Grace Experiments in the Kitchen
Since joining Sitka Seafood Market in 2020, I’ve created several products — like salmon burgers and spice blends — for purchase through our marketplace, and your feedback has helped us immeasurably. We learned that some were more popular than others, so much so that we brought them back once or twice. Others had a more limited run. With so many flavor possibilities, how do we know — or can we know — what will work and what won’t? The same is true for recipe development in general but with much lower stakes.
Many factors go into development. I look at both subjective and objective taste preferences, existing and projected food trends, and reliable performance data, then mix it all together and hope for the best … well, not exactly. But close.
I’ve been professionally developing recipes for decades, and I like to think that by now I’ve got a pretty good handle on it. In the past, inspiration came from working with chefs, eating at restaurants, reading magazines and cookbooks, traveling the country and beyond, and satisfying my appetite.
The Kerry Group, a food and beverage manufacturer and distributor, offers consumer insights into emerging food and flavor trends. They do this by analyzing millions of consumer-generated social media posts among other behaviors to plot current trends and forecast future trends.
Each year they publish regional taste charts that can help shape how products are developed and ultimately brought to market. I’ve often referred to these United States flavor charts when creating our Grill-Ready Salmon Burgers and seafood spice blends. The categories are broken down into Mainstream (top flavors for the past 5 years), Key (next top flavors for the past 5 years), Up & Coming (fastest growing flavors for the past 3 years), and Emerging (fastest growing flavors last year) across several filters. Take a look at the chart and scroll through the different regions. The findings may surprise you.
The three filters that I looked at specifically were Savory, Sweet, and Salty Snacks. I incorporated some of these flavor profiles into burgers and spice blends: lemongrass, chipotle chili, taco seasoning, lemon-pepper, sriracha, barbecue spice, sun-dried tomato, furikake, mushroom, miso, cilantro, basil, ginger, and chili peppers. The recipes go to our manufacturers for an initial run of a test batch, and then to our team of taste-testers who offer product reviews and recommendations. The feedback is weighed and then sent to the manufacturer for another round of testing. Usually, we’re confident by the second round, though on occasion it’s taken a bit more finessing.
To celebrate National Burger Month, we’re launching a brand new batch of ready-to-grill salmon burgers just in time for summer. And as always, I rely on you all for your taste buds and appetites to let me know whether it’s a taste sensation or flavor bomb!
Stay wild!
Grace
