Page 25 - FoodFocusThailand No.164 November 2019

SPECIAL FOCUS

When it comes to taste, the coatings coating it with pre-dust such as wheat flour (spices and seasonings are frequently added
and seasonings category is seeing at this stage) and applying a batter and then the outer layer of breading.
nuanced, regional permutations and Glazes, which typically contain a lot of sugar, tend to be added toward the end of the
combinations of spicy, sweet, sour, salty cooking process to prevent scorching, whether applied on top of another coating or directly
and savory flavors. to a substrate. One currently trending glaze combines banana ketchup (mashed banana,
“There has been a lot of interest in Asian sugar, vinegar and spices), a condiment popular in the Philippines, with brown sugar,
flavors, particularly Korean flavors,” points pepper, salt and garlic for use in Filipino-style pork barbecue.
out Karalyn Tritz, a food scientist with PS But charring or blackening is frequently a desired effect, one that can be enhanced
Seasoning & Spices, Iron Ridge, Wis. “We with the right overlay, which is why Kerry developed its Charred Tomato Fillet coating. As
have a Korean BBQ flavor that is popular Manak puts it, “Charring is ‘more than grilled.’ It is food that has been intentionally blackened
with our clients and are also seeing by fire to give it a unique taste and texture.
increasing interest in gochugaru pepper “Charring or burning food can make a dish seem artisanal or handcrafted, which are
and togarashi seasoning.” important attributes to millennial consumers.”
From Korea, gochugaru is a coarsely
ground red pepper with a texture somewhere
between flakes and powder. A Japanese
spice mixture, togarashi consists of
mandarin orange peel, poppy seeds,
sesame seeds, hemp seeds, aonori or nori
seaweed, and ground sansho pepper.
“One product that typifies international
influences is the Smoked Miso Wing
marinade and breading system,” Manak
adds. “What drives acceptance is consumer
familiarity with the system’s components.”
Citing Datassential research, he notes that
52 percent of consumers know about the
ingredient miso (a Japanese paste made
from fermented soybeans) and 30 percent
have tried it, while 93 percent of consumers
are familiar with “smoked” as a flavor profile
and 67 percent love or like it.
Because of the immense consumer
interest in Asian cuisine and flavors, Kerry
not long ago debuted its Yuzu fillet coating.
“Yuzu is a citrus fruit originally from China,
which expanded to Japan during the Tang
Dynasty,” Manak explains. “Its unique flavor
profile has the tartness of grapefruit but
also the sweeter overtones of mandarin
oranges.”
Besides Asian influences, PS
Seasoning is experiencing growing demand
for North African flavors such as harissa, a
hot chili pepper paste, and Middle Eastern
flavors such as Aleppo pepper, which
combines a tangy flavor with moderate
heat. “We recently launched our Aleppo
Pepper+Honey seasoning, which is quickly
becoming popular with consumers,” Tritz
shares.
Many food processors, meanwhile, are
trying to incorporate wellness-promoting
ingredients into coating and seasoning
mixes, such as turmeric, which is said to
have anti-inflammatory properties, and
plant-based proteins such as nuts and
seeds, ancient grains and pulses, like lintels
and chickpeas.

Artisanal Finishes
Creating a breaded product that is crisp on
the outside, moist on the inside, and full of
flavor requires several steps, often including
injecting the substrate with a marinade,
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