Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/165618
food trends This month we look at Oprah's Hawaii farm, drinkable vinegars, edible QR codes and more. BY DENISE SHOUKAS EDIBLE QR CODES In an attempt to end fish fraud in California restaurants, Rob Ruiz, executive chef at San Diego's Harney Sushi, has invented an item that could change the tides: edible QR codes. Printed on rice paper with water-based ink, the codes are positioned on the sushi, which diners can scan with a smartphone reader app to discover pertinent information, like the state of a species' global stock, where the fish was hooked, and even who caught it. It's a much-needed invention: a recent report found that 52 percent of seafood in Southern California was mislabeled—the highest rate in the U.S. Nationally, the study showed that one-third of sushi fish was not what consumers ordered. The QR code technology initially would connect customers to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration FishWatch website. By the end of the year, Ruiz will have species-specific codes that link to YouTube videos about the fish and fishermen. grass-grazed cows are making the world's first pure milk vodka, called Black Cow, on a farm in West Dorset, England New takes on vinegars are making a splash PHOTO: BLACK COW VODKA 250 A Sweet Twist on Vinegar with consumers. Drinking vinegars are garnering attention, like Genki-Su's yuzu citrus, ginger honey and herbal shiso leaf elixirs, made with mild coconut vinegar, sweetened with stevia and honey, and blended with fruits and herbs. Pok Pok Som's drinking vinegars, available in honey, tamarind, apple and pomegranate are also popular. At the end of the year, look for FARMER OPRAH McClure's Pickles' collabora- Oprah's Maui farm may help shift the way the people eat in Hawaii. Winfrey has partnered with Bio-Logical Capital, a natural resource management group, which has been farming 16 acres of her 1,000-acre Maui property since 2012. The company has transformed the plot into organic farmland on which crops like eggplant, lettuce, sweet potatoes, beets, rhubarb, salsify, basil and others from a dozen families of food plants are grown. Bio-Logical practices regenerative farming, which builds soil health without the use of synthetic inputs, conserves water, decreases water pollution, saves energy and recycles organic waste into compost. So far, one acre is producing 145 pounds of produce a week that is being donated to restaurants and charities. With an estimated 90 percent of its food imported, Hawaii has a dearth of local produce and Winfrey's team aims to inspire more sources of local food and help the farm's surrounding communities thrive. tion with The Brooklyn Kitchen, called American Vinegar Co., featuring favors like lemon and malt. Fruit vinegars, too, have gotten a modern American makeover. Manges is offering a new line of the sweet stuff made from pureed and preserved fresh fruit. Available in favors such as cherry and red pepper, they're ideal for cocktails or to enhance entrees and desserts. PHOTO: GENKI-SU 16 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com