YumSugar

Trend Alert: Hibiscus Drinks

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:00:45 -0800

Last June, I discovered the sweet virtue of dried hibiscus flowers. I picked them up at Trader Joe's and, on a whim, stirred them into a pitcher of lemonade. The hibiscus lent a sweet, tart flavor, as well as a beautiful blush color.

Perhaps by putting hibiscus flowers into that pitcher of sparkling ade, I was onto something: Hibiscus, with its fruity, tannic flavor, has been appearing in all sorts of beverages, from sparkling sodas to hot cocktails.

I've seen Ooba, a sparkling hibiscus soda, everywhere from this year's Fancy Foods Show to the drink aisle at the local Whole Foods Market. On her new show, Giada at Home, Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis entertained with a spiked hibiscus tea, made by boiling dried hibiscus in sugar water, straining out the flowers, and mixing in lemon juice and vodka. Both beverages, with their punchy pink color and notes of cranberry flavor, are drinks that would satisfy on a hot Summer day.

Not that hibiscus is only to be enjoyed during Summer. This month, Bon Appétit proclaims Winter cocktail The Laureate to be the "new hot toddy." In the mix? Añejo tequila, agave nectar, and - you guessed it - dried hibiscus flowers, which add "a bit of tartness and a rich ruby red color."

Can you see hibiscus drinks being a trend that really takes off? Have you enjoyed any hibiscus-flavored beverages lately?

Would You Eat This Cheese?

YumSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:15:28 -0800

While at this year's Fancy Foods Show, PartySugar and I stumbled upon this cheese, which had a frightening, Frankensteinian green color. After some serious coaxing by the cheese vendor, I decided to go for it. The cheese, which didn't taste nearly as scary as it looked, was like a pistachio-flavored cheesecake.

Top Trends From Fancy Foods

YumSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:30:24 -0800

At the Fancy Food Show, both PartySugar and yours truly had a chance to discover some of this year's finest foods. Favorite foods aside, the show was a great opportunity for us to spot new trends in the culinary world, such as healthier snack chips. To find out what other burgeoning trends we saw, keep reading.

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Relax With Republic of Tea's Decaffeinated Rooibos Line

partysugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:15:14 -0800

Tea has been an incredibly trendy ingredient for the past two years. Recently, I was bombarded by so many different types of new tea products that I was quite overwhelmed. So much so that I avoided the enormous amount of tea booths at the Fancy Foods Show.

Until one - the Republic of Tea's Be Well Red Tea line - caught my eye. With names like "get happy," "get some zzz's," and "get relaxed" the collection of South African rooibos teas are each specified to change a certain aspect of your life. They're caffeine free and naturally healthful. They come in brightly colored, tin canisters. I enjoy their unpretentious packaging, clean herbal flavor, and soothing qualities.

Do you drink decaffeinated tea? Have you tried Republic of Tea?

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Do You Cook With Vanilla Beans?

YumSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:00:11 -0800

At the Food Fête party this week after the Fancy Foods Show, a representative from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas handed me a kit sealed with a vanilla bean. She suggested that if I didn't want to cook with it, I could take advantage of its pleasant fragrance.

"Oh, don't worry - I'll cook with it," I reassured her. Although they're rather expensive - pods cost around $5 each - cooking with vanilla pods, in my opinion, imparts a more natural flavor than using vanilla extract. I like to use them in everything from cakes to vanilla-flavored hot chocolate. What about you?

PartySugar's Favorites From Fancy Foods

partysugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:30:33 -0800

Although there were over 200,000 products and 81 countries represented at the Fancy Foods Show, only seven items stood out in my mind (okay eight if you include the caviar!). These delicious bites were the highlight of the show. Start clicking to check them out.

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Happy Hour: Modmix Organic Cocktail Mixers

partysugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:00:00 -0800

Move over Stirrings, there's a new cocktail mixer on the market and it's made with 100 percent organic fruit juice. Meet Modmix ($9.99), the mixer for the luxury spirit. I was lucky enough to speak with one of the founders, Tricia McCracken, at the Fancy Foods Show. She explained that the mixers pair well with all types of liquor, including bubbly. For a non-alcoholic drink, she suggests diluting the mixer with sparkling water. Modmix comes in six flavors: citrus margarita, French martini, lavender lemon drop, mojito, pomegranate cosmopolitan, and wasabi bloody Mary. Unlike most mixers, Modmix is neither too artificial or too sweet - they taste surprisingly like fresh juice. I loved the French martini, a subtle blend of pineapple juice with a vibrant raspberry color, and the wasabi bloody Mary, a thick tomato juice that packs a spicy punch. The best thing about Modmix is that they have a very pure, intense, authentic fruit flavor. Have you tried Modmix? Did you think it was a step above other cocktail mixers?

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YumSugar's Favorites From Fancy Foods

YumSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:30:33 -0800

This week, PartySugar and I ate and drank our way through the Fancy Foods Show. While we sampled countless things - from cassava chips to bacon-flavored lip gloss - there were definitely a few items that I can't live without. Keep reading to see my favorites.

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Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:15:28 -0800

Earlier this week, I stumbled upon this sweet Middle Eastern confection while at the Fancy Foods Show. Can you guess what it is?

Trend Alert: Healthier Snack Chips

partysugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:15:22 -0800

When Oprah declared that she would stop eating organic blue corn tortilla chips in favor of sweet potato chips, little did she know that the food industry was one step ahead of her. Healthier, alternative snack chips were a huge trend at last weekend's Fancy Foods Show. With names like Corazonas and Yuka, these chips have South American roots. Corazonas the only chip made with potatoes, stood out because they actually help lower cholesterol. The rest of the chips, feature an up and coming tuber, known as the cassava. To find out more about this interesting starch, read more.

The cassava is ancient root similar to the potato. After rice and potatoes, it's the world's most widely consumed staple. Thus, it's only natural the cassava be turned into chip form.

Maxi Cassava is a gluten-free chip (and cracker) with an original flavor, while the Yuca brand's cassava was hot and spicy. Out of all the chips I tasted, Joseph Banks black pepper cassava root chips were my favorite. The crisp texture closely resembled thick-cut potato chips and the black pepper flavor was fresh and intense.

Overall, these snacks were intriguing to try once, but I won't incorporate them into my daily diet. Perhaps if I were more of a snacker, I would enjoy them on a regular basis.

Have you tried other root vegetable or cassava chips? What did you think of them?

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