Prepared Foods showcases new sauces, dressings and spreads debuting in May 2019.

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PLANT-BASED BUTTER

Fora Foods, Brooklyn, N.Y., earned one of the National Restaurant Association’s 2019 Food and Beverage Awards (FABI) for the company’s new FabaButter.

Company founders Aidan Altman and Andrew McClure introduced FabaButter at The Specialty Foods Association’s 2018 Winter Fancy Food Show. Last year, the product debuted nationwide at Eataly specialty retail stores and Fora also took it into foodservice, where (according the company’s website) it received rave reviews from chefs including NYC Restaurateur Ravi DeRossi (Avant Garden, Ladybird), Executive Chef Scott Winegard (Matthew Kenney Cuisine) and Michelin-starred NYC Restaurateur Brad Farmerie, (Saxon+Parole, PUBLIC).

“Top chefs use FabaButter in the most technically demanding foods, from croissants to French mother sauces, for its superior functionality and sustainability benefits,” the company says.

Fora Foods says FabaButter is plant-based butter that bakes, clarifies, and browns just like dairy butter. It boasts a 360°F smoke point (considerably higher than dairy butter).

Ingredients include coconut oil, sunflower oil, nutritional yeast and aquafaba, the leftover water after cooking chickpeas. Altman and McClure note that aquafaba “…acts as an emulsifier in our FabaButter to blend the oils and fats and it’s an all-natural flavor and mouthfeel enhancer.”

Fora Foods says FabaButter is Non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, soy free, dairy- and lactose free. The product also contains no artificial flavors or sweeteners.

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ETHNIC APPEAL

Grecian Delight Foods Inc., Elk Grove Village, Ill., earned one of the National Restaurant Association’s 2019 Food and Beverage Awards (FABI) for the company’s reformulated new Four Pepper Cilantro Sauce. 

Also known as Skhug, this popular Middle Eastern condiment is made with cilantro, garlic, lemon juice and a combination of four peppers (Serrano, Green Bell, Poblano, and Red Bell). 

“Skhug was named one of the 25 most popular ingredients of 2018, representing Middle Eastern cuisine’s growing popularity among consumer. And as a fixture on flavor and sauce trends lists for 2019, Skhug capitalizes on the consumers’ trending interest in Levantine cuisine,” says Grecian Delight. “Our reformulated Skhug has been improved with a more house-made texture and appearance—but still packs the same great heat and spice and fulfills a need for authentic Middle Eastern cuisine that consumers are craving more and more.”

This trending green sauce adds color and a big global spice profile to a variety of menu applications, the company says. Operators may use it on a sandwich, with seafood, as a pasta sauce, drizzled on top of a pizza, or in combination with Greek yogurt to create a creamy zesty dip, seafood topping, or pasta sauce. It also works as a mix-in with hummus. 

Officials say Grecian Delight’s reformulated Skhug is kosher, vegan and free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.  

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PEPPER FRUIT VINEGAR

DeMedici Imports and parent, Atalanta Corp., Elizabeth, N.Y., earned one of the National Restaurant Association’s 2019 Food and Beverage Awards (FABI) for L’Olivier Basque Pepper Fruit Vinegar.

“We’re proud to be recognized with this FABI,” says De Medici Imports Executive Vice President Steve Kaufman. “It is one of the greatest validations for this truly innovative product from our long-time partner, A L’Olivier.”

Since 1822, A L’Olivier has been a purveyor of extra-virgin olive oils and vinegars to refined Parisian palates. With beautifully presented products and a world-renowned reputation for quality, their product line has expanded over time to include infused olives oils and fresh fruit vinegars, like the Basque Pepper Fruit Vinegar. 

Crafted with bell peppers and the famous Piment d’Espelette pepper of the Basque region, it’s a mix of 40% fruit pulp and premium white wine vinegar. Officials say the fresh fruit pulp’s vibrant flavor delivers until the bottle’s last drop, whether it’s used to glaze a rack  of lamb, add a pop of flavor to roasted chicken or brighten up grilled calamari. The fruit vinegar also makes a great salad dressing when paired with extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt, and a fun addition to a Bloody Mary. 

