DR. SMOOTHIE – Frappes & ADDins

Leafy Greens ADDins

As summer quickly approaches and temperatures begin to rise, frappes and smoothies are becoming more popular with customers. Dr. Smoothie has introduced four new frappe flavors to the Cafe Essentials line: Chocolate Mint Chip, Horchata, Java Chip, and Kona Mocha. Touting less sugar and truer flavors, these four new “gourmet specialty frappe” flavors offer added dimension to any menu, and are sure to please your customers with their authentic taste.

With healthy veggie trends continuing to grow, Dr. Smoothie has also introduced an easy way to get your “5 [servings] a day” with their new beverage blend-ins; Dr. Smoothie ADDins are available in Leafy Green and Veggie blends, as well as the per-existing customer-favorite, Yogurt Lover’s Plus concentrate blend. Add a single scoop of these nutrient-packed supplements to any smoothie concentrate for that daily dose of fruits and veggies that your customers are looking for.

TORANI® – Chai Concentrates

Torani Tradition Chai (left) vs. current category leader (right). Credit: C. Graiff

Keeping up with current trends, Torani® has introduced Chai concentrates to their product line-up, available now in both Traditional and Spicy flavor profiles. Made with all-natural spices including cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves and allspice, these concentrates provide an ideal upgrade from traditional mainstream chai concentrates and offer a “well-rounded and balanced combination of sweetness, tea, and spice.” Chai has year-round appeal as it can be served hot, over ice, blended, and even “dirty” with an espresso shot. Compare Torani® Chai to your current brand and you’ll be sure to taste and see the difference!

MONIN®- Hawaiian Island & Cookie Butter Syrups

Monin® released two new innovative flavors this spring made with pure cane sugar and natural flavors: Hawaiian Island and Cookie Butter. Blending the fresh tropical fruit flavors of passion fruit, guava, and orange, Monin® Hawaiian Island syrup is an on-trend flavor that provides an “authentic, multidimensional flavor for crafting memorable specialty beverages.” Perfect for specialty coffees, milkshakes, and cocktails Monin® Cookie Butter syrup provides an indulgent coupling of spices and speculoos cookie flavoring. This versatile syrup is ideal for hot or frozen coffee beverages or specialty cocoas, milkshakes and cocktails. Both syrups are Kosher, Halal, Vegan, GMO free, dairy free, and gluten free and are now available through Houston’s!

DAVID RIO – Cub Chai Super Concentrate

Jodet, of David Rio, discussing product with a show attendee at SCAA 2016. Credit: C. Graiff

Described as the “audacious extensions of the original Cub Chai line”, David Rio recently released their Cub Chai Super Concentrate. The new 5:1 concentrate utilizes the same high-quality organic spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and ginger) combined with organic Indian black tea for a super tasty, all natural, and vegan chai beverage. Already being served at the organization’s Chai Bar in San Francisco, Cub Chai Super Concentrate can be served hot or cold and “offers your customers a creamy, less sweet, and distinctively spicy chai latte that will have them raving.” Continuing their commitment to supporting animal welfare, David Rio has designed the packaging so that both the bottle and full shrink label are 100% recyclable. Contact us today to request a sample of this “chai perfection.”

SCAA 2016: You may have seen it…

As a redistributor in the foodservice industry, we at Houston’s like to utilize our time at industry shows not only catching up with vendors and customers alike, but also perusing the show as attendees – to see what’s new, what’s trending, and what the “next best thing” might be. At SCAA in Atlanta this past month we had the opportunity to taste new products launched by various vendors.

Add A Scoop (C. Graiff)

Crafted for those with an active lifestyle, Add a Scoop by Smoothie Essentials provides an alternative source of dailynutrients. Eighteen tasteless blends including Antioxidant, Probiotics, Energy, Protein and even a Matcha premix provide a wide variety of options that won’t affect the flavor of your smoothies, frappes, and oatmeals. All Add a Scoop supplements are tasteless as well non-GMO, gluten-free, and certified Kosher, Halal and Vegan.

Powdered frappe, gelato and specialty beverage manufacturer Frozen Bean debuted their latest project, Cocktail Lab, at SCAA. “At Cocktail Lab, we source the finest, all-natural ingredients from around the world to create rimmers that pair beautifully with your favorite beverages.” From coffees to teas, beers to cocktails, and even frappes – Cocktail Lab now allows your customers to experience their favorite beverages in new and exciting ways.

Not to miss out on the dairy-free trend, Frozen Bean also debuted a dairy-free version of their Belgian Hot Chocolate mix that substitutes coconut milk as the dairy alternative. The light coconut notes accent the sweet chocolate flavor without detracting from the creamy quality.

