Plant-based leads the way in the annual “What’s Hot Culinary Forecast.”
Starting with a wheat gluten and white bean base, High Peaks, Cohoes, New York, adds a medley of flavorful ingredients to its line of plant-based sausages. Available in four flavors — Italian Style (green and red peppers, onions and fennel), Sweet Apple (apples, onions, smoked paprika and thyme), Sunrise Trail Mix (cranberries, seeds, maple syrup and cinnamon) and Wild Mushroom (porcini mushrooms, basil, onions and herbs) — High Peaks uses only clean ingredients, spices and other simple, real foods. Vinegar appears on all ingredient panels, likely functioning as a food safety and shelf life aid.
Krave Pure Foods Inc., Sonoma, California, makes its first departure from meat products with new Krave Plant-Based Jerky. The snack features a taste and texture similar to Krave Gourmet Meat Cuts but is made from peas and fava beans for an eating experience and nutritional profile superior to any vegan jerky currently on the market, according to the company. With 8 grams of protein per serving, the new jerky comes in Smoked Chipotle and Korean BBQ flavors.
Tofurky, Hood River, Oregon, is launching a vegan burger crafted using a combination of soy protein, vegetable protein and wheat gluten. Sold refrigerated in packs of two, one burger contains 250 calories, 16 grams of fat and 19 grams of protein.
PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds are a vegan, kosher form of conventional pork rinds made from pork skins. Developed by Outstanding Foods, Los Angeles, the pea and rice-based snack is baked until light and crispy then seasoned to create an authentic pork taste. The four varieties are: Hella Hot, Nacho Cheese, Original and Texas BBQ. Each 3.5-oz. bag is packed with 25 grams of plant-based protein and free from gluten, soy, GMOs, cholesterol and trans fats.
A vegan BLT is now reality with the new meat-free bacon from Prime Roots, Berkeley, California. It is said to look, sizzle and taste like real bacon. The key ingredient is koji, a umami-rich fungus. Prime Roots’ chefs mix their homegrown koji with plant-based fats to create a block of pork belly that balances layers of crisp protein and melt-in-your-mouth fat. Next, they put it into a wood smoker to impart a naturally smoky flavor and hand slice it into strips.
The Kroger Co., Cincinnati, is rolling out Simple Truth Emerge, a line of plant-based fresh meat facsimiles. The launch includes patties and grinds. They are said to offer the same taste, texture and sizzle on the grill or in a pan as beef and are free of GMOs, dairy, gluten and soy. One serving provides 20 grams of pea-based protein.
Spring has sprung—with new sandwiches.
Innovations across frozen food brands capitalize on popular consumer and restaurant trends.