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TRENDS FROM THE 2008 FANCY FOOD SHOW
Micro-veggies, sugar substitutes, experience fruit, and super tea Plus: (RED)''s new music service
We found a feast of food trends at this week's annual Fancy Food Show in NYC:
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Micro-Vegetables: Food trendsetters have been known to forage for food or grow their own in window boxes and community garden lots, but for those who have the taste for exotic foods without the know-how, Koppert Cress' offerings may be the answer. The company searches the globe for native edible and aromatic plants and then grows them here in the U.S. So whether it be Limon Cress from India (taste: lemon and anise) or Borage Cress from the Middle East (taste: oyster and cucumber), a miniscule amount of the cress offers an explosion of the senses. Most recently their Sechuan Buttons from Africa and China have sparked a media frenzy by offering a taste bud stimulation that's been compared to Altoids mixed with peppercorns. Chefs are saying that a small sprinkle of Sechuan Button is the perfect accent to cocktails, desserts, ice cream, and sorbet, and we expect to see the plant featured in trend-forward restaurants in the near future.
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Raw Agave
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We first mentioned agave nectar in March
, and since then we've been noticing an increasing number of consumers using it in lieu of sugar or artificial sweeteners. As such, we expect to see raw agave used in more prepared foods like Organic Nectars' Flavored Agave Dessert Syrup and Raw Agave Gelato. Made from blended raw organic soaked and rinsed cashews, these frozen vegan treats are a health nut's dream, as they are also free of dairy, soy milk, lactose, and glutens. Sweetened only with agave syrup, the low glycemic index is not only a dream for those with a sweet tooth, but also for parents of small children who have a hard time saying no to requests for ice cream.
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Miracle Berry:
While this tiny berry (synsepalum dulcificum) found in Ghana has already received New York Times coverage with its amazing ability to turn sour tastes to sweet - eating wedges of lime becomes a sweet sensation after chewing the berry for less than a minute - it hasn't exactly hit the mainstream yet. Not only does it offer eaters a genuine food experience, but a little known fact about this berry is even more of a miracle: it can help remove the metallic taste in chemotherapy patients' mouths, thus allowing them to better enjoy their food.
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Medicinal Tea
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The demand for tea's healing powers shows no signs of weakening, and we only wish we could get our hands on some Dr. Stuart's tea.The renowned British herbalist offers medicinal standard "active botanicals" in all his teas. So whether it is red clover for purifying the skin or fennel for tranquility, Dr. Stuart's tea offers more than antioxidants. His candy range and ready-to-drink tea line will be introduced to American consumers this month and in October, respectively.
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And by the way: Nonprofit (RED) will be launching a subscription music service this September. Half the proceeds of the $5/month service will go towards fighting AIDS in Africa, while the other half will go to the participating artists and labels.
* trendcentral articles are designed to be trend reports, not endorsements * The Intelligence Group is a trend-forecasting and marketing Consultancy focused on Gen X, Gen Y and Tweens. For more information on our services, or to subscribe to our syndicated studies, The Cassandra Report, Tween Intelligence, Latino Intelligence, and Mom Intelligence, contact Liz Gray at 212-277-5244 or via email at egray@intelg.com.
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