munk plan on continuing down this path of turning parts of food that would normally be thrown out into tasty culinary creations. “The science that I do—it’s a new way of cooking, a new way of looking at food that hopefully makes it into solutions that could be relevant for the world,” says Hill-Maini. 
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The Bottom Line
Though scientists and chefs like Hill-Maini and Munk are producing food with Neurospora, this isn’t some science experiment the rest of us should do in our own kitchens. While many molds and other fungi are edible, many others are toxic, so it’s best to leave the edible experimenting to the biochemists. Speaking of which, if you happen to be in Pocantico, New York, stop by the Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant. You may be one of the first to taste one of Hill-Maini’s creations—orange Neurospora grown on rice bread. It’s been said that when it’s fried, it tastes like a grilled cheese sandwich.

Source: EatingWell

​Having a hangover is hardly pleasant, but there are things you can do to ease the painful reminder of the night before.

A rowdy night out or a pre-game tailgate is usually fun and games until the unfortunate but seemingly inevitable hangover catches up to you. When it does, it may be tempting to seek out a greasy breakfast sandwich from your favorite fast-food joint or opt for the “hair of the dog,” but you may want to reconsider. 
A hangover doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing to everyone, but it generally includes one or more symptoms experienced after drinking too much alcohol. These symptoms often include headaches, fatigue, nausea, stomach pain, thirst, muscle aches, vertigo, weakness, irritability, and sensitivity to light and sound, the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism explains. 

​Why do I feel unwell after a night of drinking?
It’s partially because alcohol is a diuretic, Beth Czerwony, a registered dietitian with Cleveland Clinic, tells Nexstar. Simply put, drinking alcohol is going to send you to the bathroom, and probably frequently. 

“So the majority of the time when we wake up the next morning and we’re not feeling great, it’s because you’re dehydrated,” Czerwony explains. Because of alcohol’s ability to dehydrate, it drives us to want to drink more, exasperating the cycle. 
Alcohol also slows down our intestines and stomach, and irritates the intestinal lining, which can make you feel sluggish. If you don’t have anything to eat while you’re drinking, your blood sugar may be lowered, Czerwony notes, adding to the already sluggish state you’re likely to feel. 

​What causes my cravings?How your body feels after a bout of drinking can impact what you crave for breakfast the next day (if you aren’t battling some nausea). Whether it’s a Sausage, Egg and Cheese McGriddle, a Pop-Tart, or leftover pizza, it’s important to acknowledge the signals your body is sending. 

That might be a warning about low blood sugar, for example. Without food, our bodies aren’t able to refill our blood sugar stores, which can lead to lower energy. 

​What will cure your hangover?While there isn’t a straightforward cure for a hangover, there are a number of things you can do as you drink, and after, that can help to ease the hangover. 
First, Czerwony recommends drinking water between your alcoholic beverages, a method sometimes referred to as “Taffering” — a nod to “Bar Rescue” host and notable proponent Jon Taffer. 
You may want to drink a sports drink, too. Many of these beverages contain electrolytes, which can help your body rehydrate and likely won’t cause an upset stomach like coffee could, Czerwony explains. A recent study by Harvard Health also recommends drinking tea.
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While fresh lemon juice is traditionally used in French 75 cocktails, master mixologist Molly Horn offers a way to enhance the drink while still keeping it non-alcoholic. The spirits educator says, "Add [zero-proof] Limoncello to give it a delicious twist," referring to the lemon-forward Italian liqueur that features a healthy portion of lemon zest. Along with its tart flavor, Limoncello also has a pleasant sweetness that makes it a fine addition to cocktails. We believe that home bar menus should include gin and Limoncello, so it's nice to know that there are non-alcoholic alternatives of both beverages for non-drinkers.

You can find brands of non-alcoholic Limoncello for sale at certain retailers, but you can also try making a booze-less Limoncello recipe at home. In this case, just swap out the real vodka for a non-alcoholic variety when whipping up a batch to enhance your French 75 mocktail. Horn's tips and guidance ensure that everyone can enjoy a delicious mixed drink over the holidays, in keeping with the generous spirit of the season.

​Source: Mashed

​1) It’s All in the (Brand) Name
Foodservice brands that are well-known on grocery and retail store shelves are bringing consumers into restaurants. Taco Bell is now known for its brand innovation even more than it was known for its Chihuahua mascot in the late 1990s. The fast-food chain teamed up with cracker brand Cheez-It to develop menu items like the Big Cheez-It Tostada and Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme.

And Cheez-It had other restaurant promos, too, like the Cheez-In Diner in Woodstock, N.Y. The pop-up diner was open for a week in May and featured menu items like the Deluxe Cheez-It Milkshake and the Mac & Cheez-It.

After PepsiCo partnered with pancake restaurant chain IHOP to launch a 2,000-can run of Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola to much fanfare in 2022, the duo decided to reintroduce the beverage for a limited time in all IHOP locations this past April. And Chip City recently introduced the limited-edition Strawberry Poppable Pop-Tarts Cookie in partnership with Kellanova. Sometimes the limited editions prove there’s interest for longer-term collaborations, Conaghan says.

“The Big Cheez-It Tostada and Crunchwraps took years and hundreds of people to develop and release,” explains Mike Kostyo, vice president at Menu Matters. “But, as we’ve seen, they can be incredibly beneficial to both brands. They allow both brands to tap into each other’s customer base, keep the menu fresh and exciting in a safe way through known brands, get media attention, and hopefully taste good.

4) On the Go, No Plate Needed
Convenience foods aren’t new, of course. People have been eating in their cars and at their desks for ages. According to Datassential’s 2024 Food Trends Report, 84% of consumers who went to the supermarket visited the prepared foods section.
But the expectations that Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers have for food on the go are different. They want and need to eat on the go, even if they aren’t working in offices like previous generations. At the same time, they want high-quality food and don’t want everything to be restaurant takeout or a bag of Doritos.

Farmer’s Fridge, the Chicago-based salad vending machine company, is busy with expansion for this very reason. There are more than 2,000 places around the United States where you can get fresh yogurt, chia pudding, salads, and other healthy meals in a reusable jar with a screw-on lid from the company’s vending machines. The fridges are in airports, retail stores, public schools, and other locations where customers want to eat well while on the go and at all hours of day and night.

Moskow notes that Farmer’s Fridge is a labor-intensive model, given the regular stocking of fresh products that is required. Foods that have an extended shelf life but are not overprocessed, would do well in this space, she says.

And while getting ramen (Yo-Kai Express) or freshly made pizza (PizzaForno) from a high-tech vending machine may work as a one-time curiosity, it isn’t novelty that will drive this category for the long term. The food still needs to taste good and be a value for the health and convenience offered.

5) Fermentation on the Menu​
Fermentation. It’s the word on every gut-health specialist’s lips. In addition to its well-known flavor boosts and the extended shelf life it offers, fermentation can provide probiotics that support digestive health and also increase the protein digestibility of plant matter. Kombucha has been the darling of all fermented menus for decades.
Mother Kombucha in St. Petersburg, Fla., works with several foodservice chains to provide kombucha on tap, eschewing bottles for a sustainable, reduced-waste fermented beverage. True Food Kitchen, the chain founded by integrative medicine expert Dr. Andrew Weil, added a fermented turmeric sauerkraut to the seasonal menu; it combines some functionality of the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric with the probiotics of sauerkraut. California’s DonerG has house-made kefir on the menu.
On the manufacturing side, fermentation has the added benefit of reducing food waste, as food scraps and ingredients that otherwise might not be able to be used in a product can often be fermented as part of an effort toward whole food utilization.
“Not only does fermentation have gut-healthy connotations, but it does also help extend the shelf life of ingredients, which can be helpful to restaurant operators,” says Belflower. “It also allows for a lot of unique culinary experimentation, with operators able to ferment or pickle tons of ingredients.”
At a panel discussion run by The Fermentation Association, Jeremy Kean of Brassica Kitchen + Cafe in Boston talked about his food map, which allows the kitchen to track what products they’ve fermented (and otherwise processed) to develop recipes to use. That way, they don’t end up with a shelf full of miso without plans for how or when to use it.
Foodservice trends are crucial to monitor because they often serve as early indicators of broader shifts that influence CPG food and beverage product development. In today’s marketplace, this relationship is becoming more symbiotic, with CPG brands driving foodservice innovation as well. What starts as a popular menu item or social media sensation can inspire retail products, just as beloved CPG brands create excitement when featured on restaurant menus. By staying attuned to these evolving trends in both sectors, product developers can anticipate consumer desires, creating products that resonate with current tastes while addressing growing demands for health, convenience, and sustainability across both foodservice and retail.

