4 minutes Inspiration

The Caterer’s Guide to Using Global Flavours

According to thefoodpeople’s 2019 Trend Report, today’s consumers expect dishes to deliver in terms of both flavour and presentation when dining out. To really grab the attention of diners, chefs and caterers must not only create social-media worthy dishes but also infuse these with new and unexpected flavours.
 
This has led to a surge in dishes incorporating global flavours as caterers seek to impress and delight diners by adding new spices, seasoning, and sauces to their dishes. This consumer demand for new and exciting flavours, from different cuisines, is a continuation of the trends highlighted by Mintel in their 2018 Flavour Trends Report. The flavour trends identified last year were inspired by street food, regional cooking, and an increasingly open mind towards embracing Indian, Middle Eastern and East Asian flavours.So, how chefs and catering professionals embrace the trend of using global flavours and adding them to their menu in a way that will delight dinners? To find out, read on for our top tips from the Country Range team.

Make Dishes Accessible to All Diners

All too often, exotic ingredients and new flavours come with the price of not being free of allergens. This means that any dishes created using them will be inaccessible to a percentage of dinners. To meet the strict allergen requirements set out in all sectors of food service, you should seek out bold new flavours which are allergen-free.

To help you do exactly that, Country Range has a range of allergen-free curry pastes, allowing to you experiment with different flavours and spices on your menu and create dishes that all diners will be able to enjoy. From spiced cottage pie to BBQ Tandoori aubergine salad, there’s no end to the range of dishes and global flavour combinations you can create – if you need some inspiration, check out our recipe book on 15 Ways to Use Curry Pastes.

Add Spice, Not Heat

Read the word “spice” in association with food and you are probably thinking of a dish that had some heat to it. But when it comes to using global flavours, the key is to experiment with a variety of different spice blend to create unique flavours, rather than simply trying to add some heat to a dish.

Whether you choose to create your own spice blends or buy premade ones to take the guesswork out of the process, they are the ideal way to update a menu due to their diverse range of uses. Add them to marinades, use as a rub for cuts of meat, or add directly to dishes during cooking for an exotic twist.

The Country Range spice collection includes a diverse range of spices used in global cuisines, offering a convenient way for caterers to recreate these flavours in their own kitchen. Our vast selection includes our award-winning spice blend, the Country Range Medium Madras Curry Powder which is great with meat, seafood as well as vegetables.

Our spices aren’t the only ways caterers can liven up their dishes. We also have a range of ready-to-use sauces, including the award-winning Country Range Peri Peri Sauce. Add Image

Pair New Flavours with Familiar Dishes

Often, the key to successfully introducing exotic flavours to an existing menu is by pairing them with classic dishes, allowing diners to experience these global flavours in a format that they are already familiar with. As highlighted by Technomic’s 2019 Centre of the Plate: Poultry Consumer Trend Report, nearly half of diners would be willing to try chicken dishes made with new spices or sauces.

This offers the ideal way for caterers to try bold and exciting flavours by simply adapting existing dishes and giving them an updated flavour profile that will meet the expectations of consumers. Chicken dishes also have the added benefit of naturally pairing well with the current trending flavours as they are commonly used in Thai, Indian, and Middle Eastern cooking.