Appetizers

Chinese Pork Buns

Chinese buns (bao) are on-trend yet still a little unconventional. This version, distributed frozen, focuses on ingredients from Northern China, where pork, wheat and cabbage are common. ...More
Yesterday
Posted in Articles, Bakery / Cereal, Dressing / Marinades, Sauces / Gravies / Soup
Importing Authentic Chinese Flavors

As the Asian population in America continues to grow—along with the appetite in general for authentic and fusion Asian foods in general—the range of Chinese cuisine in this country will continue to expand. ...More
May 18, 2012
Posted in Articles, Dressing / Marinades, Flavor, Sauces / Gravies / Soup
Image Gallery: Bacon Unwrapped

From sweet to savory and everywhere in between, formulators have a plethora of options when formulating bacon-containing products to meet consumer demand. ...More
May 1, 2012
Posted in Galleries, Bakery / Cereal, Sauces / Gravies / Soup
Latin Sandwiches on the Rise

U.S. culinary culture is hungry for more Latin American sandwiches like Brazil’s Bauru, the Puerto Rican–inspired jibarito, and Mexico’s cemita poblana and myriad torta iterations. ...More
April 24, 2012
Posted in Articles, Bakery / Cereal, Dressing / Marinades, Flavor, Sauces / Gravies / Soup
Competitive Tapas

A recent ACF-RCA culinary competition shone a spotlight on tapas-style, shareable appetizers—innovative, on-trend concepts that would be at home on the menus of a wide range of casual-dining chain restaurants, or in the freezer case. ...More
April 10, 2012
Posted in Articles
A Taste of the Tropics

New menu items and retail product launches are inspired by foods from tropical countries like Hawaii, Brazil, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. ...More
March 26, 2012
Posted in Articles, Bakery / Cereal, Dressing / Marinades, Flavor, Sauces / Gravies / Soup
Searching for the Next Cuban, or Ciao Porchetta!

In the name of searching for "the next Cuban sandwich," our global streets have yielded both Vietnamese bánh mì and Mexican torta—but my current favorite is the succulent porchetta. ...More
February 24, 2012
Posted in Blog
Tracking Trends From Restaurants to Retail

Restaurant-style foods and speed-scratch ingredients at the supermarket find a willing audience. ...More
February 21, 2012
Posted in Articles, Flavor, Sauces / Gravies / Soup
Asian Sauces: Adapting Authenticity

By emphasizing deliciousness over authenticity, Asian sauces—highlighting katsu, sriracha and ponzu—provide a foothold for the mainstream, sometimes even keeping authenticity intact. ...More
January 24, 2012
Posted in Articles, Dressing / Marinades, Flavor, Sauces / Gravies / Soup
RCA Hits Napa

A recent RCA “super-regional” took place the day before CIA's Worlds of Flavor at Cook’s Restaurant in St. Helena, CA. ...More
December 12, 2011
Posted in Blog