​Source:IFT

If you're a Jersey Foodie, check out this story -  The Mr. Local History Non-Profit is on a mission …

​Nature-loving meat eaters rejoice, there’s a new vegan meat on the menu! Josep Sanitjas is a connoisseur and a carnivore. Giuseppe Scionti is an acclaimed bioengineer on a mission to save the planet.

Together they’ve created a 3D steak that not only aces the taste test, but sizzles, crisps and drips just like the real thing. It’s fresh off the printer and onto the plate at El Santuari, a steakhouse just outside of Barcelona, voted in the top 101 steak restaurants in the world - it’s no surprise diners are more acquainted with exotic prime cuts such as wagyu, zebra and crocodile.

iscover how this unlikely pair are changing the future of the meat industry.

​Source: Great Big Stoory

Food & Wine Global Tastemakers.
They’ve rounded up the best culinary experiences from around the world, as voted on by their readers.
Article source: Food & Wine editors.

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Open for four years, Swadist is just off the main drag.

Swadist is a four-year-old restaurant at 715 Newark Avenue near Jersey City’s Journal Square, but since it falls to the east of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, it’s on the very edge of India Square — a vast collection of grocery stores, temples, paan windows, and sweets shops — I didn’t notice it until recently. Now after two visits, I think it’s the best Indian restaurant in the neighborhood.
While most of the other food establishments specialize in Hyderabadi biryani, South Indian dosas, Bengali desserts, or Mumbai and Gujarati thalis and snacks, by contrast, Swadist — which means “tasty” in Sanskrit — dotes on Delhi in the menu focus and presentation. The chef owner is Uttam Rawat, who fills his bill of fare with mostly northern but some southern Indian cooking, plus Indo-Chinese and Thai food (the latter eliciting a gasp from one of my guests as she opened the menu one afternoon). Rawat is from Tehri, a town 75 miles northeast of Delhi in the foothills of the Himalayas, currently submerged as the result of dam building.

With eye-popping photos of vegetables and spices, a continuous sienna-colored banquette that runs along one wall, gleaming stained-wood furniture, and silver-domed flip-top pots a reminder of bargain buffet on the weekends ($20 adults, $10 children) — “This restaurant looks like a Ramada Inn in Kansas City,” a friend exclaimed — and, indeed, it does. The minute the food starts arriving, the decor is beside the point.
Start with a baby goat masala ($21) immersed in a thick thick sauce predominantly flavored with a ginger-and-garlic paste kissed with tomato, sporting minor notes of cinnamon and cardamom. Every bite is tender and differently fatty. The delicate ribs are especially good. Chicken achari ($17) was the only thing we liked more, featuring hunks of dark meat in a mellow beige sauce with lots of heat and pucker.

​​The menu prints a red chile next to any dish it deems too spicy for some: the Bengali fish curry is one of the few dishes to be so honored. Big rafts of tilapia float in a tan sauce laced with mustard oil, engendering a tingle to the throat along with the usual red-pepper burn. Though boasting no chile symbols of its own, black pepper lamb is plenty hot, too.

​A white pitcher tipped over a cup with milky tea spilling out.
The sweet spiced chai is the perfect conclusion to your meal.
There is a dum biryani in the Lucknow crust-on style first seen in New York, by me anyway, at Adda in Long Island City from Unapologetic Foods — a treatment that’s been copied since by many Indian restaurants in the metropolitan area. Speckled with a colorful range of vegetables, the vegetarian version is particularly recommended. Note that in this case the crust fully functions as a naan (in several versions around town, the crust is hard as a rock), so decrease your order of flatbreads by one when you order the biryani. It also comes with a side of yogurt raita that is a dish in itself.

I was curious about the Chinese and Thai dishes on the menu, but rather than dive in, I stuck to a familiar Thai order on the second visit. My pad Thai arrived, a heap of broad and moist rice noodles topped with sprouts and crushed peanuts, and dotted with shrimp and chicken. As usual, the dish was achingly sweet, but it really could have come from any Thai restaurant in town, which, as far as I’m concerned, is another tip of the hat to the excellence of Swadist.

​Source: Eater

​The recent visit by the Real Housewives’ stars underscores Elia’s reputation as a go-to spot for celebrities in the area. Margaret Josephs and Jackie Goldschneider’s enduring friendship, highlighted during Season 13 of RHONJ, adds another layer of interest to their dining experience.

​Source: tvovermind

America's food industry is in the midst of a dramatic culture shift that's challenging everything we've been taught about eating. Here's how to take advantage of this exciting new movement and eat more healthfully than ever before.

If, on some beautiful summer morning, you decide to head to your local farmers’ market, chances are good that you’ll have your pick of gorgeous heirloom tomatoes: green zebras, Brandywines, yellow pear or sugar plum. Maybe you’ll grab a cup of fair-trade coffee to enjoy while you chat with growers. On your way back you could stop at the local food co-op for a few more staples: a carton of organic milk, some spelt pasta. Pulling up in front of the house on your bike, you gratefully contemplate how easy it is to eat well close to home.
Later in the week, however, you’re just as likely to find yourself in the center aisles of the mega-market, surrounded by bags of salty snacks and temptingly easy-to-make prepackaged meals. Your youngest child, fresh from daycare, is howling for the toaster tarts with her favorite cartoon heroes on the box. Hungry and ready to flee, you grab a frozen pizza, submit to the demand for toaster tarts, and drive home through rush-hour traffic, munching a bag of cheese curls as you go. Pulling up in front of your house, you consider how easy it is to be distracted from your goals to eat better food.
America’s food culture has never been so polarized. Locally grown heirloom crops square off with mass-produced frozen pizzas. Organic seeds compete with genetically modified ones. Pasture-fed cattle are shadowed by crowded feedlots. While Italy’s Slow Food Movement catches on across the country, our addiction to fast food shows no signs of abating.
Clearly, our food system is heading in two radically different directions, and the decisions we make as eaters play a vital role in determining its fate. Read on for a glimpse of the current state of our food culture and some tips on how you can help create a food movement that’s moving in the right direction for your tastes.

Positive Trends, Challenging Realities
Our industrial food system is undergoing a seismic shift. Walmart is the country’s largest purveyor of organic milk, and Whole Foods Market has become a household name. The number of farmers’ markets has doubled in the last decade. And demand for organic food rises at an annual rate of 20 percent.
Meanwhile, books like Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto and Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life have become bestsellers. In 2007, editors of the Oxford American Dictionary chose “locavore,” a term for people who exclusively buy foods grown close to home, as their word of the year.
What’s more, the participants in today’s food movement are not just back-to-the-land vegetarians or “health food nuts,” as your grandma might’ve called them. These movers and shakers come in all stripes — from the urban farmer to the suburban mom who can deconstruct a food label in record time. City folks are heading to the country to volunteer in community-supported agriculture (CSA) partnerships, and celebrity chefs are building public alliances with local farmers. Consumers aren’t just grabbing the local apples at the grocery store; they’re purchasing them directly from farmers at markets or through shares of a CSA.
“This is an industry born of activism,” says Whole Foods copresident Walter Robb, whose company has grown from a tiny natural foods store in Texas in 1978 into a Fortune 500 giant that grossed $6.6 billion in 2007. Robb readily acknowledges that many of the company’s directives, like its animal compassion standards and parking-lot farmers’ markets, come directly from community input and consumer demand for more sustainably produced food.

Consumers are playing a central role in shaping a new American food culture. And they’re beginning to see how their activism is translating into better land management and animal treatment, a healthier bottom line for small farmers, and a renaissance of delicious and healthful food.

In short, consumers are playing a central role in shaping a new American food culture. And they’re beginning to see how their activism is translating into better land management and animal treatment, a healthier bottom line for small farmers, and a renaissance of delicious and healthful food.

That’s not to say we’ve seen the end of commodity-based industrial agriculture. The vast majority of American food producers continue to reap most of their profits from the sale of highly processed foods based on ingredients (like corn, wheat, soy and sugar) that spell trouble for both human and environmental health. And outdated federal legislation continues to support mass-production farming and monoculture crops, stacking the deck against small-scale growers and sweetening the profit margin for big agricultural outfits that grow commodities instead of food.

Today, organics still comprise only 2 percent of total U.S. food production. Small, diverse growing operations remain the exception to the rule of the corporate-controlled “factory” farm. In 2005, farmers devoted 4 million acres to organic crops in the United States, while federally subsidized corn, the bedrock of the processed-food and fast-food industries, occupied 81.6 million acres.

And while Americans have more access than ever to fresh, whole and organic foods, those living in low-income communities have fewer options. In these areas, people without reliable transportation are forced to buy their groceries at neighborhood gas stations and convenience stores, purveyors of what Pollan calls “food products” — shelf-stable, highly refined goods that are only distantly related to recognizable crops.

