Currying Flavour

As the taste of the orient continues to influence menus across the foodservice sector, caterers can use this trend to spice up their offerings cost effectively. John Porter reports.

Oriental flavours are officially the nation’s favourite ethnic food, with analyst Mintel’s most recent survey of UK palates showing that 83% of consumers say that Chinese is the ethnic cuisine they prefer most.

The authenticity of some of Britain’s top Chinese nosh may be dubious as it seems unlikely that deep fried, battered pork balls with a polystyrene tub of bright red sweet ‘n’ sour sauce were ever served at the sumptuous state banquets of the Ming Dynasty.

Even so, many consumers tend to think of oriental food as the preserve of the specialist.

For caterers generally, it’s worth the effort to overcome the misconception that a stir fry served in a workplace or college restaurant is somehow less authentic than one sold by a suburban takeaway. Oriental food is easy to make, generally has a high ratio of cheaper vegetables to more expensive protein, offers good GP and is popular with customers. So what’s stopping you?

Often it can be the prospect of working with unfamiliar flavours and spices that caterers find daunting.

With food from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Japan all now to be found on the high street, Sally Sturley, product knowledge manager for Brakes, says that in the not for profit sector, responding to this growing appetite for interesting new flavours and unusual ingredients can add real excitement to a menu and make mealtimes into a real event.

“Adding a pan Asian flavour can be a challenge however, particularly if you are determined to prepare dishes from scratch. Sourcing authentic ingredients and specialist cooking equipment requires significant initial outlay. Chefs can also face a steep learning curve, due to the huge range of regional dishes, cooking styles and ingredients which are characteristic of these cuisines.

“It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of serving bland, westernised versions, which are then greeted with sighs of disappointment by increasingly discerning customers.”

The Brakes range includes preprepared Thai red and green curries, made in Thailand using authentic ingredients and cooking techniques, which are quick and easy to prepare.

While ‘Chinese’ remains consumers’ favourite, familiarity with a wider range of oriental food styles is a trend that caterers can key into.

The number of Thai restaurants in the UK has trebled over the past decade, with the perception that it is lighter and healthier than some other ethnic cuisines making it a particular hit with women and also consumers aged over 45.

Claire Sullivan, marketing director at Unilever Foodsolutions, comments: “Diners like to have a choice and dishes such as Chinese stir fries or Thai curries can help to impart a wide range of textures and tastes, which can go a long way in delivering a satisfying dining experience.

“Providing a variety of contemporary flavours can also help to increase repeat custom and generate a rise in profits.

“Cost sector caterers can use products such as the Knorr oriental sauces for a quick and more efficient way of delivering authentic tasting dishes. They give the reassurance of consistent results every time – an important factor when catering for large numbers – no matter who prepares the dish.”

Stir frying seasonal vegetables and strips of lean meat in sauces makes a meal which can be reinvented and updated through varying the meat and sauce, she adds.

Knorr sauces are available in nine ethnic flavours. The company also supplies oriental pastes in authentic flavours, which provide the base for dishes that can be quickly prepared and served alongside traditional accompaniments such as prawn crackers, egg noodles and spicy vegetable crackers.

3G Food Service has recently added to its range Uncle Ben’s Thai chilli and sweet and sour cooking sauces, which are suitable for vegetarians, and Uncle Ben’s easy cook long grain rice.

Marketing manager Tim Shearer says: “Pan Asian cuisine is a good opportunity to use plenty of frozen vegetables to pack in the vitamins and stretch the menu budget, and the sauces work with almost any variety of frozen vegetables.

“Our farmhouse mixed vegetables pack is probably one of the most versatile products available – great for use in Chinese or Thai dishes.”

The recipes for Sharwood’s ethnic sauces are developed by the specialist chefs at Premier Foods, skilled in blending and cooking with spices, as well as in replicating traditional cooking methods to build the authentic flavour of each individual sauce. These sauces are free from MSG, artificial colours, preservatives and flavours.

Senior development chef Mark Rigby says: “As well as preserving food and aiding digestion, we add spices to food in order to enhance and develop the flavour of a dish.

“This is where all Sharwood's RTU sauces give you a great base to work from; adding to and developing the flavour of dishes that can be made using cheaper cuts of meat, poultry, fish or vegetables.”

Of course, it’s the side orders that make an ethnic meal really special, and this is an area where mainstream caterers have often found it difficult to source authentic tasting products cost effectively.

Daloon has just introduced authentic crisp filo pastry across all of its leading pastry wrapped snack products. This process creates crispiness, says general sales manager Simon Cliff, to be “as good if not better than handmade filo pastry products coming out of the Far East”.

“Another major benefit is sourcing flexibility. Customers no longer need to plan for long delivery lead times for filo pastry products from the Far East, as our production is UK based and so can react quickly to order changes and increased demand,” he adds.

Many of the company’s products are suitable for vegetarians “and are what could be called naturally vegetarian products”, he says.

“They have historically been created as vegetable based products rather than being an adaptation of a meat based product, giving caterers even greater flexibility to create imaginative vegetarian menu options.”

Words John Porter

This article originally appeared in Cost Sector Catering magazine www.costsectorcatering.co.uk

« Back to previous page