Super-fruits are among the ingredients set to enjoy increasing popularity with US consumers, as attention is focused on a combination of health benefits and exotic tastes a new report reveals.
According to the Center for Culinary Development the market observations made by the group’s Chef’s Council, comprised of 80 of the US’s high-profile chefs are an “extraordinarily reliable predictor of which new culinary ideas will ultimately make their way from the rarified environs of white-tablecloth establishments to the more readily accessible aisles of the mainstream grocery stores and fast-food restaurants.”
And the chefs add fuel to the flames surrounding foods with health benefits.
“From fresh and raw foods packed with natural nutritional value to nutraceuticals and functional foods that are quietly fortified with everything from antioxidants to minerals and fibre, demand for foods that nourish the whole body continue to grow,” finds their report.
Certain nutrient-rich fruits, or super-fruits - such as pomegranates and blueberries - are becoming more popular with US consumers keen to eat healthily while trying new tastes, according to the council.
Other popular fruits that consumers will opt for to boost their mood and energy levels include guava, lychee, pomelo, yuzu, and tamarind as well as berries such as acai, guarana and goji.
Sales of premium fruit and ethnic food in general are on the rise across the Atlantic. And exotic fruits, which combine the perceived authenticity and flavour intensity benefits of ethnic foods with the health and quality benefits of premium fruit, are set to grow in future years, driven by consumers' desire for greater healthiness, authenticity and flavour.
The CCD also identified an increased interest in foods and ingredients from Latin America and Asia. Particular mention was made of foods from Cuba, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam and Korea, as well as Spain’s Catalonia and Basque regions.
Amongst the most popular products identified by the group’s chefs was choclo - sweetcorn from Peru which exists in 55 varieties and a whole spectrum of colours.