This particular inequity may seem less urgent than the broader economic and political realities from which it springs, but the lack of access to fresh, healthy food is linked to some of our most worrisome public health trends. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in four U.S. adults is medically obese, and one in three children born in the United States in 2000 will contract diet-related type 2 diabetes by 2050 — both conditions related to consuming highly processed food.

What’s more, many of our government’s policies support the production of highly refined, high-glycemic products through outdated farm subsidy programs. The U.S. government originally subsidized farmers who grew corn and other storable crops to protect Americans against starvation after the Great Depression, but today that subsidized corn appears as corn syrup in almost all our processed food and, indirectly, as livestock feed in our fast-food meals.

By making these foods artificially cheap, those subsidies effectively underwrite the obesity and diabetes epidemics. In addition, they discourage the planting of health-promoting vegetables by making corn the only crop most farmers feel they can afford to grow.

The 2007 Farm Bill contained new incentives for environmental stewardship, funding to support more farmers’ markets and urban farms, and a farm-to-school program for better school lunches — all in response to citizen demand. Subsidies for corporate farms and commodity crops remained untouched, but for the first time since the industrialization of the food system after World War II, legislation is beginning to reflect consumer desire for a healthier food system.

Time to Eat
The good news is it really doesn’t take much to lend your support to the positive trends in today’s food movement. And doing so will build a healthier, more soul-satisfying relationship with your food. Here are a few simple ways you can help revolutionize our food system for the better:

1. Do Your Homework
As organics take off and multinational food companies acquire small producers, consumer research becomes more important than ever. (For a graph displaying who owns what in the organic foods industry, visit www.msu.edu/~howardp/organicindustry.html.) Check out labels through nonindustry sources like the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) or Sustainable Table (www.sustainabletable.org) — they’ll explain which food producers uphold the highest standards of land management, labor practices and animal treatment.
You can also take your pick of books like Kingsolver’s and Pollan’s, or Daniel Imhoff’s Food Fight: A Citizen’s Guide to a Food and Farm Bill (University of California Press, 2007). Plus, two recent documentaries — King Corn and The Future of Food — will help you better understand the dangers of monoculture crops and genetically modified seeds. For a clever, but strongly positioned, lesson about factory-farmed eggs, milk and meat, check out the flash animation films at The Meatrix (www.themeatrix.com).

2. Get Involved
Find your local food co-op and become a member. (You can track down the nearest one at www.sustainabletable.org.) Start a weekend ritual of visiting a nearby farmers’ market. Buy a share in a CSA (find one at www.localharvest.org) and get weekly deliveries of fresh produce from a local farmer; some CSAs even offer fresh eggs and chicken. (For more on eating local, see “Closer to Home: 5 Steps Toward Eating Local.”)
Get involved with urban farming or spend a day volunteering at a nearby farm, especially great activities to do with kids. See if you can get your school hooked up with a local farm for the lunch program. Or consider donating to good food causes, like the People’s Grocery in Oakland, Calif., or the folks at Urban Farming, who are working to increase urban food security by turning empty city lots into farms (www.urbanfarming.org).
Finally, don’t be intimidated by legislation — there are plenty of primers on the Farm Bill (see Imhoff’s Food Fight) that will get you up to speed on the basic issues. Call and write your legislators (www.congress.org) to press for a better “food bill” that supports a more sustainable food system. Meanwhile, you can continue to “vote with your fork” by shopping for local, sustainable whole foods.

3. Choose Your Battles
Here are a few modest changes that can make a big impact:

• Become a “whole-food-avore.” Strive to incorporate into your diet more fresh foods that look pretty much as they did in nature, and you’ll not only be healthier, you’ll bypass many of the problems associated with the food system: The worst agricultural sins are not committed in the name of fruits and vegetables.
• Know the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables, and buy the organic varieties. Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach and potatoes carry the worst pesticide load, according to a 2007 study by the Environmental Working Group. Read more about the study at www.foodnews.org.
• Stick with grass-fed dairy and meat products and avoid any food raised in a commercial feedlot. Supporting grass-fed operations is not only more humane for animals and significantly easier on the environment, it’s also much better for your health. Visit www.eatwild.com for more information and to find your nearest sources of pastured meat and milk.

4. Follow the Foodies
When you find yourself too busy to hit the farmers’ market or weed the vegetable gardens at a CSA, you can still support a healthier food economy by choosing farm-to-table restaurants when you eat out. (The Eat Well Guide at www.eatwellguide.org will help you find them.)
Today’s food activists are helping bring our food systems and eating habits full circle: When we eat more local, seasonal, whole foods, we are eating much like our ancestors.

“In the history of European cooking, preparing local food was more of a necessity,” says Mike Phillips, head chef at the Minneapolis restaurant The Craftsman, one of hundreds nationwide that support local growers of whole foods. “There weren’t means to refrigerate or ship food thousands of miles, so traditional cooking and preserving techniques evolved out of using foods locally. There’s also a strong pride taken in regional foods — only wine grown in the Burgundy region can carry that name — and I want to support farmers who are developing those traditions of quality here.”

Indeed, there is pleasure and a sense of pride in knowing where our food comes from — and a deeper connection with our food is born out of appreciation for the labor that brought it to our plate. Familiarizing ourselves with what we eat and buying whole, local foods sustains our food culture and promotes dignity in food production and consumption.

This more mindful approach to food — and the food system at large — transforms an everyday act of consumption into an act of grace. And who doesn’t want a bigger serving of that?

Hopeful Signs
Here are some of the positive highlights of today’s consumer-driven food revolution:
Save the Seeds. The Web has given new life to a host of seed-saving organizations that help farmers and gardeners learn how to save seeds from their heirloom crops and to trade them with each other. This underground network is helping to protect farmer self-sufficiency and maintain a healthy variety of food crops for future generations. See www.seedsavers.org.

Farm-to-School. Forty-three states now host farm-to-school programs, where local farms supply schools’ cafeterias with fresh produce for lunches, and students learn about food production and nutrition. To find out about a program near you, visit www.farmtoschool.org.

Urban Farms. Farms are sprouting up in cities across the United States and Canada. They transform empty lots and rooftops into sources of fresh food (notably lacking in most inner-city neighborhoods), create local food self-sufficiency, and beautify urban spaces, which deters crime.

Organics Galore. Sales of organics are increasing by 20 percent annually. And while this rising demand can be a mixed blessing — the small, local aspect of organic farming often gets lost in production — it does mean a huge number of acres are being turned over to more sustainable land and livestock management.

Eat Local. “Locavore” was the Oxford American Dictionary’s 2007 word of the year. More and more people are starting to see the drawbacks of food that’s built to travel and have begun to eat closer to home, building local economies as they shop and dine. You can learn about the “eat local challenge” at www.eatlocal.net.

Grass-Fed and Proud. As awareness spreads about inhumane feedlot practices and the taste and nutritional benefits of grass-fed animal products, sales are rising fast. Even some members of the fast-food industry are catching on. In 2005, McDonald’s Chipotle Mexican restaurant chain began sourcing all their pork from Niman Ranch, a cooperative for organic and pasture-fed meats.

Is Organic Really Organic?
Plenty of consumers are already “voting with their forks” in favor of a new sustainable food system by buying organic and local whole foods in record numbers. And this newly honed interest in how food is produced will serve us well as the organics market becomes larger and more complicated.
The good news: As giant food companies jockey for their share of the organics market, more and more farmers are abandoning chemically intensive farming methods and treating their livestock with greater compassion. Sizable farm cooperatives like Organic Valley and Niman Ranch provide a stable market for small organic producers, helping more of them stay in business.

On the flip side, as multinational food companies get into the organics game, some bend the rules, following technicalities instead of traditions. In 2005, when Wal-Mart and other big retailers began carrying organic milk, for instance, demand increased beyond the means of small-scale farms to meet it. So, some larger milk producers ramped up production by taking their cows off pasture and grain feeding them instead.

Three years later, as much as 30 percent of organic milk now comes from grain-fed cows in confined conditions, according to the Organic Consumers Association. Technically, it’s still organic, because labeling standards require that animals be raised hormone- and antibiotic-free but not be grass-fed. Still, the traditional practice — pasturing cows on grass — is one of the main reasons why organic milk is better for you than conventional milk. A green-grass diet increases the amount of vitamin A, omega-3s and beta-carotene in a cow’s milk, and pasturing provides a low-stress environment that keeps milk and meat free from stress hormones like cortisol.

Such industry contradictions are troubling — and confusing — but alone they’re no reason to give up on big organic producers. They just demonstrate why it’s necessary to do background research on your favorite organic labels to see who’s walking their talk. (You can start with the directory for pastured milk and meat products at www.eatwild.com.) Don’t bypass the uncertified stands at your local farmers’ market either, as many small sustainable producers forgo the labeling system because of its expense.

