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From sichuan and hummus-flavored ice creams to algae confections, vanilla bacon and portable soup on the go, the David Michael & Co. 2014 Innovation Roadshow recently illustrated the most creative flavor technologies yet to hit the culinary market—and the Main Course was able to enjoy an exclusive tasting.
Hosted early last month at Philadelphia’s Hyatt, David Michael, a local flavor company that started in an Atlantic City basement in the late 1800s, invited its esteemed food scientists and developers from around the world to present their next best food ideas. With over 25 up-and-coming, never-seen-before culinary creations available for our exploring, we’ve identified what food trends you should be most excited about.
Sweet & Savory Croitzels
Kelly DeFusco knew that hybrids are all the hype in the world of sweet treats. Chef Dominique Ansel’s cronut (croissant-donut) was a food trend sensation, but what she wanted to do was take the soft pretzel—especially in the City of Brotherly Love—and marry it with the airy dough of a croissant. The end result was her mythical croitzel, which possessed the salted, crunchy exterior of a pretzel with the fluffy, buttery interior of a croissant. She also played with its versatility in the realms of sweet and savory (stuffed with ham and cheese or pumped with chocolate). Trust us—this hybrid needs to happen; it’s swoon-worthy both salty and sweet.
Cake Shake Cordials
Spiked milkshakes aren’t a new idea, but taking the cake-inspired idea and fusing it into shots is what Peggy Pellichero and Ryan Knapp focused their scientific energies on. The duo’s cake shake cordials offered a relaxed, less-filling indulgence; something that is too decadent to ever pass up. Marketed in flavors like yellow cake and brownie batter, treating yourself has never been this easy (and low on calories too!).
Soup On the Go
Convenience is a constant trend, which is why Michael Napoleon and Priscilla Mark dreamed of taking the classic meals like grilled cheese and tomato soup, as well as dumpling soup, and flipping them into one-bite, on-the-go snacks. Napoleon presented his concoction of portable tomato soup, by creating a grilled cheese-inspired ball and pumping it with creamy tomato soup. In one bite, he’s created the craveable, comforting meal that’s now road-trip appropriate. For Mark, she’s taken Shanghai soup and crafted the same mobile experience. She’s filled the steamed dumplings with a chicken adobo soup and once you pop one into your mouth, the broth gushes out. It’s the ultimate food truck treat—without the hassle of slurping.
Algae Confections
Snacking on seaweed is trendier than ever, which is why Frank Calabro decided to pump the nutrient-rich ingredient into kid-friendly candies. His superfood-fused confections ranged from tropical flavored gummies and a dark chocolate-coated, green apple-accented candies. After a few of these algae treats, we strongly encourage folks to further explore seaweed-inspired snacks.
Ancient Grain Snacks
With age-old grains like amaranth and quinoa becoming a regular on restaurant menus, Lauren Martey and Sonia Ortiz believed that speckling the better-for-you ingredient into snacks was their bright idea. From mandarin-flavored amaranth pixie sticks to an ancient grain s’mores truffle, the savory-flavored snacks were remarkable and unlike anything we’ve chomped on, making us hope that such nibbles help maintain the grains’ recent fame.
Each year, dozens of product concepts are taken to market and illustrated at the David Michael Innovation Roadshow, courtesy of their house food scientists and developers—all of which hope that their bright ideas are picked up and launched in worldwide storefronts and food businesses. For example, chief operating officer Skip Rosskam revealed to us that in 2013, the hit of the roadshow was the Some Like It Hot caramel ice cream. The magic of this particularly icy treat is that it’s engineered with cutting-edge ingredients that enable it to become creme brulee in a matter of seconds—just by popping it into the microwave.
To keep tabs on the next best food trends and innovations, especially the Some Like It Hot ice cream, or to learn more about David Michael’s flavor technologies, visit www.dmflavors.com.
