Culinology - September 2011 - (Page 28)

FLAVOR TRENDS Allison Gibeson agibeson@sosland.com 28 I s Asian flavors and concepts are gaining popularity in the United States and food product developers are seeking the next big thing, many industry executives may only dream of having the opportunity to sample their way through Asia, but that’s what three chefs from Illes Seasonings & Flavors did this past spring. In April, chefs Brant Worrell, Jonathan Crossland and Aspen Burkhardt traveled to South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore to identify culinary trends that they may incorporate into their product development efforts. The Illes Dinearound effort began in 2005 when Mr. Worrell, Mr. Crossland and another colleague went to New York City and spent several days dining at a number of the top restaurants in Manhattan to get a sense of what flavors and dishes were up and coming. Then, several months later, they began to see some of A the trends they predicted from their trip — beet salads, root vegetables and savory desserts — highlighted in national magazines. “We knew we had something; we were willing to spend the time and effort to go out there,” Mr. Worrell said. Given that success and the trends they were starting to see in Latino cuisine, the Illes chefs traveled to Los Angeles, Chicago and Mexico City in 2006. That exploration into Latino cuisine was then enhanced by another trip, this time to El Salvador, Brazil and Peru. When it came time to decide on a destination for this year’s Dinearound, the chefs considered how Korean food has been growing in popularity through influences such as Roy Choi and the Kogi food trucks. South Korea seemed like a logical location, but they also wanted to visit Singapore as it has Malaysian-, Indian- and Chinese-inspired CULINOLOGY I SEPTEMBER 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Culinology - September 2011

Culinology - September 2011
PRESIDENT’S LETTER - Seasons in transition
UPCOMING EVENTS
NEWS - What’s hot in condiments and sauces?
NEWS - Bringing down the beverage calorie count naturally
Scarborough’s fare
COOKING OILS - Cooking oils evolution
Frito-Lay’s culinary insights
FLAVOR TRENDS - Discovering new Asian infl uences
PETITS FOURS

Culinology - September 2011