Source: Lifetime
Illustration by: Tadeusz Majewski​

Learn more about a renewed push within the hospitality industry to implement sustainable practices that minimize food waste, reduce carbon footprints, and scale down on single-use plastics. This shift comes amidst the growing expectation from consumers who want to see change. A recent analysis of 50 purpose-driven advertising campaigns indicates that issues relating to sustainability have some of the highest favorability scores — especially amongst Millennial and Gen Z audiences. Relais & Cháteaux, a global association of independent hotels and restaurants, kicked off 2023 by releasing their first-ever sustainability report, as well as an aggressive commitment to improving conservation efforts by 2025.

We sat down with Scott Landers, a sixth-generation farmer and co-founder of Figure Eight Logistics, an organization with a mission to design sustainable systems for restaurants that reduce waste and maximize margins. “The motives are not just to save the planet. There really is a financial element to sustainability that, when done correctly, shows up in terms of loyalty and repeat business.”
Landers helped outlined four steps restaurants can take to move towards a model that benefits the environment AND their bottom line.

​1. Trim down the waste output of your takeout & delivery operations.
In addition to food delivery being an essential revenue stream for restaurants, it’s also a primary source of generating waste. But there are ways to mitigate.

• Ignore the impulse to include plastic utensils and straws in every order. Many diners ordering to home or office don’t need single-use cutlery. Adjust the settings on your delivery platforms and train your team to require guests to ask for disposable utensils, rather than mindlessly throwing them in the bag. “If you don’t have to buy a bunch of cutlery packages that nobody is going to use, not only are you reducing the waste-hauling component, but you’re saving money as well.”
• For guests that do request cutlery, find an eco-friendly option — and pass the cost on to your guests. Offer bio-degradable or plant-based utensils, at a premium. “It allows you to create a better experience while also providing an economic incentive on the customer to opt out.”
• Explore reusable delivery container options. An increasing number of cities are seeing services pop up that offer reusable to-go containers that can either be scheduled for pick up from a guest’s door and returned directly to the restaurant, or participate in a local network with multiple drop off points. “You don’t have to do it all on your own.”

2. Implement simple practices to minimize food waste.
Preventing leftover food from breaking down in landfills can have a major impact on the environment.

• Start with composting food scraps. Dispose of food waste like carrot tops and avocado peels through compost. Explore a community program that coordinates pick up and diverts these materials from landfills.
• Power up your catering offering. Not only do catering orders net a higher check size, but they also minimize food waste because quantities are planned ahead.

3. Build relationships with local vendors, one ingredient at a time.
There’s a real opportunity for smaller independent restaurants to source materials closer to home.

• Start with the one ingredient that has the biggest impact. Prioritizing local vendors doesn’t need to result in a complete overhaul. Source a primary ingredient — whether it flour if you specialize in pastry or beef if you’re a barbecue restaurant. Scale this over time.
• Feature more expensive local ingredients in a premium way. Position new, unique menu items as mains or specials that merit higher menu price points. “Maybe you won’t sell as much initially, but as you build volume, you can start to bring the price down.”
• Showcase local seasonal favorites as limited time offers. Celebrate the fleeting joy of produce that shines in specific season. “You’re not only creating more sustainable food because it’s in your biome, but you’re also supporting local farms and building community.”

4. Above all, start small.“Sustainability doesn’t happen overnight — it’s taking one step and one practice at a time.”

*Opinions and views in articles shared Bergen Review Media are presented for the purpose of discussion and commentary on topics of interest in the restaurant industry; they should not be viewed as substitutes for advice given by professionally engaged business consultants and advisors.

Source: Resy

​If there’s one thing New Jersey has in spades, it’s Italian restaurants. We love our pasta and pizza here in the Garden State, and the odds are you have a few places for them in your small town. So an Italian restaurant opening here needs something to make it stand out – and that’s exactly what Toscana in Cherry Hill has done. This laid-back high-end dinner spot and event hotspot is a great place for a meal, but it’s the patio that really makes it stand out. Toscana doubles as the best garden restaurant in NJ, featuring a stunning green landscape to have lunch or dinner outside on nice days. But it’s not just plants waiting for you at Toscana – it’s full of other surprises, and it’s easily the most unique spot to dine in South Jersey. So as the weather warms up, head to Toscana and prepare to step into another world.
Even from the outside, it's clear Toscana is a place that immerses itself in nature., ​Inside, this lush and acclaimed Italian restaurant feels like a classic joint in the best way.

​The menu will feel familiar, in the best way. Order one of the flatbread pizzas for the table to share...

​Then dig into some of the state's best pasta or try a hearty meat entrée like chicken marsala.

​Make sure to save room for a rich dessert and some coffee - but consider having them outside.

​That's because Toscana is home to the best dining patio in New Jersey, a stunningly lush garden.

​There's even a koi pond attached, so you'll have dining companions!

​The patio is even more stunning by night when illuminated by hundreds of lights.

Is the institution of teatime as strong as it ever was, or are younger generations turning elsewhere?TING’s afternoon tea is stunning. It isn’t just that the restaurant is located on the upper floors of the Shard, meaning that the experience is accompanied by sweeping views of central London. From the server who quietly asks if she can bring a glass of champagne (the answer is always yes) to the tower of detailed, multicolored sweets, the entire experience is a luxurious excuse to linger over a cup of tea (or twelve). But eavesdropping reveals that most of the guests at this restaurant aren’t British. While it makes sense that the average London resident probably wouldn’t take off in the middle of the week to wolf down tea cakes, the lack of locals in the restaurant brings up an interesting question: How much tea does the average Brit actually drink?
​
At first glance, a lot. The beverage is woven through day-to-day life throughout Britain. Brigit’s Bakery runs a series of kid-friendly, cartoon-themed London bus tours, popular with local kids and parents, where guests’ tea cups and cakes are served in safety wells to avoid spillage. Since its opening in 2003, David Shrigley’s tea room Sketch has gained as much cultural cachet as any trendy bar in the city. And even the local gas stations serve a cup that bests any casual U.S. version. And why would any of this come as a surprise? After all, this is the nation that named an entire daypart after the drink and, in a genius move, paired the experience with a sidecar of sugar and snacks.

While many of my British friends like and certainly drink quite a bit of coffee, all of them have tea stories—from walking over to their grandparents’ house for a cup to being gifted with far too many fancy boxes of the stuff from well-meaning American friends. Tea is both the backdrop and foundation of everyday and extraordinary events alike, sometimes inserting itself into history. In 1990, near the close to a tight World Cup match between Germany and England, stressed-out Britons set an estimated 1.1 million kettles to heat, creating a record-breaking power surge that overwhelmed the power grid in the process.


“I’ve definitely been taken on at jobs because I’m good at making tea,” says Lucie Grace, a British writer now based in Thailand. “I had one job in a record shop and they gave me a trial shift. And then when they gave me the job, I asked them a few weeks later, and they told me, ‘Oh because you make really good tea.’ You can use it to show your skill and show your kindness. If you offer to make the tea, people will love you and appreciate you.” 
​

“It’s kind of because British people can’t, you know, say affectionate things,” she adds, “but you can be affectionate through tea.”

So England loves tea—but why?
Yes, Great Britain loves its tea. UK Tea & Infusions puts the number at 36 billion cups per year, and the fact the country has a “Tea & Infusions” association probably tells you everything you need to know about the national love affair. So perhaps a larger question needs to be asked: How did a beverage made from the leaves of a non-indigenous plant come to define so much about a nation?

​It’s important when discussing tea not to gloss over the accompanying discussion of colonialism. In the 1600s, England was largely a coffee nation. Tea, on the other hand, was strictly a novelty, an “exotic” product the rich were able to procure from China. When getting it from the source became too expensive, they came up with a workaround by planting it in India, which was largely under the direct rule of England. (Tea wouldn’t become a staple in India until the 1960s when its production was finally mechanized.)
“Tea turned out to love growing in India, so the mass production of tea for the British market began,” says Anna Mejer, a University of Warsaw faculty member and food history obsessive who wrote a doctorate thesis about the food of Charles Dickens’ novels. “Since it was now much cheaper, more people were able to afford tea.”
Mejer says that tea used to be much more bitter. Milk and sugar helped take the edge off, but also added often much-needed calories to the cup.
“I once read a book that claimed consumption of tea in Victorian Britain was the ultimate colonial act—it combined tea from India, sugar from the West Indies, and the milk of the English cows,” Mejer says. “That last bit is somewhat far-fetched for me, but it’s true that the Brits were unique in the world in the terms of access to all of those goods.”
Combine the sudden mass-market availability of the product and the evergreen desire of the working class to mimic the habits of the wealthy, and the table was set for a national obsession. Tea clipper races were in vogue, as was betting on which company or ship would arrive first with this year’s shipment of tea. (One such ship, the Cutty Sark, is on display in London today.) Then, of course, tea became a notable flashpoint leading up to the American Revolutionary War, when the U.S. said no to colonial taxes during the Boston Tea Party and yes to a future in which Starbucks sells hot milkshake-like substances as tea.

