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Learn why students are loving these trend-forward, global menu items!

What's in Store, Twenty-Twenty Four?

As we ease into 2024, the new year brings along with it some exciting trends in the foodservice sphere. We consolidated thoroughly researched forecasts from various sources in the food industry and listed some highlights. From culinary fusions taking center stage, to sustainability transforming the food service landscape, to America's enduring love for fries and spice, anticipate a year of vibrant and conscious culinary exploration.

November is officially Sweet Potato Awareness Month. In a world of unique fruits and vegetables, the humble sweet potato continues to amaze culinary professionals and customers with its palette of variations that range in shape, size, color, and taste.

Blending Latin and Asian cuisines strikes just the right flavor balance, both chefs and diners agree.

The old adage “Eat your fruits and vegetables!” is something you’ve likely heard or even said yourself, and rightly so, for fruits and vegetables provide immense health benefits. Current dietary guidelines published by the USDA recommend that adults eat anywhere from 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, depending on the caloric intake and individual needs, to maintain an optimal weight and overall health. The USDA also recommends increasing variety among fruits and vegetables.

WHAT IS YUCA?
Yuca, commonly known as cassava or manioc, is one of the world’s most versatile vegetables. Use it fried, boiled, or mashed, yuca is a nutty-flavored starch tuber native to South America that is also found in Asia and parts of Africa. Together with other tropical root vegetables like yam, taro, plantains, and most notably, the potato, it is an indispensable part of the carbohydrate diet for many.

At first sight, it’s easy to mistake a plantain for a banana. Although they look a lot like bananas and are close relatives, plantains are very different. They are not always sweet, and are used as a starch in many recipes, especially in Latin American, African, and Asian cuisines. Plantains are sold in the fresh produce section of the supermarket, usually resembling large green bananas although ripe plantains may be black in color. Plantains are also longer than bananas and have thicker skins.

PIONEERS OF THE FROZEN TROPICAL FOOD INDUSTRY
Big Banana® is the original plantain brand that pioneered the frozen tropical food industry over 35 years ago. Starting with frozen green plantain tostones, the Big Banana® brand has grown to include a range of value-added, ready-to-eat plantain products—ranging from tostones in several styles to ripe plantains in various cuts.

WHAT ARE TOSTONES?
Tostones are crispy, hash brown-like rounds that are made from green plantains, which are picked at the peak of perfection, and then sliced and fried twice to create a crispy, golden toston round. Unlike yellow plantains, green plantains are much starchier and not as sweet the ripe plantains used to make maduros.

For many, the first exposure to a plantain is in the produce section of their local grocery store when they see a funny-looking banana. Upon further examination, it becomes clear that this “banana” seems larger, has a thicker skin, and unlike the smooth, yellow bananas typically found in grocery stores, these larger plantains are available in a range of colors as they ripen, from green to yellow to mostly black. It is clearly related to the banana, but if it isn’t a banana, then what is it? Is it even a fruit?

According to Fruits and Veggies- More Matters—a health initiative spearheaded by the Produce for Better Health Foundation in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)—the plantain is actually a…fruit!