36 PreparedFoods.com SEPTEMBER 2017
CULINARY CREATIONS
CONSUMERS ARE finding them-
selves with an ever-growing appetite for
adventure when it comes to their food.
Yet they also are finding themselves
short on the time it takes to forage and
build the food—fundamental experi-
ences when cooking at home.
Meeting this demand is the grow-
ing availability of prepared simmer
sauces, flavored broths, spice packets, and
ready-to-heat accompaniments in the su-
permarket. Answering the call from the
other side is a surge in meal kit home-de-
livery companies, such as Blue Apron Inc.,
Meez Meals LLC, and Hello Fresh AG.
What these modular meal concepts
share is a distinct culinary shift to the
East: Consumers are showing their
adventurousness by requesting Asian
culinary experiences from these sourc-
es. And not just any Asian, but more
eclectic experiences, from pan-Asian
“broth bowls” to Korean bulgogi to the
classic Bangkok dish, pad Thai. South
Asian cuisines, too, are having their
moment in the limelight, with such
recipes as Indian biryani and Malaysian
Panang curry landing on dining tables.
Driving these trends is the fact that,
while these cuisines are in high de-
mand, they are not easy to make from
scratch. Whether it is unfamiliarity with
the finer details of their favorite foods,
lack of time or skill, or just difficulty
in finding the ingredients, consumers
are turning to meal kits, bought or
delivered, to satisfy their cravings for
culinary exploration.
While these emerging and flourish-
ing food trends are coming from Asia
with the speed and sizzle of oil in a hot
wok, chefs are enjoying the opportu-
nity to flex their expertise and create
the components that make it all hap-
pen. But for the creative research chef,
a major portion of the process is all
about sourcing the right ingredients.
The ingredients for these more ex-
otic culinary creations must, above all,
be authentic. For example, Thai Direct
Inc., established last year, bills itself as
“the first authentic Thai meal kit com-
pany...bringing authentic Thai fresh
ingredients and best recipes.” The com-
pany stresses that, through its service,
“all home chefs can cook homemade
Thai meals and enjoy the authentic
Thai food experience without the trou-
ble of finding Thai ingredients, such as
fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves, galangal,
Thai chili peppers, Thai holy basil, etc.,
that are rarely available at typical super-
markets or grocery stores.”
DIY AsianAsian food and beverage products are in high demand, and definitely on trend.
KEYPOINTS1. As Millennials show increased interest in home-
made meals, processors are developing modular
components to appeal to the demographic’s
demand for convenience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. South and Southwest Asian flavors are
spreading beyond cookie-cutter Indian and
incorporating more regional aspects of the
subcontinent as well as cuisines of the
surrounding areas, such as Pakistani,
Afghani, and Sri Lankan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. Indonesian, Filipino, and other less-
represented culinary influences are gaining
interest among chefs as Asian offerings continue
to expand beyond the now-mainstream Korean,
Thai, and Vietnamese products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. American consumers hunger for more exotic
Eastern flavors, and processors turn to the
growing availability of unique ingredients to
serve them. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
John Umlauf, Contributing Editor
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SEPTEMBER 2017 PreparedFoods.com 37
Even for developers making the kits
or components, genuine ingredients
might not be readily available from a
current vendor or distributor. It’s also
possible that members of the purchas-
ing department might not know what
the ingredients are that are being re-
quested of them.
To meet the challenge of creating
“modular” Asian foods that meet
consumer demands for authenticity,
convenience, and flavor, experimen-
tation and creative sourcing will be
necessary. But it is here that interplay
with other team members, colleagues,
and ingredient suppliers can be of the
highest value.
Sauces on Simmer
American Halal Co. Inc.’s Saffron
Road Foods launched its line of
pouched simmer sauces back in 2010.
Converting authentic, intricate South
and Southeast Asian cuisines to such
a “heat and eat” format proved to be a
significant challenge. Not many man-
ufacturing plants for hot-fill pouches
were available at that time because the
category was still relatively new in the
US. Once that hurdle was surmount-
ed, sourcing some of the ingredients
was difficult.
This was compounded by the fact
that the plant that could perform the
hot-filling of sauce pouches was under
strict kosher supervision. In many
cases, rare ingredients might only be
available from small purveyors or for-
eign countries. Those purveyors might
not have the resources or funds to
undergo kosher (or halal or similar)
supervision and certification.
For example, it was necessary to
develop and manufacture such fun-
damental ingredients as red and green
Thai curry pastes from scratch instead
of using purchased versions. In recre-
ating many of these formulas stateside,
the bar is raised to adhere to authentic-
ity in the absence of the right regional
ingredients.
In classic Thai curries, coconut
milk is a key component. However,
true Thai food is not typically over-
ly “coconutty”, that is, the coconut
flavor is delicately balanced with a
careful ménage of leaves, roots, and
spices. These ingredients elevate
the experience beyond mere for-
mulaic recipes.