The enduring emotional connection to tea
Can you survive in the UK if tea isn’t your drink of choice? Well, obviously—one need to look no further than London flagship coffee shops Catalyst Café, Monmouth Coffee, and Campbell & Syme as proof that the craft coffee craze has hit England just as hard as anywhere else. (Meanwhile, chains like Café Nero, Costa, and even Pret a Manger serve crowds looking for a somewhat cheaper fix.) But among those who claim allegiance to both coffee and tea, an interesting pattern emerges in the stories they tell. While coffee serves the needs of the body, the caffeine hit in tea comes with a side of personal history, an emotional connection that goes well beyond a quick energy boost.


“I am a god-knows-how-many-cups-of-tea-a-day person,” says Dani Charlton, an assistant podcast producer at the BBC. “In Newcastle, where I grew up, we have a local company called Ringtons which delivers their blends door-to-door, so I grew up drinking it over the big supermarket or fancy brands. When I moved to London, I was so sad to have to drink any other regular tea. I now order it online at great delivery expense.” 

​If you’re in the mood for a comforting, satisfying meal that you don’t have to run to the store to make, we have the perfect recipe for you.

In an exclusive interview with Chef JJ Johnson, we talked all about his newest cookbook, The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table. In our discussion, we asked Johnson where to even begin in this collection of delicious recipes, and what recipe he recommends the most from his new cookbook. While a tough decision, a dish that he settled on utilizes pantry staples: Curried Rice & Chickpeas with Eggs.

“Everybody has canned chickpeas, you probably have curry that you're nervous to use and you have an egg. And you can enjoy this meal for any period of the day, breakfast, lunch or dinner,” Johnson explains. “That's a great place to start.”

Say less, chef! Here’s the full recipe for Johnson’s fiber-rich, protein-packed dish that our recipe tester Hilary Meyer is already planning to make again—plus read more about the James Beard award-winning chef and his most recent collaboration with Buchanan’s Whisky below!
​

​Curried Rice & Chickpeas with EggsActive time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Indian curry powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• One 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. Add ¼ cup of the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Stir in the curry powder, paprika, salt, cumin, black pepper and cayenne, and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute to bloom the spices, taking care not to burn them.
2. Add the rice and chickpeas and sauté, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the rice is fragrant and coated in the oil and spices. Stir in the coconut milk, stock and lemon juice, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the rice is tender.
3. Just before the chickpeas and rice are ready, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add 2 of the eggs and fry for about 3 minutes; the whites should be set with crisp edges and the yolks set but still a bit runny. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining 2 eggs.
4. Spoon the rice and chickpeas into individual serving bowls and top each with a fried egg.

Some last tidbits about Johnson: His dream dinner guests? Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. And when we asked him what “eating well” means to him, here’s what he had to say:
​
“Eating well for me is consciously doing better than what you were doing before,” he explains. “So as you get older or get more knowledge around food, you can eat better. You can eat well and you know what well is for you. That doesn't mean you need to remove things from your diet, but including what makes you feel good, gives you energy and doesn't make you sluggish. And eating well is a table filled with great people eating traditional food that you grew up on. That’s what ultimately eating well is for me and my family.”

Source: EatingWell

Fiore’s House of Quality is known for its “mutz” — and a gigantic, messy roast beef sandwich.

The sign hanging outside says 1913, but Fiore’s House of Quality, at 414 Adams Street near 5th Street in Hoboken, was actually founded in 1903. John Amato, Sr. bought the store in 1965 after working there since 1948, and after his recent death, it’s been taken over by his son John Amato, Jr. — we’re talking what amounts to royal succession in the Mile Square City.

The Italian deli, its tightly organized shelves lined with pastas, sauces, taralli, olives, and pickled peppers, has been celebrated for over a century for its homemade mozzarella, the signature foodstuff of Frank Sinatra's hometown, which is made fresh daily and often referenced as “mutz.” There is no official menu, but all you need to know is that every Thursday and Saturday, that mutz is used to make a sandwich unique in the metropolitan area, except for isolated pockets of Brooklyn: the hot roast beef and mozzarella hero with gravy ($20 whole, $10 half).
This sandwich deploys a hero loaf about two feet in length formerly sourced at Dom’s Bakery Grand in Hoboken, which recently closed, but now coming from Amato’s Bakery in nearby North Bergen. Half is plenty for most people. The bread is split, the roast beef — you can smell it across the room — is sliced thin and generously layered into the loaf. The beef has been marinated and needs no extra seasoning.

​Thick slices of mutz are tucked under the roast beef, and then gravy, meat juices flecked with tiny bits of beef, is ladled on from a water bath over by the wall. The gravy is definitely not canned gravy. Trust the sandwich maker to control the gravy. The moisture balance results from the cheese, the gravy, and the rare roast beef, which glisters with meat juices. Garlic-laden sauteed red peppers may be added as an option.

Yes, the roast beef sandwich is a mess, and there’s no place to eat it. Cover your car seats with a tarp, or stand outside and eat, even in cold weather. If you live nearby, you may be able to get home before it dissolves into a kind of savory bread pudding. By all means, eat it immediately.

Source:ny.eater.com

Most wine lovers out there have probably had to endure the dreadful moment of opening up a bottle of wine, putting the cork back in to save the rest for later, and returning to it a few days later only to find that it has completely gone bad. This is not only frustrating for your taste buds as they were awaiting a rich glass of pinot noir or a crisp few ounces of chardonnay, but it can feel like a blow to your wallet, as wasting wine is never ideal. But in order to avoid this dreadful moment, we have to know how long wine can last after opening.

When a bottle of wine remains unopened, it can last much longer than you may think. This is why you may have friends that have kept bottles around for 30+ years.

​"When you store a wine correctly, many wines can age for decades, and the easiest way to ensure proper storage is to purchase a wine fridge," says Natalie Tapken of Bluepoint Hospitality and recipient of three Wine Spectator Awards. "That's because heat is an enemy to wine, and ideally wine should be kept around 55 degrees for optimal storage. Anything above 70 degrees can 'cook' the wine and accelerate the aging process."
Although wine can last for decades unopened, its lifespan drastically changes the moment the cork pops off and oxygen enters the scene. Read on to learn more from wine experts and sommeliers about how long wine lasts after opening, as well as a few tips on how to make it last longer once it's opened. Then, make sure to check out the Secret Side Effects of Drinking Wine.


How long does wine last after it's opened?

Once you open your bottle of wine, its propensity to stay fresh is more questionable than you might assume.

"Oxygen is wine's enemy," says Dr. John McTavish, Ph.D. C.S.W, wine expert and sommelier. "The more time that wine is exposed to oxygen after the bottle is opened, the faster it will lose its fruity aromas and flavors and start to go bad." He adds, "Think of leaving a piece of freshly cut apple on your countertop. As it sits there exposed to oxygen, it starts to turn brown and oxidize." This oxidation effect is similar to what happens to wine once it's opened. 

Of course if you finish the bottle as soon as it's opened, you don't have to worry about how long it will last. However, this isn't always the case. If you opened a bottle and just enjoyed a glass (or two), and are now wondering how long the rest will stay fresh, the answer will depend on what type of wine it is, and how much is left in the bottle.

After they're opened, "wines with sugar will last a bit longer," says Tapken. "For instance, a dessert wine can last a week, and a port can sometimes last two to three weeks." She adds, "A sparkling wine is best consumed the same, day but a great stopper can preserve a sparkling wine one to two days. A lighter white, with higher acidity levels, can last up to five days, and a typical white or red wine should be consumed in three days."​

Another thing to consider is how much wine you have leftover along with "how big or small is the oxygen to wine ratio left inside the bottle," says Dr. McTavish. "For example, if you serve one five-ounce glass of wine from a standard 25-ounce bottle and replace the cork, there will be more wine than oxygen in the bottle, which could last for five to seven days and still taste good. But, if you serve four five-ounce glasses of wine from a 25-ounce bottle, that only leaves five ounces of wine remaining in the bottle, and 20 ounces of oxygen, so the remaining wine may go bad much sooner."


    How to tell if your wine has gone bad

Even though you have a baseline for knowing how long your favorite wine may last after opening, it might be helpful to know the telltale signs that the wine has gone bad. These signs also depend on what type of wine it is.