Industry leader in the non-dairy beverages segment, Pacific Foods, continues to promote their new Barista Series line of dairy-alternatives. Created to withstand the high heat involved with foaming, the Barista Series delivers a consistent and smooth micro-foam while complimenting the flavor of your coffee or espresso making the line “perfect for latte art.”

Making their U.S. debut, France-based Chocolaterie Monbana® (Monbana®) created a stir with their indulgent beverages in the gourmet powdered frappe and powdered chocolate segments. Started in 1934, Mobana® is now on its third generation of family owners, all of whom have had a deep passion for premium-quality chocolate. Their continued success has been attributed to respect for European traditions, the use of high-quality ingredients, and continuous innovation.

International Barista, Geoffroy Maubon, discussing Monbana with an SCAA Show attendee (C. Graiff)

Mobana® offers a wide range of extremely versatile products and flavors, providing for the needs of all establishment types in every season. From lucious frappe, to indulgent drinking chocolates and delightful dark chocolate accompaniments, Monbana® has a product to please any demographic. “This isn’t you mother’s Swiss Miss,” one attendee stated after tasting the decadent Trésor Hot Chocolate served up by famed International Barista Geoffroy Maubon. Maubon has been crucial in the development of Monbana®’s product line, developing unique recipes (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) that highlight the versatility of these premium products, showing that frappe mixes and hot chocolates are not just for coffee shops anymore.

If you didn’t attend SCAA, or didn’t get a chance to stop by the Monbana® booth, we heavily suggest you stop by their booth (#819) at Coffee Fest in Dallas, Texas. With the help of Brandenburger-FBG, Monbana® products will be available for U.S. distributors to purchase in late-May or early-June. For more information, contact Brandenburger-FBG.

SCAA 2016 provided attendees the opportunity to experience a wide variety of new products and flavors like those discussed above. Did you attend SCAA 2016 in Atlanta? Which vendors or products were of interest to you?

The post Kicking off the Foodservice Show Season appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Torani® – Booth #829

Flavor seekers around the globe enjoy Torani® in their favorite beverages every day. And Torani has continued to stay on the creative edge with new product lines and ideas for the last 80 years.

Dr. Smoothie® – Booth #1408

Dr. Smoothie® formulates its beverages with your health in mind to maximize the benefits to your body. Functional beverages are what Dr. Smoothie® is all about since 1997.

Monin®– Booth #1203

Monin®’s sole purpose is to create flavors that people around the world can easily use in their everyday life.  Founder Georges Monin’s motto La Passion de la Qualit® (“Passion for Quality”) became the Monin® slogan.

Pacific® Foods – Booth #1736

Pacific® Foods has one simple goal- to make tasty, healthy foods with integrity. Making foods it can be proud of is as much about the ingredients it uses and the way those ingredients are grown, as it is the actual recipe. And GMO’s? Not on Pacific® Foods’ watch.

David Rio™ – Booth #1536

David Rio™, makes chai because it is inspired by traditional Indian milk tea, and it set out to blend Eastern traditions with Western style to create America’s Premier Chai.

Urnex® – Booth #1409

Urnex® doesn’t make coffee or coffee equipment; it helps make them better. With over four generations of experience, Urnex® is the world leader in specialty cleaning products for coffee and espresso equipment.

Mocafé™ – Booth #429

Innovative Beverage Concepts Inc., creators of Mocafé™, has been a leader in developing award winning cafe beverages since 1996. Come taste and compare the difference real ingredients make.

Vitamix® – Booth #707

Since 1921, The Vitamix® Corporation has been an award-winning innovator in blending technology. It is a quality-based organization creating, producing, and marketing high performance, durable, reliable, and innovative equipment.

Espresso Supply Inc. – Booth #1137

Espresso Supply, Inc. has used its expertise to develop a full line of espresso accessories and small wares designed to facilitate the operation of an espresso bar or coffee business.

Cappuccine® – Booth #813

Many people don’ know that Cappuccine® created the first blended iced coffee mix over 15 years ago. Today, its product line consists of more than 20 gourmet flavors that are proudly served all over the world.

Add a Scoop™ – Booth #1621

The Add a Scoop™ by Smoothie Essentials line of products fits an active life style. Being a powder they travel well – from hikes to back packing to vacations. Add a Scoop™ Blends are a wide range of functional supplements; see which one works for you.

The Frozen Bean – Booth #1808

The Frozen Bean, their passion is to create the finest beverages, using only the highest quality ingredients sourced from around the world.

Zojirushi – Booth #817

Zojirushi Corporation began operation more than 90 years ago with the launch of its first glass-lined vacuum bottle. Improving customers’ quality of life through creation of innovative products remains the heart of Zojirushi’s corporate philosophy.