Coriander, cumin, birds’ eye
chili pepper; lemongrass, kaffir
lime leaf, and galangal root engage
in nuanced interplays of flavor and
aroma. But, while these ingredi-
ents are readily available as dried
ground powders, in Thailand they
would be fresh.
This is where some careful work-
arounds can help. It is possible, for
example, to build the galangal base
pungency and tartness with ginger (a
cousin of galangal), then accent that
Meeting the demand for do-it-yourself Asian cuisine is the growing availability of prepared
simmer sauces, flavored broths, noodles or rice, and spice packets.
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Ingredients for exotic
culinary creations must be,
above all, authentic.
38 PreparedFoods.com SEPTEMBER 2017
CULINARY CREATIONS
build the basic tartness with lemon juice and
add the characteristic earthy flavor notes with
lemongrass powder.
Fish sauce, too, has become common enough
to source easily. But it also presents allergen is-
sues. In this case, a dry tamari powder will work
as well. Nori powder can be included in minute
amounts to bring that seafood-like umami note
back into the picture.
Tamarind is also an essential component
of certain Thai dishes, especially a proper pad
Thai. Fortunately, since many Mexican and
Central American dishes also use tamarind,
the paste is easy to get. However, quality varies
greatly. Choose a tamarind paste that is moist,
free of pits, has minimal fiber and is low in pH
(high acid). The low pH will give it an improved
shelflife plus drive the final flavor as well.
Korean Is Hot
Korean cuisine has become especially pop-
ular in the US of late. Pungent and spicy
Gochujang sauce has been taking off as
the “next sriracha.” The classic version is
powdered Gochugaru chili pepper flakes,
compounded with fermented soybean pow-
der (known as mejukaru), plus a flour made
from either sweet rice, brown rice, barley, or
wheat and sweetened with rice syrup, barley
malt syrup, and salt.
Another ingredient considered indispens-
able to authentic Korean cuisine is doenjang, a
thick, fermented paste made from soybeans and
brine. It adds just the right amount of umami
and “twang” to a sauce or condiment.
In using this cornerstone of Korean cuisine
(completely unfamiliar to US consumers a few
with the easy-to-acquire galangal powder.
The latter will provide the key resin-like
high notes.
By the same token, a kaffir lime base
pungency and tartness can start with lime
juice that is enhanced with kaffir lime leaf
powder. Fresh lemongrass has become far
more available in just the past few years,
but if necessary, chefs may use it in puréed
form. Still, as a last resort, it is possible to
Crafting authentic
Asian cuisine some-
times calls for creative
ingredient sourcing.
40 PreparedFoods.com SEPTEMBER 2017
CULINARY CREATIONS
years ago) for a simmer sauce, it now
is possible to source the sauce itself
from a number of purveyors. Howev-
er, the Gochugaru pepper itself is crit-
ical to authenticity. Its fruity, some-
what musky-with-a-hint-of-tobacco
notes are unique, and it is important
to obtain it from a reputable vendor.
There are many versions of Go-
chugaru pepper available from
China. However, these do not have
the characteristic deep and earthy
flavor notes of Korean peppers.
The dried peppers have a shorter
shelflife than most other dried pep-
pers, so they should be purchased
when needed or as close to when
needed as possible. Another option
is storing the peppers in vacuum
packs in the freezer.
A suitable “Gochujang-like” sauce
can be prepared by combining Go-
chugaru pepper, rice flour, and white
miso. For a classic bulgogi preparation,
use pear juice to build the fruit and
sweet notes of this traditional sauce.
Pear juice concentrate is best, in this
case, because the concentration pro-
cess keeps pH and brix predictable.
These factors are extremely import-
ant when commercializing a simmer
sauce in a shelf-stable pouch.
Liquid Gold
Nona Lim Kitchens LLC is deep-
ly attuned to the DIY Asian ethos
trending in the US. The company’s
new Spicy Szechuan Bone Broth was
directly inspired by Spices, a small
but highly popular Szechuan restau-
rant in Oakland, California. The
complicated and exotic flavors of the
restaurant’s signature soups involve
complex spices, multiple types of
peppers in a single recipe, and truly
unconventional ingredients, such as
pig’s blood and pig’s stomach.
In creating its bone broth, Nona
Lim strived for that same level of
“wonderful complexity and punch,”
but with the ingredients the com-
pany positions as the healthy foun-
dation for accessible “everyday”
meals. To accomplish this, the chefs
started with an all-natural beef and
chicken bone broth slowly sim-
mered for 30 hours.
The challenge was to develop com-
plex flavor in the slow-cooked broth
using plant-based spices and vegeta-
bles. This included recreating it with-
out turning to MSG, shellfish, fish
sauce, or pork products.
The popularity of South Asian cuisine in the US can be attributed in part to the expert renditions of
its complex sauces in ready-to-use formats.