"Once a sparkling wine bottle has been opened, it will start to lose its carbonation and flavor within a few hours. It's best to consume the entire bottle the same day it's opened," says Bash Hovian, owner of BASH the Bartender. "If you must store it, use a sparkling wine stopper to help preserve some of the bubbles, and look for signs such as a vinegar-like smell, a brownish color, or a sour/musty taste." On the other hand, when it comes to a still wine, "the presence of bubbles or fizz can also indicate that the wine has gone bad, so when in doubt, it's better to err on the side of caution and discard the wine if it smells or tastes off," says Hovian.

When it comes to a red wine, "the signs include oxidation, loss of fruit characteristics, and softer tannins," says Sara Fowler, winemaker at Napa's PEJU Winery. "Simply put, it won't taste as good!"

Tips for making your wine last longer once it's opened

​If you live on your own, don't drink a lot of wine, or are just trying to stick to one glass per night, you may be wondering how you can extend the life of your favorite bottle of wine.

Fowler suggests "placing opened wine in the fridge, storing in a smaller vessel, and sealing well."
​
Tapken also adds that she "sometimes puts red in the refrigerator because you can get an extra day out of them. Just take the red wine out of the fridge an hour or so before drinking it to get the temperature you prefer."

​Source: Eat This, Not That!

The perfect breakfastIndeed, a breakfast packed with carbohydrates encourages insulin secretion, which should be avoided — especially in the morning. Here are our recommendations for a delicious, healthy breakfast based on the advice of nutritionist Anthony Berthou.

1 – A protein source (ideally eggs)
We tend to gravitate toward sweet breakfasts, but savory choices are more advisable. Eating animal protein in the morning promotes the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that stimulates the mind and jump-starts your motivation to tackle the day.
​

In addition to making you more motivated and alert, consuming protein at breakfast can also help you feel full longer and reduce snacking later in the morning (see our article on proteins).

Finally, because our breakfasts often include lots of carbohydrates, eating protein helps reduce the speed at which the carbohydrates are absorbed. Protein increases the time it takes to digest carbs and lowers their glycemic index. That means that it reduces insulin spikes and prevents the infamous pre-lunch slump.


Eggs are the perfect solution because they contain extremely high quality protein and are rich in vitamins and minerals. But there are other protein sources you can try for variety:
​

• Animal protein: one ounce of cheese (preferably goat or sheep milk), a yogurt (goat or sheep milk), sardines
• Plant-based protein: soy-based vegan yogurt, chia seeds, nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.)

2 – Healthy fat: almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts.
Including fat with your breakfast is crucial, but you have to choose the right one! High-quality fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-9, are indispensable to keeping the body running smoothly: they help prevent cardio-vascular disease and diabetes and play a role in brain, muscle and bone development (see our article on lipids).


These “good fats” are found in nuts, such as almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts. Walnuts are the nut with the highest omega-3 content. In the morning, you can consume 1 to 1.5 ounces of mixed walnuts and almonds to get omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and magnesium. An alternative way to eat quality fat is to eat chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, avocado or fatty fish such as salmon or sardines.


For your toast, you can forego the jam (which is full of sugar) and replace it with nut butter made from almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts.
​

3 – Real fruit (not fruit juice)​
Drinking fruit juice is not the same thing as eating fruit! Fruit juice does not contain any fiber. And fiber is what slows down the speed at which the sugar in fruit is digested. That explains why the glycemic index is higher for fruit juice than for fruit. For example, the glycemic index for an orange is about 35, whereas the glycemic index for orange juice is around 45.

Furthermore, eating whole fruit encourages chewing and promotes satiety, which does not happen with fruit juice. Lastly, fruit juice contains fewer vitamins than the fruit itself.
​

So, go for fruits rather than fruit juices — even homemade versions and guaranteed 100% pure juice!

4 – Optional: quality carbohydrates
Contrary to common wisdom, it is possible to have a breakfast without grains as long as the meal contains enough high-quality fat and protein. However, if you cannot do without them, be sure to choose the right carbs.


After all, baguettes, sliced bread (white bread in general), puffed grain cereal and crispbread are a far cry from what we call “slow-release carbs”. These foods have a high glycemic index and encourage insulin secretion. That means you should turn to grain products with a low glycemic index, such as whole-wheat sourdough bread, mixed-grain organic bread or traditional muesli (an oat- or spelt-based blend).


5 – Green tea
Hydrating the body is crucial. Green tea is the best option at breakfast. It is packed with antioxidants, which are beneficial in the prevention of many illnesses, such as cancer and degenerative diseases. Ideally, you should steep it at 185°F for a few minutes to extract all the antioxidants.


Green tea also has caffeine that gives the brain a boost by improving attention span and memory.
​

Coffee is also a good bet for breakfast because of its antioxidants, but it should be consumed in moderation.

Sources: 

• Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Rimm EB et al. A prospective study of egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women. JAMA. 1999;281:1387-1394.

• Vorster HH, Benade AJ, Barnard HC et al. Egg intake does not change plasma lipoprotein and coagulation profiles. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992;55:400-410.

• Katz DL, Evans MA, Nawaz H et al. Egg consumption and endothelial function: a randomized controlled crossover trial. Int J Cardiol. 2005;99:65-70.

• Howell WH, McNamara DJ et al. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein responses to dietary fat and cholesterol: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997;65:1747-1764.

• Krauss RM, Eckel RH, Howard B et al. AHA Dietary Guidelines: revision 2000: A statement for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association. Stroke. 2000;31:2751-2766.
• Swanson D, Block R, Mousa SA. Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA: health benefits throughout life. Adv Nutr. 2012 Jan;3(1):1-7. doi: 10.3945/an.111.000893. Epub 2012 Jan 5. Review.
• Nichols PD, McManus A, Krail K, Sinclair AJ, Miller M. Recent advances in omega-3: Health Benefits, Sources, Products and Bioavailability. Nutrients. 2014;6(9):3727–3733. Published 2014 Sep 16.
• Étude individuelle nationale des consommations alimentaires 3 (INCA 3) - Avis de l’Anses - Rapport d’expertise collective.
• Delgado GE, Krämer BK, Lorkowski S, März W, von Schacky C, Kleber ME. Individual omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids and mortality-The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study. J Clin Lipidol. 2017 Jan - Feb;11(1):126-135.e5

​A recent comprehensive study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that eating as little as two servings of red meat per week could significantly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study, published October 19, 2023, in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, carries crucial implications regarding your dietary choices, revealing that your diabetes risk might increase with the more red meat you eat. However, the researchers point out that substituting red meat with healthy plant-based proteins, such as nuts or legumes, or moderate amounts of dairy products, may help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Keep reading to learn more about the study’s findings and what they mean for your health.

​What the Study Found 
To arrive at these conclusions, researchers with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed a substantial number of type 2 diabetes cases over an extended time period to draw connections between red meat consumption and disease risk. They extracted data from a vast pool of 216,695 participants in studies such as the Nurses' Health Study, NHS II and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The participants’ dietary habits were assessed through food frequency questionnaires every two to four years for up to 36 years. During this time, more than 22,000 participants developed type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found that consuming both processed and unprocessed red meat significantly was correlated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Those who consumed the highest amounts of red meat faced a 62% higher risk than those with the lowest intake. Substituting red meat with plant-based protein sources like nuts and legumes was associated with a 30% lower risk, while replacing red meat with dairy products lowered the risk by 22%.

If you’re curious as to how much red meat is safe to eat, senior author Walter Willett, M.D., a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a statement, “Given our findings and previous work by others, a limit of about one serving per week of red meat would be reasonable for people wishing to optimize their health and well-being.”

The implications of this research go beyond personal health, as reducing red meat consumption in favor of plant-based protein sources may offer environmental benefits by helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions related to food production and helping combat climate change. The study reinforces the idea that limiting your red meat intake to one serving per week may be a smart option for those looking to optimize both their personal health and the well-being of the planet.

The Bottom Line 
A recent study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that eating as little as two servings of red meat per week could significantly increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study reveals a direct correlation between red meat consumption and diabetes risk, emphasizing that the more red meat you consume, the higher your risk becomes. However, the researchers indicate that substituting red meat with healthy plant-based proteins, such as nuts or legumes, or moderate amounts of dairy products, may help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. More research is needed to help clarify these findings in a broader population, but they’re promising for those looking to lower their risk of this common chronic disease. This research also reinforces that limiting red meat intake to about one serving per week may be a helpful strategy for improving personal and planetary health.

​Source: EatingWell.com

​This first in a series of three trend articles surveys flavorists, chefs, trend-spotters, futurologists, and entrepreneurs to find out what flavors consumers will be looking for in the year ahead.

