Almond and dark chocolate s'more at the Culinology Expo
RCA, the association of the Research Chefs of America, held its annual meeting, dubbed Culinology, in Charlotte recently, with thousands of culinarians from restaurants, food purveyors, and universities around the country in attendance.
RCA's members are the food scientists of the restaurant world, pressing the culinary envelope with the latest techniques, technologies, and flavor combinations.
At the convention's expo held in the Charlotte Convention Center, hundreds of exhibitors offered samples of their latest products, everything from the newest hybrid tomato, to machines that lend a smokey goodness to anything you choose, in record time.
Tasti-Lee tomatoes
Sustainability remains a major theme in the food world, but the words of the weekend were flavor, taste, and fragrance, with many expo booths devoted to enhancing the experience of these key elements of dining.
Fruit and vegetable infused ravioli
Healthier foods made an impact as well. Neutraceutical ingredients (foods that are good for you), including many derived from the colors of fruits and vegetables, debuted alongside methods for lowering salt content and vegetarian dishes that appeal to the masses. Researchers have discovered that much of the nutritional value, including vitamins and other nutrients, of fruits and vegetables are bound up in their colors. The more vivid the color - the more healthy the food.
Puddings made of Z-Trim
Treats featuring high-tech gums and gels, cream alternatives and dairy extenders, freeze-dried herbs, seasoning sprays, bean-rice fusions, gluten-free hoagies, and a terrific pudding made of cellulose, faced off against dishes made with more familiar ingredients such as almonds, cranberries, truffle-infused salt, mushrooms, hot and mild peppers, and much more, in a contest to find the most innovative and useful product, voted on by everyone attending the expo.
Korean and Thai flavors vied with Greek and Mediterranean spice mixes, Southern comfort foods battled duck meatballs in tamarind glaze, pickled pimento cheese dogs went mano-a-mano with Tabasco-spiked sweet tea.
Our money was on the dark chocolate and almond butter s'mores (shown above) from the Almond Board of California or the colorful fruit and vegetable infused mini-raviolis from GNT USA. However, when the votes were counted, the winner was the purple ginger lemonade from Vegetable Juices, Inc., containing half a serving of vegetables in every 8 oz. serving. Look for it - or similar libations - on restaurant and bar menus soon.
[Originally published on Examiner.com's Restaurant Examiner blog.]
