Posts Tagged ‘food’

You say Pa-tay-toe, I say Po-ta-toe

March 16th, 2011 67 Comments

Published 3/4/2010

?For centuries, people have been eating potatoes. The first archaeological evidence of potato cultivation is from approximately 4500 years ago with the natives of Peru. Besides enjoying a good spud at meal time, the potato was also believed to have medicinal qualities and was often rubbed on the skin of sick patients as a remedy to illness. Additionally, the Inca people worshiped potato Gods and celebrated rituals to ensure the success of their potato crops. Andean natives created entire religious ceremonies with the main focus on the beloved spud.

Oddly enough, when the potato first arrived in Europe, the plant was treated with distrust and fear. This fear lasted for centuries as some people believed that it was unholy or unchristian to eat a potato. Many years later, Thomas Jefferson was credited with helping American colonists fall in love with potatoes. He brought back the idea from France to American cuisine, one of the most popular food items today, the “French fries”. Through his support and encouragement, the potato gained popularity in North America as a spectacular crop and a fine food item.

Potatoes were then, and are now, a great food source for starch and carbohydrates. Through the years, they gained popularity because they can be transported and stored with great ease.

Potatoes play an important part in our everyday life. They can be prepared in a variety of ways; roasted, mashed, baked, fried, made into flour and even eaten raw. They are one of the most versatile foods of all time. They are extremely healthy, depending on how they are prepared and what they are smothered in and with.

In the United States, potatoes continue to play an important role as a trendy side dish. They continue to be the ultimate comfort food in today’s slumping economy. With the evidence of a looming recession, American’s are seeking out familiar foods that they grew up eating. Potatoes top the list of the most desired food item.

The challenge for restaurateurs is to bring the beloved spud center stage. The United Nations designed 2008 as the “United Nations International Year of the Potato.” A website was formed to let the world know that the potato is the world’s number one non-grain food commodity.

Restaurants across the United States are trying out new potato concoctions with great fanfare. Many are finding that potatoes can help add depth to a dish when they are incorporated in the main entrée, instead of just sitting on the sidelines.

Posted in: flavor trends, Food Trends, functional foods, locally grown food, Restaurant Industry

Living in a Super-sized World

March 16th, 2011 55 Comments

Originally published 3/4/2010

My earliest memory of anything being “super-sized” was the Big Gulp from 7-11. As a teen, I thought paying a couple of pennies more for a fantastically sized Diet Coke was the best treat in the entire world. Much to my childish delight, in a very short time everywhere I looked; food and drink items were super-sized. There is no doubt that American’s love getting more bang for our buck, especially where food is considered.

In 2004, a national restaurant chain wanted to be recognized as a “healthy chain restaurant” by cutting back on serving sizes on some of their dishes. They even went so far as to print the nutritional information of their food on their menus, which was completely taboo for the time. The end result was that customers hated the new campaign. Within a matter of months, the menus returned to their previous state and those small portion sizes where thrown out the window.

In today’s world, some food portion sizes have been transitioning back towards what we should really be consuming. There are several theories as to the current shift in the tide in the food industry. Some believe that our ever expanding waistline has caused restaurants to want to help return our bodies back to normal sizes. Others believe that the shift is because of the state that our economy is currently in. It would stand to reason that restaurants would also want to cut back and trim the fat whenever possible. Let’s face it; we all need to save a buck wherever
we can these days.

Regardless of the spin you might want to accept, the end results are good for consumers. Many restaurants are now offering smaller portion sizes on their menus. The great news is that this new food trend will do more than help the belly bulge. Along with the smaller sizes have come reduced costs for consumers. Of course food business consultants are hoping that restaurants are on winning side of this new trend. They are hopeful that consumers will be hungry and thirsty enough at the end of their perfectly portioned meals to want to order dessert and cocktails; which holds a great profit margin for businesses.

You would be hard pressed to find a restaurant that did not offer nutritional information about the products that they sell in today’s market.

Posted in: portion size, Restaurant Industry
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