Consumers’ desire to feel good is steering the direction flavors are heading, but not in the “eat-drink-and-be-merry” way. Health—of the body, mind, spirit, and planet—rather than hedonism (well, okay, maybe a splash of hedonism), informs what flavors consumers are expected to flock to in 2024.
“We’ll continue to see heightened consumer demand for new food and beverage experiences that express [their] true desires, with unapologetic abandon for the flavors they deem tasty—in any format,” while they simultaneously embrace health and wellness goals, declares Marie Wright, president, creation, design, and development, and chief global flavorist for ADM.
Flavor trends are deeply rooted in changing consumer priorities, adds Soumya Nair, global consumer research and insights director for Kerry Group. “People want to be heard and feel seen in the food and beverages made available to them. Whether low- to no-alcohol, or vegan, or plant-based, consumers want to feel empowered to decide their personal priorities and have solutions that support their decisions.”

​We’re seeing a big trend toward nature, floral motifs, (and) edible flowers in food.
- Morgaine Gaye, Food Futurologist

Flowers Galore
Florals are, pardon the pun, blooming. Flavor Insights expects steady growth for botanicals like jasmine, rose, lavender, hibiscus, and eucalyptus in 2024, reports Jaime Lynn Lawrence, R&D application scientist for the flavor company.
“The key driver for these flavors is the booming presence of health and wellness. Our consumers want to be transported through flavors and feel good about what they are eating and drinking,” Lawrence explains. With a heightened awareness of what they are consuming, they crave exotic and earthy flavors containing functional properties that promote gut health, mental acuity, and overall holistic health, she adds.
“Flavorful wellness” is how Chef Rob Corliss, founder of culinary consultancy ATE (All Things Epicurean) describes what’s pulling consumers toward “feel-good foods” that he says include floral, citrus, tropical, and “complex spicy” flavors.
“The momentum hibiscus has been gaining these past years, with its colorful crimson, tart-vibrant flavor and versatility ... should continue to increase in 2024,” Corliss says, advising its use in products such as beverages, granola, jams, jellies, candy, and more.
Antioxidant-rich hibiscus makes its appearance in several new product introductions. FrutaPOP’s Hibiscus Rosé Wine frozen pop, or “poptail,” pairs Leaves of Leisure herbal hibiscus tea and rosé wine. A limited edition for 2023, the warm-weather adult treats contain under 5% alcohol by volume (ABV).
Ruby Wellness, producer of fruit-sweetened, sparkling, organic, no-sugar-added, hibiscus flavored waters that are free from artificial additives or sweeteners, introduced its Fuji Apple Hibiscus and Berry Cherry Hibiscus sodas this spring. The company also makes hibiscus-flavored still waters.
Along with herbal and superfood flavors, as well as spices, florals are part of a larger plant-based trend that is associated with healthier choices that can offer health functionality, says Lu Ann Williams, global insights director at Innova Market Insights.
Florals have been increasing in popularity for a few years now, with cherry blossom, lavender, and rose popping up in applications, mainly beverages, says Erin O’Donnell, marketing manager for Florida Food Products. “We expect to see botanicals branch out of the health and wellness space into other areas—think orange blossom with salted caramel, rose with an indulgent coffee latte,” or blends like yuzu honeysuckle, says O’Donnell.
Flavor Insights, which partners with companies to produce energy and hydration products, expects to see upcoming new product launches featuring hibiscus, dragon fruit, and guava.
Lavender and hibiscus are among the up-and-coming flavors associated with mood enhancement and relaxation; and cherry blossom is rising in popularity, with a distinct floral, sweet, refreshing, and botanical profile that works well in baked goods, teas, ice creams, cocktails, and nonalcoholic beverages, adds ADM’s Wright.
Other emerging calming flavors associated with sleep and relaxation include elderflower (which pairs well with Meyer lemon), honey blossom (with green tea), and lavender (with blackberry), says Philip Caputo, marketing and consumer insights manager for Virginia Dare.
While consumers may be drawn to florals for their fragrance and association with health and wellness attributes, they eventually find they enjoy their flavors, and those flavors often provide a differentiating factor to products, O’Donnell explains.
The rise of florals is actually a reemergence, albeit one that is a very long time coming, observes Morgaine Gaye, a London-based food futurologist. “Violet, lavender, rose—they’re really old-fashioned flavors—but we’re seeing a big trend toward nature, floral motifs, (and) edible flowers in food.” The nature vibe, the outdoors, has been prominent since 2020, “when nature was all we had to soothe us,” Gaye observes.

​Boldly Unsweet
“Consumers say they want lower sweetness in favor of other flavors, and we see that in the marketplace with a shift from sweet to bold flavors,” says Julie Johnson, president of Health Focus, a market research firm and consultancy.

This trend goes beyond experimenting with flavor, crossing into medicinal plants and herbs that consumers identify as providing functionality and health benefits. The broader trend, Johnson explains, is that “consumers simply want products that make them feel good, however they define that.”
Mango Chili Tepache from De La Calle! is one example, says Johnson. Tepache is a nutrient-rich, bubbly, ancient Mexican fermented beverage made from pineapple scraps. Another is Aura Bora sparkling waters in Lemongrass Coconut, Lavender Cucumber, Basil Berry, Peppermint Watermelon, and Cactus Rose (made with prickly pear and rose flower extracts).

Savory flavors will show up in category-blurring ways in 2024, says Jen Lyons, marketing manager at Sensient Technologies. She expects chefs to push the envelope with menu items like vegetable-forward cocktails, and desserts incorporating tastes typically associated with savory dishes such as herbs, spices, and even mild cheeses, to create unique and unexpected flavor profiles. “Imagine a balsamic vinegar swirled throughout a fig ice cream with small pieces of blue cheese, offering a delightful balance of sweet and savory in every bite,” Lyons describes.

Last year’s sweet and spicy, or “swicy” flavor profiles will go a step further in 2024, with more out-of-the-box combinations like sweet and bitter, sour and umami, and spicy and sour, says Shannon Cushen, director of marketing for Fuchs North America.
“The bolder, the better when it comes to innovating with unusual and unexpected flavor pairings,” Cushen continues, “so brands should look to the ingredients that are gaining in popularity for their complex and distinct flavor profiles.”

Fuchs recently introduced its Back-to-Basics Collection, a limited-edition line of three seasoning blends created by the company’s sensory scientist, corporate executive chef, and R&D team. Billed as “intensified” takes on the five basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami),  it includes Peppered Cocoa Spice (dark chocolate, cardamom, and black pepper, providing a bitter profile with a dash of sweetness), Ultimate Umami Blend (dehydrated onion, champignon mushroom, garlic, tomato, green onion, red bell pepper, paprika, yeast extract, and soy sauce), and Tropical Sour Seasoning (sugar, citric acid, and malic acid).

Consumers’ pursuit of products with health and wellness attributes could drive demand for the earthy flavors and functional properties of spices such as garam masala, cardamom, turmeric, and ginger in 2024, says Flavor Insights’ Lawrence.

Chef Corliss picks Pickapeppa Sauce, also known as “Jamaican ketchup” to potentially be the next sweet-sour-savory-spiced condiment to emerge  as a flavoring for soup, as a marinade, and in barbecue sauce. Produced since 1921 by the Pickapeppa Company of Manchester, Jamaica, the sweet, sour, mildly spicy sauce is made from cane vinegar, sugar, tomatoes, onions, raisins, sea salt, ginger, peppers, garlic, cloves, black pepper, thyme, mangos, and orange peel, and is aged in oak barrels for a year.

Bitter flavors are becoming more prominent for a few reasons, including government-led public health initiatives, says futurologist Gaye. For instance, the U.S. National Salt and Sugar Reduction Initiative, supported by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, was finalized in February 2021. It provides sugar-reduction targets for manufacturers and foodservice providers to use as part of a public health partnership to benefit Americans.

“Whichever way you slice it, we know sugar is not good for you,” Gaye adds. The younger generations—more educated, exposed to the world’s cuisines, knowledgeable about nutrition, sophisticated in their tastes, and protective of their health—tend (or at least strive) to balance healthy eating styles with careful, limited indulgences in sweet treats, she observes.

Apart from health considerations, bitter flavors are considered elevated and worldly. “When we choose bitter, we are saying ‘I’ve got a sophisticated palate; I’ve been around,’” says Gaye.

And lastly, as we age, our taste buds die off and we can tolerate more complex and bitter flavors, she adds. With 10% of the global population now over the age of 65 and that number growing annually, bitter foods such as arugula and high-cocoa content dark chocolate continue to gain traction in the marketplace.

​Healthful Signals
Flavors play an important role in influencing what consumers perceive as healthy, according to Innova, whose research found that consumers associated berries, summer fruits, nuts, and tropical fruits with health and wellness.

