Tasty Tuesday, Vol. 6

Okay, so before I get to today's post, I wanted to mention a couple of things.

1) My lovely friend Shannon is awesome and is giving away a print of a painting that she has made. Here is said painting:

Now, I post about this today for multiple reasons--one is that it's flipping cute and I want it, and two is that if you're interested in entering, you only have to do a couple of things--go to her blog shannon*bear and comment on the post about the giveaway, follow her on Blogger, and post about the giveaway if you'd like. So, enter if you'd like, but remember that I have my eye on this, so don't be too hurt if (read: when) I win it.

2) Can we talk about the site redesign? I'm kind of loving this girlier, lighter look. What do you guys think?

(Okay, /sidebar. On to today's post:)

For today's Tasty Tuesday, I won't lie...I'm at a bit of a loss. I started doing a little bit of research, and I came across an article/gallery about food trends in 2010. I was intrigued, and I thought I'd share my findings with you. (The original post can be found here.)

So let's take a look at the 10 Biggest Food Trends for 2010.

1. Organic Chocolate

Apparently, this stuff is supposed to bridge the gap between "guilty pleasure" and "not too bad for you." The post I read says that, "Health nuts cursed with an insatiable sweet tooth have begun seeking low-fat alternatives to decadent desserts." These are preferable because they "boast organic and all-natural ingredients." I think if I'm having chocolate

2. Coconut

"Coconut flavors have taken off in the last year, largely because product makers have figured out a way to keep the fruit pure and natural while retaining its taste. “People are just embracing that flavor. It’s one of the biggest things that’s happening here,” says The Fancy Food Show’s Ron Tanner, who listed coconut water, ice cream, and yogurt among the most popular products. “There’s been an ongoing consumer shift away from carbonated beverages and that’s no secret,” adds Arthur Gallego, communications director for Vita Coco, which manufactures coconut water. “People are looking for a noncarbonated water-type alternative that does more,” he added, describing the beverage as “thicker, milkier, more syrupy” than water."

3. Gluten-Free Food

"Gluten-free products are not just for those unfortunate folks dealing with hypersensitive allergies. “So many people have wheat allergies, and even if they don’t, they just feel better if they don’t eat wheat,” The Fancy Food Show’s Ron Tanner says. While it used to be difficult, if not impossible, to make pasta without gluten (which is essentially the glue that holds the dough together) companies like Conte’s Pasta have figured out how to produce gluten-free dishes like ravioli and pierogies. It’s a good thing, too, because it can be “devastating” to give up anything containing wheat, barley, or rye, says the company’s Judy Sabella, who claims she often receives phone calls from teary-eyed customers, thanking her for bringing them back to the world of pasta."

4. Exotic Citrus

"Ever since a summer craze for blood oranges, food makers have been looking to infuse exotic citrus fruits into as many dishes as possible, not only juices but also cooking sauces (think Hawaiian-style chicken and pork), candy and ice cream. “Citrus is always kind of a nice palate cleanser,” says Angela James from Silver Moon Desserts, whose new lavender limoncello sorbet is a big hit thanks to its “sharp flavor” that doesn’t overwhelm the palate. “It can be really flavorful without being overpowering and it’s just a very clean flavor.”"

5. Nostalgic Comfort Food

"During difficult times, history shows that people turn to old-fashioned sweets like peppermints, peanut butter cups, and Oreo cookies to feel better. More sustainable alternatives include homemade meatloaf and mini hamburgers, most popular during the 1950s and '60s, because they offer a sense of “hominess and comfort.” Companies are catching on to this belly-pleasing remedy for stress and are coming up with foods that honor the classics. At Daddy Cakes, the makers of cake and pancake mixes are taking this trend a step further by pairing up with designer Paul Frank to add a little monkey cheer to their products."

6. Anything Pickled

"A “renaissance in pickling” is responsible for the onslaught of pickled products that were featured at the Fancy Foods Show, explains Ron Tanner. “Years ago, farmers used to pickle their own products and now you see people beginning to pickle green beans and coming up with different kinds of cucumber pickles.” There has also been tremendous growth in pickled Asian products, like this pickled ginger from the Baycliff Company. People are realizing that they can develop “really tasty things” just by pickling them, Baycliff’s Adam Johnson says. “Virtually every kind of culture pickles things.”

7. Smoked Fish

"White fish and smoked salmon are favorite staples at New York Sunday brunches, where they are regularly mixed with mayonnaise, onions and capers. But the smoking technique is spreading to other products, too, explains Adam Caslow of Acme Smoked Fish, which showcased this “delicate” smoked Bering Cisco at the Fancy Foods show. “People are looking to be wowed by food, and adding smoke flavor really intensifies the natural flavors. It adds a whole other layer of flavors and smells that are interesting and get people thinking in the same way that they’d think about a fine wine,” he says.

8. Bacon Sweets

“Bacon is one of those foods that everyone, even vegetarians, like,” claims Katrina Markoff, founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolat. Markoff has been adding bacon bits to chocolate-chip pancakes since she was 7 years old, and now sells them, along with dozens of other bacon-infused treats, across the country—everything from bacon coffee to bacon caramel. “There’s something to that salty, smoky with sweet [taste]. It just works so well.” The combination is so popular that Markoff has begun receiving requests to create a vegan alternative to her most famous concoction, the bacon chocolate bar. “We can’t keep any of them in stock.”

9. Tricked-Out Popcorn

"Rural Route 1 Popcorn in Wisconsin is best known for mixing chocolate and nuts with homemade popcorn—and giving the combinations whimsical names like K’nuckle Popcorn (white fudge over popcorn and whole almonds) and C.C. Winkle (milk chocolate fudge over popcorn with cashews). “Most people have a taste for chocolate, and then when you mix it with all that extra crunch that popcorn gives you, and then you throw in the nuts, it’s the snack that has at all,” says store manager Peggy Biddick. Why the timeless addiction? “Every generation loves popcorn and I don’t know if it’s nostalgia… but it gives people nice warm feelings about snacking with their families.”

10. Spicy Snacks

"Though snacking habits know no age, adults are craving bigger flavor variety than, say, plain ol’ potato chips. “We were finding that people were really looking for things that gave them a kick,” says Debbie Marden of Deep River Snacks, which recently came out with three types of ultra bold-tasting chips. “These combinations contain plenty of garlic, ginger, onion to keep the mature palate happy,” and the ingredients “entice you so that you actually have to eat more.” Chocoholics, too, can partake in spicy snacking with treats like Super Chile Toffee Squares that are manufactured by Poco Dolce. This “sweet heat” is “slow-building” and “complex,” qualities that older customers tend to enjoy, the company’s Candice Beltz explains."

Well that wraps up this edition of Tasty Tuesday. I hope you enjoyed reading! Let me know if there are any other food trends that you've really gotten excited about, and I'll see all of you here tomorrow for our Writer's Corner Wednesday.

♥ Marlee