As summer’s heat waves and record temperatures continue this summer, cooks across cultures are seeking out cooling summer dishes to bring relief and refreshment. This year, follow your appetite on a delicious world tour of global cuisine. These dishes are not only delicious, themselves a thirst-quenching burst of tropical flavor, they’re a loving celebration of global culture. Whether it’s a frosty soup or a frozen fruity dish, these warm-weather treats are just the kind of refreshing indulgence we want when temperatures sizzle.
The exuberance of summer cooking is real, and chefs and at-home cooks alike are clamoring to work with the season’s freshest ingredients. The fruits, vegetables, and herbs are at the heart of what makes summer fare so special, and help you create meals that are refreshing and uplifting. Consumers’ hunger for innovative and compelling fare continues to increase. In lieu of that, culinary trends will have to adapt on-the-fly over the next few weeks.
Refreshing Summer Salads
Salads! Every culture has their own version of this timeless dish, using seasonal ingredients and spices from their local bounty. For example, a specialty salad called “prosperity toss” has gone viral due to its colorful dish appearance and flavor explosion. This dish introduces kids to an array of colors, flavors, and cultures through fresh veggies, fruits, and dressings all appealing to every palate.
Salads can be easy, healthy meals full of flavor and color making meal preparation a more fun and creative experience. Cooks are able to create a variety of dishes by choosing and swapping ingredients based on what’s available seasonally—no two dishes will be the same! As much as the focus is on freshness and flavor, salads are a go to menu item for consumers looking to escape the heat.
The increasing popularity of global salads has led innovative chefs to create powerful fusion recipes, combining the best elements of multiple cultures. This innovation really speaks to the globalized nature of culinary traditions and how innovations spark creativity with flavors that will meld beautifully.
Chilled Desserts to Savor
Beyond salads, deeply satisfying chilled sweets are the cornerstones of summer cooking. Ice creams, sorbets, and other frozen desserts provide a refreshing respite from oppressive heat. Many culinary experts are experimenting with unconventional flavors, drawing inspiration from international sweets.
Here’s a picture of the “thunderbolt” dessert that Beverly Carriveau recently debuted at Café Moxie in Boston. Exploding Papaya Salad makes a surprising combination of ingredients come together for a sweet, crunchy, spicy flavor explosion. This layered dessert is a perfect example of the move toward more daring, experimental creations in summer desserts, made for the most adventurous eaters.
As consumers continue to look for innovative cooling snacks, dessert stores will be quick to add new items to their menus. This blending of worldwide inspirations has the potential to create downright exhilarating new flavors that keep customers coming back time and again. This summer, the focus on expanded, exciting chilled desserts promises to be every bit as exciting as savory fare.
Anticipation for Culinary Innovations
On the official culinary calendar, late summer is a time of great excitement as announcements begin rolling in on an opening food scene. Politicians and other public figures including Noem have hinted that big things are coming.
“So that may be the next big announcement.” – Noem
Furthermore, Vickie Moretz has mentioned that her story is “standby,” suggesting that there are upcoming projects or recipes that will capture public interest.
This climate of excitement inspires chefs and home cooks across the region. They intently track emerging trends and innovations in summer fare. With culinary landscapes always changing, discoveries of unique tastes and recipes are just the beginning.