Straw Propeller Gourmet Foods – Booth #1813

Straw Propeller Gourmet Foods offers 15 flavors of oatmeal and 5 flavors of muesli. All of its artisan products are made with certified gluten-free oats, non-GMO, all-natural and kosher certified ingredients.

Remember, if any of these vendors have hot new products you need in your restaurant or warehouse, call Houston’s to see how we can help.

Credit: All of the above company descriptions were paraphrased from the vendor’s website linked to the vendor name. The logos are also courtesy of the vendors.

The post See you at SCAA Atlanta! appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Image courtesy of Pixbay

What is Matcha?

Matcha is primarily a powder made of ground green tea.  Coming to the United States from Japan, it is one of the primary ingredients in a Japanese tea ceremony or chado meaning “the way of tea.”  The highest quality of matcha is also called ceremonial matcha to honor the ceremony.  The tea powder is made in a very particular fashion including a fine sieve, exact boiling water temperature, and a specific way to whisk with a specially designed bamboo whisk.  All of this is to create a perfectly mixed and frothy green drink.

Matcha is made from green tea which is full of antioxidants because it uses the entire green tea leaf rather than just stepped leaves. It is made through a meticulous process including growing the plants in shade, hand picking primarily the top leaves, steaming them, air-drying the leaves, and finally grinding them into a fine powder.  The leaves are also de-veined and the stems are removed before the powder is made.  You can see how this process will create a very high quality product.

What is so great about Matcha?

Having the entire leaf also allows for more of the antioxidants and amino acids like L-Theanine to be present in the drink.   All of these claim to help protect against heart disease and cancer while also detoxing and boosting your metabolism because you consume the entire leaf.  Some studies even say it will help prevent aging.  The L-Theanine that produces a feeling of “alert calm” which is a great way to get the same caffeine buzz of a cup of coffee without the accompanying jitters.

As with regular green tea it also contains catechins which are said help boost belly fat-burning.  It is a great additive for anyone who is looking for help to lose a little weight.  However, it helps to remember that a green tea latte with extra pumps of vanilla will probably counter act any weight loss effect.

Hot Matcha Mint Chip, Image courtesy of Dr. Smoothie

More than just tea

Some say that the new interest in matcha could show a lifestyle change for our society, a transition including the mindset and time it can take to make the tea.  The time and process it takes to make traditional matcha can be much like a meditative practice as it is meant to be in traditional ceremonies.  A traditional Japanese ceremony is meant to combine the inner and outer worlds through various actions that must be done precisely.  The principles of chado are harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.  Sounds a lot like meditation doesn’t it?

While the original way of making matcha is still popular, and quite the experience, customers have found new ways to order it at their local coffee shops and restaurants. David Rio offers Power Chai® Matcha and Tea Frost Japanese Matcha. This makes a prefect drink for customers who want a new flavor but don’t have time, or inclination, to learn the ceremony.  Customers who just want to brighten their daily smoothie can add a scoop of supplement like Matcha Green Tea Premix by Add a Scoop Supplements.  Other chefs have put matcha in muffins, ice cream and cocktails.  They find the subtle flavor of matcha can add umami to a dish to round it out with a hint of green.

You’ve met your matcha

Tevana director of tea development Naoko Tsunada said, “We experienced double digit sales growth last year of our Organic Imperial Grade Matcha.” So, it is time to see if adding a little matcha to your menu could help sales.

Call your sales person today to get more information or place an order.

The post Much Ado about Matcha appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Add a Scoop powdered nutritives to boost your health. Photo courtesy of Add a Scoop.

Just as their name suggests, supplements are meant to be an addition to the normal food we consume.  Like many people, if you are someone who is conscious about the foods you eat and maintain a fairly balanced diet, yet still fall short in some nutritional areas, then dietary supplements can be helpful.  They can give you that extra boost you need to help you feel at your best.  A new line of nutritional supplements to Houston’s called Add a Scoop can do just that.  Add a Scoop powdered nutritives come in a wide variety of blends from antioxidant or calcium to smart or relaxing blends.  Wherever you feel you need a boost, Add a Scoop has an option to help fill in the gap.  While some people avoid supplements because they find them unpleasant to eat, Add a Scoop Blends have no color or flavor so they mix well in your drink of choice, oatmeal, or whatever you choose to add a scoop to.

Besides gaps in diets, certain health conditions can cause you to develop an insufficiency or deficiency in nutrients.  Brands like Add a Scoop or Smoothie-Ceuticals® by Dr. Smoothie aim to add functionality to every beverage that you would be drinking anyway in order to make it easy to get your nutritional levels up.  In the health conscious age we live in, being aware of our personal health is important and it’s not a bad thing to have access to a simple way to power up.  Which boost will you consider adding to your next drink?

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