This year, De Medici Imports celebrates its 40th anniversary as an importer and distributor of specialty foods. A L’Olivier is based in Paris.

Atalanta Corporation is a food importer specializing in cheese, charcuterie, deli meat, grocery and seafood products from around the world. Founded in 1945, Atalanta is the largest privately held food importer in the United States.

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BOLD BLENDS

T. Marzetti Company, Westerville, Ohio, greeted this spring with three new foodservice offerings, including two new sauces as well as operator- and patron friendly packets and cups of the company’s popular Marzetti Simply Dressed varieties.

The new Marzetti Bold Blends barbecue sauces include a Sweet & Bold Barbecue and a Sriracha Bourbon variety.

“Our Bold Blends Sweet & Bold BBQ sauce (pictured) is unique in that it provides incredibly high-quality taste at a competitively low cost. Really, it comes down to more delicious BBQ sauce for your buck,” says Lee Halmagy, director of brand marketing at T. Marzetti Foodservice. “And our Sriracha Bourbon BBQ Sauce puts a succulent, spicy spin on traditional sauce. With more patrons looking for innovative flavors on menus, this BBQ sauce is an easy way to add intrigue and excitement to your offerings.”

Here’s how T. Marzetti describes the new Sweet & Bold barbecue sauce: “Deep brownish red in color from a wonderful blending of tomato, vinegar, pineapple juice, onion and garlic. Delicious taste that is sweet, smoky and tangy with a kick of bold, peppery flavor. Perfect for dipping buffalo wings and coating ribs or use as a basting sauce for chicken, pork or beef on the grill.”

Speaking of the new Sriracha Bourbon variety, the company adds: “Distinctive and versatile, signature sauces and glazes provide bold and easy world flavors. Our Sriracha Bourbon Sauce is a combination of Sriracha sauce, soy sauce, garlic, onion, chiles and real bourbon to provide a complex sweet and savory flavor with Sriracha heat.”

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FLAVOR FORWARD

JTM Foods, Harrison, Ohio, planned to showcase several new items—including three sauces—at the National Restaurant Association’s 2019 Restaurant Show this May in Chicago. New offerings include a Beer Cheese Base, Hatch Chile Queso Fundido and a Hatch Salsa Verde (pictured).

“Add some flavor to your favorite Mexican dish with JTM’s new Hatch Salsa Verde,” the company says. “This sauce is made using Hatch green chilies, tomatillos, jalapeno peppers and cilantro. [It’s] Great on tacos, salads, nachos, burritos and much more.”

JTM says its Hatch Chile Queso Fundido gives operators a labor-saving option for a more upscale queso. The product features real melted white cheddar cheese, crumbled chorizo, and roasted hatch chile peppers.

JTM notes that both new Hispanic style sauces feature hatch chile peppers from Hatch, New Mexico.

JTM’s new beer cheese base lets operators easily and quickly their own signature item “with the beer of your choice—whether it’s a local favorite or a national brand.” Operators (1) heat the 5lb bag of beer cheese base in a steamer or water bath, (2) portion the entire bag into a steam table pan and (3) add beer and blend until the sauce is fully blended.

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ORGANIC OPTIONS

Foodservice distributor US Foods, Rosemont, Ill., introduced a “Spring Scoop” of new products under its “Serve Good” brand. They include new organic options—including a basil pesto (pictured) as well as ketchup.

“Sustainability on the menu is more than just a trend, it’s a movement that has shaped how diners approach their purchasing decisions. In fact, research indicates that 74% of Millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services,” says Stacie Sopinka, senior vice president of product development and innovation, US Foods. 

Sopinka notes that adding organic items to the menu helps attracts diners and allows operators to command higher prices. One of the most noticeable movements within the food industry, the word “organic” now appears on 23% percent of menus across the country. 

US Foods’ new offerings include:

Roseli Organic Basil Pesto: Made with organic canola oil and Parmesan cheese. Contains no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and is the perfect complement for sandwiches, pastas and more.

Monarch Organic Tomato Ketchup: This front-of-the-house product contains no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and is sweetened with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup found in many leading ketchups.

This article originally appeared in the May 2019 print edition of Prepared Foods magazine.