As one nut-based example, Innova points to the refrigerated CORE Keto Peanut Butter Chocolate plant-based keto bar with probiotics, prebiotic fiber, vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and 0 grams added sugar. CORE Foods describes the bar, with 3 grams net carbs, as “salty-sweet.”

Authentic and genuine fruit flavors are hot now, says Jasmin Masri, technical sales and marketing coordinator for Custom Flavors. “Juicy and sweet berry combinations are stealing the spotlight,” especially flavor profiles such as black raspberry, goji–strawberry combinations, and açai–cherry blends.

Showcasing açai in combination with dark cherries, blueberries, bananas, blackberries, and flax, Dole’s Boosted Blends Berry Spark features frozen cubes that when blended with two cups of milk make a smoothie designed to “support brain and cognitive health.”

Flavors with perceived wellness attributes are in high demand and will continue to be a driver in the new year, says ADM’s Wright. Consumers are pursuing their personalized health and wellness needs, with many managing their holistic well-being through foods and beverages, she adds. According to FMCG Gurus Top Trends for 2023, 64% of global consumers describe their approach to health as proactive.

Ginger, lemongrass, and turmeric are perceived by consumers to support anti-inflammatory and digestive function, says Wright, who also believes emerging varietals like finger lime (also known as caviar lime), kumquat, and calamansi (a citrus hybrid between a kumquat and a mandarin orange native to the Philippines), will ramp up their appearances in new product development.

“The enduring demand for healthy choices will continue to impact flavor development,” says Innova’s Williams. This will be particularly relevant in categories where consumers shop with health as a key priority, for example, plant-based foods or low/no alcohol beverages, but also where flavor can be used to highlight “healthier” alternatives such as botanicals, she adds.

In that vein, zero-proof cocktail-inspired flavors from Virginia Dare’s flavor collection include Apricot Rosemary Bellini, Jasmine Mojito, Yuzu Lime Mule, Cardamom Spiced Lemon Drop, and Marionberry Plum Spritzer.
​
Sustainability is another area to watch in flavor innovation, Williams adds. As it becomes increasingly important to new foods and beverages, innovators will be challenged to develop products that appeal to consumers on flavor but also meet important ethical values.
Florida Food Products is currently experimenting with an upcycled ingredient that is typically disposed of (making it a sustainable choice)—cascara extract, from the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean. Its unique fruity and brown flavor profile works in a number of applications, says O’Donnell. “You can blend it with bright citrus fruits, or warm flavors like whiskey. We’ve even tried it in an apple cinnamon beverage that can be served warm or cold, like cider.”

Our consumers want to be transported through flavors and feel good about what they are eating and drinking.
- Jaime Lynn Lawrence, R&D Application Scientist , Flavor Insights

​Cross-Cultural Communion
Consumers breaking free of pandemic restrictions are reclaiming their “thirst for adventure” via new takes on international flavors, says Kerry’s Nair. “Third culture cuisine [the creation of new dishes and flavor combinations inspired by more than one culture] is unabashed, bold, tells a story, and creates an intercultural collaboration.” Flavors and ingredients coming to the fore in unique creations, says Nair, include tikka sauce wings, za’atar wings, birria ramen, sashimi tostadas, tandoori masala pasta, wasabi/kimchi mashed potatoes, cheeseburger ravioli, and Vietnamese po’boys.

Another example of “authentic flavors reimagined,” according to Innova, is Casa Verde Salsa De Elote Salsa Casera homemade corn salsa from Ponder Foods. Made in small batches with fresh produce, the salsa has “authentic flavor and texture,” and boasts a “Mexican street food vibe,” according to the company. Its ingredients include corn, coconut cream, water, lime juice, white onion, sea salt, avocado oil, garlic, chile de arbol pepper, red chili pepper, and green onion.

“We continue to see consumers using food to explore different cultures and cuisines,” observes Sensient’s Lyons, who expects continued growth in the communion of culinary worlds. “We are seeing things like green curry risotto, tandoori chicken burger, Korean potato salad, and Japanese guacamole popping up on menus, exposing consumers to new cuisines and flavors in familiar dishes.”

Chef Corliss predicts the regional cuisines of Mexico’s Oaxaca, Yucatán, and Mexico City, along with Southeast Asia’s Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia will “provide a robust pipeline for flavor innovation and development,” in 2024.

Showcasing some traditional flavors of Mexican cuisine, Jordan’s Skinny Mixes debuted its Mexico-Inspired Syrups Collection, featuring Churro, Horchata, and Dulce De Leche flavors, in May 2023. They are targeted to consumers “who appreciate the flavors of the culture and want to add its historically sweet inspirations to their favorite beverages without all the unwanted calories and sugar,” according to the company’s press release.

“My 2024 gaze is also cast on the Caribbean—Puerto Rico, Curaçao, and Trinidad and Tobago,” Corliss adds. “The essence of Caribbean cuisine is perfectly poised to impact food and beverage development, as it pulls from indigenous culture and influences from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.” The Caribbean amalgamation of culture, flavors, ingredients, and vibrancy provides a natural pathway to morphing with a broad spectrum of larger 2024 trend areas, he adds—new experience discovery, flavorful wellness, feel-good foods, freshness, citrus/tropical flavors, florals, and complex spicy tastes.

Corliss forecasts increasing popularity for Scotch bonnet, a fiery chili pepper that is sweeter than but closely related to habanero, and both dry and wet jerk seasoning for meats, vegetables, eggs, rice, and stews.

“Right now, consumers are showing interest in some of the more exotic global cuisines, like Ethiopian, Serbian, Moroccan, and Korean,” says Fuchs’ Cushen. “Brands really can’t go wrong when it comes to global flavors.”
​
International flavors take consumers on a “culinary journey across the globe, infusing products with the essence of various cultures and regions,” says Custom Flavors’ Masri. Italy, Spain, Asia, and South America are the main inspirations behind this trend, she says, contributing an array of sweet, fruit, and dessert flavors such as tiramisu, Sicilian lemon, churros dipped in chocolate, aromatic saffron-infused treats, matcha green tea, lychee, creamy dulce de leche, coffee, and passion fruit. According to FMCG Gurus’ 2023 report, Flavor, Color & Texture in North America, 81% of North American consumers expressed a desire to try new flavors from around the world.

​Newstalgia Mashups
“Newstalgia,” classic nostalgic flavors with an updated twist, continues to influence flavor trends, says Sensient’s Lyons. “Consumers are finding comfort in food mashups and are sentimental while yearning for a return to ... some past period.” These could manifest as updated versions of comfort foods from childhood elevated with a unique, exciting niche flavor, such as mac and cheese spiced with kimchi or pink lemonade with smoky chipotle, Lyons notes.

“We will continue to see more comfort nostalgic flavors and blurring of these flavors, such as alcoholic flavors inspiring sweet and savory foods, [and] dessert-inspired flavors in beverages and meals,” adds Kerry’s Nair.

Nostalgic flavors poised for 2024 prominence include Rocket Pop, rainbow sherbet, s’mores, and dipped waffle cone, says Flavor Insights’ Lawrence. Thirty-eight percent of U.S. consumers like flavors that remind them of their childhood, according to a Mintel presentation titled “Unguilty Pleasures: A Data-Driven Forecast for the Next Big Indulgent Flavors,” given at IFT FIRST in July 2023. Those percentages rise to 44% for males aged 35–54 and 41% for males 55 and older.

Consumers simply want products that make them feel good, however they define that.
- Julie Johnson, President , Health Focus

Among “Americana childhood flavors” with potential, Mintel named s’mores (Quaker DC Gotham City S’mores Instant Oatmeal), peanut butter and jelly (Target’s Favorite Day Peanut Butter & Jelly Filled Cookies), and doughnuts (Jeni’s Powdered Jelly Donut Ice Cream).
Mintel advises being inclusive of the nostalgia of different races and ethnicities, with examples like General Mills’ Tres Leches Toast Crunch cereal and Brach’s Desserts of the World jelly beans. In addition, Mintel urges “up-aging” and diversifying nostalgic flavors, pointing to lactose-free Boba x Ice Cream’s Salted Ube S’mores Ice Cream, Hook Coffee’s Give Me S’mores Coffee Drip Bags made with Indian coffee, hot chocolate, marshmallow, and spice flavors from Singapore, and Lavery Brewing Co.’s Grampa Apollo’s S’mores Stout, brewed in small batches with graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows.
So, whether looking back wistfully for the comforts of the past or looking forward with hope for the future, consumers’ priorities remain centered around physical health, mental health, and well-being, says Gaye. “And flavors and fragrances can provide comfort,” in this quest, she adds.

​Source: Food Technology Magazine