I am a daily-deal junkie. From Groupon to You Swoop, I welcome these e-mailed invitations to explore local businesses — in particular, ethnic cuisines that I never would have tried before. In my field, I also call it “market research.”
After all, it’s a known fact that trends start in foodservice, and with a few tweaks, modified offerings show up at the supermarket. This allows consumers to bring their restaurant experience into the home kitchen.
With center-of-plate proteins, herbs, savory seasonings and spices are a simple way to add the flavors of fine-dining with minimal effort, but at times, that effort might be too much for consumers … as they may fear adding too much, too little or not the right combination. This presents an opportunity for processors to add value at the point of packaging.