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Make Nice with Rice
Rice and rice noodles, a fundamental component of Asian cuisine, have undergone a revolution. But
differentiation in these ingredients has only come recently to consumers. Leading this development is a
special kind of rice from Thailand, the world leader in rice exports. Thai hom mali rice (also called Thai
jasmine rice), a highly aromatic, medium-grain rice, adds an extra dimension to meals by imparting its
own singular, yet non-intrusive flavor. Consumer awareness of the rice has led to increased demand for
it by name, and processors are responding. For example, earlier this year Lundberg Family Farms Inc.
worked with the Thai Organic & Fairtrade Agriculture Group and a select network of Thai rice farmers to
bring organic, fair-trade, non-GMO Thai hom mali jasmine rice to the US in fast-prep heat & eat packets.
The company offers brown jasmine and red jasmine varieties, as well as a special red and white blend.
SEPTEMBER 2017 PreparedFoods.com 41
The final formulations also used, depending
on the product, many kinds of peppers, garlic,
and Asian flavors, including mushrooms, lime
juice, ginger, bay, white peppercorns, cinna-
mon, star anise, and cloves among others.
The company’s Vegan Miso Ramen Broth
also needed to meet the challenge of attain-
ing a meaty depth of flavor, yet without
using any animal-based flavors. The result
ended up employing ingredients such as
seaweed, tahini, red miso, and sake in a veg-
etable broth. When combined with noodles
or rice and fresh sliced veggies, it makes a
fast and flavorful vegan lunch.
Marketing the broths as kits to serve with
pad Thai noodles, bean sprouts, and choices
of protein (such as pork belly or beef skew-
ers) puts Nona Lim squarely in the center
of the modular concept of DIY Asian cui-
sine. The company’s products are quick to
prepare, full of flavor, and convenient as an
easy lunch or dinner.
Emerging food trends travel on adaptability
to American preferences, like re-imagining
popular Vietnamese lettuce wraps with good old
American turkey.
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Rice Noodles at the Ready
Another big DIY inspiration for the Nona
Lim brand came in creating a line of glu-
ten-free rice noodles. For these, Nona Lim
turned to her youth in Singapore, a na-
tion known for its dozens of noodle stalls
lining the streets. These walk-up venues
specialize in noodles for soups and stir-
fries that are a lunchtime standard for
Singaporeans.
At Batory Foods we offer a powerful mix of the highest quality
protein products and industry knowledge to make your
formulation a success. Whether you’re looking for a
single protein ingredient or a full complement of plant or
animal based proteins, you’ve come to the right place.
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42 PreparedFoods.com SEPTEMBER 2017
CULINARY CREATIONS
Paying homage to the traditional rec-
ipes but as gluten-free and non-GMO,
Nona Lim Kitchens created a versatile line
of Indonesian laksa, pad Thai and pad
see ew rice noodles. Each of them can be
prepared with just a one-minute blanch
in boiling water, then added to broth or
lightly sau téed with Asian sauces, vege-
tables and/or protein. The result is a DIY
Asian stir-fry in under five minutes. The
noodles replicate the street-food level of con-
venience but are designed for home kitchens in
the US.
Saffron Road recently teamed up with
Nona Lim’s Kitchens to create a club-store
version of its pad Thai frozen entrée for the
refrigerated case. Rice noodles are delicate
and usually have a short shelflife, which
could have been a major concern. However,
Nona Lim’s contribution to the collabora-
tion was authentic, precooked noodles with
a shelflife of more than 60 days.
The resulting meal kit consists of a
pouch of fully cooked and ready-to-heat
Nona Lim Pad Thai Noodles with a pouch
of Saffron Road Pad Thai sauce (made with
tamarind and fish sauce), plus a pouch of
fully cooked boneless chicken. Also in-
cluded are a pouch of fresh yellow soybean
sprouts and carrots for garnish.
The ingredients for successful exotic culinary
creations must, above all, be authentic. But
putting it all together must be foolproof.
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Frozen Shredded Agé(tofu pouch)
Frozen Organic Cubed Tofu Cutlet
Japanese Mixed Rice withAgéCu
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Tofu
Cutlet Stir Fry
44 PreparedFoods.com SEPTEMBER 2017
CULINARY CREATIONS
The noodles plump correctly when
microwaved, while the sauce does not
break and the chicken stays moist. All the
consumer needs is a handful of crushed
peanuts, and a true DIY Asian meal is on
the table in under 15 minutes. PF
John Umlauf
began his career
at the feet of an
old-time butcher
in a corner meat
shop and became
a meat-cutter
apprentice by
age 16. Moving
into a culinary
career, he became an executive chef before
returning to the meat business in 2002,
where he helped to found several successful
“new paradigm” meat brands, including
Dole & Bailey Inc.’s Northeast Family Farms.
Umlauf also was a founder of Twin Rivers
Foods Inc. certified halal grass-fed meats in
2005 before becoming senior vice president
of culinary operations at American Halal Co.
Inc.’s Saffron Road Foods. He can be reached
at [email protected] or through
this magazine.
Spice blends and flavored broths can take the complication out of replicating some of the compli-
cated—and less familiar—seasonings that distinguish different Asian cuisines.
SO
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