The Culinary Edge, the premier food and beverage innovation consultancy in the United States, has partnered with McCain Foods USA, a nationwide provider of snack and frozen potato products, to develop a new line of vegetable appetizers.
In response to shifting customer tastes, especially among health-conscious flexitarians, the two companies collaborated to launch V’DGZ, a range of plant-based shareables that provide menu staples a playful crunchy twist.
V’DGZ has “meat replacers” and “plant celebrators” such as BRUSSLZ, which are lightly seasoned Brussels sprout halves with a crispy crust; CAULI WNGZ, which are huge, pickled cauliflower florets with a clear, crispy coating; and CORN RBZ, which are crispy sweet corn on the cob curls in a light hickory-smoked batter. These ideas were put through a rigorous vetting process to make sure they would satisfy operators, consumers, and manufacturing standards.
“Over the last several years, plant and vegetable-based appetizers have seen tremendous growth due to consumers’ evolving perceptions of health, environment and animal welfare benefits. Our teams were able to leverage this demand for ‘meat replacers’ and create a variety of delicious vegetable-forward alternatives that diners and foodservice operators can enjoy,” said Graham Humphreys, CEO, The Culinary Edge. “We’re proud to say that the V’DGZ line won the National Restaurant Show’s 2023 FABI award – highlighting how forward-thinking and creative these products are. After a lot of research, collaboration and hard work, we can confidently say that you do not have to sacrifice flavor or fun when eating plant based.”
Find out more at: https://www.theculinaryedge.com