Prepared Foods talks to Anthony C. Seta, CMC, director of Culinary Services at Butterball LLC, Garner, N.C.
Editor’s Note: The story first appeared in Prepared Foods magazine, a sister publication of The National Provisioner in the BNP Media portfolio.
Prepared Foods: How has grilling changed in the past five years?
Anthony Seta: Consumers love grilling. When taking a naturally less fatty protein, such as turkey, and adding flavor with marinades and seasonings, it gives consumers a healthier option.
Overall, however, I would not say grilling has changed. Instead, I would say grilling has expanded. Chefs now view grilling as a blank canvas. They pull from their ethnic backgrounds and trends to incorporate flavors into grilled dishes they present on menus.
PF: What factors have most influenced that expansion?
Seta: I attribute strong interest in grilling to four factors: equipment, food channels, global exposure and even global conflict. To the first point, chefs now can access grilling equipment that is more efficient and multi-purpose. We can grill, smoke and bake in one piece of equipment. Meanwhile, I think consumers and restaurant patrons stimulate the grilling trend because their knowledge has been enhanced by trends they see on food [television] channels, which have a number of programs dedicated to specifically to grilling. Consumers are traveling more and they are exposed to a wider variety of foods and have developed cravings for grilled flavors from around the world. Lastly, I’d say war has been a major contributor to the flavor trends in the U.S. and around the world. For example, Americans have become very fond of ethnic flavors due in part to World War II, when soldiers were exposed to and acquired tastes for French, Italian, German and Japanese cuisines.