Bowl of curry with peppers and toppings nearby

 

In This Issue:

MARKET INSIGHTS

Hot Off the Press: The Latest in Hot and Spicy Food and Beverage Trends
Article by Joey Gwisdalla

CHEF'S TABLE

The Future is Hot for Spicy Food
An interview with Chef Andrew Bingham conducted by Chloe Stewart

THE ART OF FLAVOR

The Pungency Primer: Everything You Need to Know About Heat
Article by Shane McDonald, PhD

PERFECTING TASTE

Scoville Scorchers
Article by Robin Boyle

BENCH TALK

The Elements of Heat
Article by Laura Lafond

CULINARY BASICS

Exploring the Pepper Playground
Article by Chef Cory Barrett


 

Julie Heine

Julie Heine, President and Chief Commercial Officer

 

Bring up the topic of hot and spicy preferences at a dinner party and you are sure to provoke a unique perspective from each and every person. Heat tolerance is an individual experience that is acquired and shaped over time. But there are global insights available on consumer heat level preferences in foods and this issue of Crafting Taste delves into those trends, how they are measured, and the designing of future foods with specialty heat characteristics. 

Complex heat delivery systems are a new frontier in food and beverage development. Sources of heat extend beyond all the varietals of chili peppers and include other pungent spices, herbs, and vegetables where sources of heat are perceived uniquely different from chili-derived capsaicinoids on the palate, allowing for a customized, moving heat experience for the end consumer.

I hope you enjoy this issue and learn something new, whether that be the history of the Scoville Heat Unit scale (SHU) or how to choose and dial in heat levels that are most likely to appeal to your target market. Our chefs will share their experiences and invite you to reach out with your questions or product development needs.