Dole Packaged Foods, LLC recently released its 2019 Fruit Pairings, an annual prediction of fruit-forward flavors to help operators differentiate their menus with unique, on-trend recipes. This year’s theme, “Around the Globe with Dole,” brings frozen DOLE fruit to street-food-inspired dishes from Asia, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Nothing speaks to the identity of a country, region or neighborhood like signature local cuisine. The street food category hits on such culinary hot buttons as authenticity, “food with a story” and bold flavors—and the Dole website, www.dolefoodservice.com/fruit-pairings, will be showcasing these exciting recipes on a quarterly basis. Each leg of the 2019 culinary journey will feature the distinct flavors and ingredients of specific regions of the world—starting with Asia. For example, Chinese flavor inspiration will come from the Guangdong province, Thai recipes will originate from Isan cuisine and recipes from the Ilocos region will be used to demonstrate the culinary heritage of the Philippines.

The featured dishes are not necessarily familiar to American operators and their patrons—but the Dole culinary team has put a memorable, approachable spin on each recipe. As the desire for authentic global cuisine grows, street-food-inspired foods are ideal for adventurous patrons looking to try new flavors.

• 68 percent of millennial and Gen Z consumers have gone out of their way to try a unique global food. (Datassential, “Global Flavors: The Keynote Report,” November 2017.)
• 64 percent of consumers say they’d be willing to order ethnic dishes described as “street foods” if they were available at restaurants. (Technomic, “The Ethnic Food & Beverage Consumer Trend Report,” 2018.)

Operators are encouraged to visit the Dole website for recipe updates and inspiration, so they can bring the global street food trend to their menus with ease.

For more information on this year’s “Around the Globe with Dole” flavor pairings, full recipes and product information, visit www.dolefoodservice.com/fruit-pairings or call 800-723-9868.