Of course, these are not just served hot, they can be chilled and with other added flavours, too. Perhaps a mocha ice coffee or a lemon meringue medley. But, whoa, I hear you gasp – what sort of calorie count does that have? That’s exactly why the world’s flavour houses are working overtime. We all want those gorgeous, natural flavours but without the sinful calories adding to the waistline.
Taste is paramount to the premium experience.
Meanwhile, the move to meal replacement gathers pace. Bartering is already increasing in the economic crisis, say one large bag of cooking apples for a girt marrow. And now we’re doing it in our personal everyday menu, too.
So, if I have this delicious, creamy dessert drink for lunch, it’s OK because I’m not packing away the ham and cheese baguette along with it. We’re also thinking more about low GI, the slow-release foods that make us feel fuller for longer.
It used to be just vegans who walked around with little bags of sunflower seeds to keep them going. Now nuts are big business, and many a canny office worker keeps a little stash for when hunger pangs gnaw and chocolate calls.
What’s about to happen is an increase in nuts in drinks. Take the new almond milks from The Living Food Kitchen: creamy, delicious and with enough nut protein to keep you satisfied for hours. You can see them on show at Lunch 2011.
Horchata was the original Spanish beverage made using ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice and barley, and of course we’ve seen nothing shy of a dozen coconut drink launches over the past year.
Hot or cold, I think we haven’t seen the last of these nutty temptations.
Claire Phoenix is managing editor of Beverage Innovation magazine. Subscribe here.
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