Et tu, sucre? In the age of low-carb dining, some wonder where pastry arts and desserts fit. Current trends and success often point to high-carb offerings

Prepared Foods, June, 2004 by Hugh J. McEvoy

Every country, every culture in the world, shares a universal sweet tooth. In fact, some researchers state the preference for sweet-tasting and fatty foods has been "hard wired" into us through evolution. Additionally, we often develop, through learning, a desire for various levels of saltiness, tartness and bitterness. In some cases, decadent pastries or desserts combine a balance of all these tastes. Is it any wonder we all love them? And it is no wonder that even when dieting, we resist giving them up.

Global food giants like Nestle (White Plains, N.Y.), ConAgra (Omaha, Neb.) and General Mills (Minneapolis) offer products that count on this built-in preference. The largest international restaurant chains from McDonald's (Oak Brook, Ill.) to Starbucks (Seattle) all count on delicious, sweet desserts to increase sales.

Michael J. Goldstein, vice president of R&D with Love and Quiches Desserts (Freeport, N.Y.), shares his views on developing trends in this area. "The low-carb fad will not last. It will be gone in three to five years," predicts Goldstein. "'MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.] has just released a study showing that very low-carbohydrate diets cause negative changes in people's brain chemistry. The New York Times just ran a story on it. There are actually cases where it is causing reduced productivity in businesses, according to the Times." However, Goldstein also notes that Love and Quiches has created two low-carb items that are selling very well. Both the low-carb New York Cheesecake and a low-carb Chocolate Peek-a-boo. which is a rich chocolate tart, have only 3g of net carbs per serving. Yet, their single greatest new product success is the new "Crunchy Fried Cheesecake," an item that goes completely against the "diet-grain."

Health and wellness is, of course, on the front page of many news stories as well as our customers' minds. But will tomorrow's pastry and dessert trends reflect this? Where do the latest cutting edge concepts and dessert "fashions" start? Most wise research chefs will agree that many long-term food trends, as apposed to lads, begin not as newspaper headlines but in high-end restaurants. >From there, these new ideas make their way to fast casual, then to quick service restaurants (QSR) and, finally, onto supermarket shelves. Small upscale restaurants can afford to take risks and try truly new ideas, techniques and products. Chefs are face-to-face with the customers every night. That makes 365 customer focus panels a year!

It is that intimate contact with the consumer that gives fine dining chefs "the chef's edge" on what the latest developing trends are ... and will be. Here is a look at what one restaurant is offering.

Targeting Dessert Trends

Sugar is a dessert bar in Chicago's trendy River North neighborhood. One of the hottest nightspots in the city, this rising star is different from any other restaurant. The 12-page menu offers only super-decadent pastries, sweets and desserts! No entrees, no appetizers, no salads. Pastries and desserts are the star attraction, and are offered with high-quality champagne, wines and liquors Since its opening day, Sugar has had "standing room only" every night.

Pastry chef Christine McCabe, Sugar's executive chef, shares some of her observations regarding current dessert trends and what she sees for the near future.

"Customers between 35 and 45 years old ,are becoming more adventurous about flavors," she says. "Exotic fruits, and unusual spice/flavor combinations are working with this age group. Younger people, aged 20 to 30, are less open to really 'out there' flavors when it comes to desserts. Even though you might expect them to be more adventurous, with pastries and sweets, that's not the case." For the 20-somethings, chocolate items outsell exotic fruit products four to one. It is the more experienced diners that are willing to experiment with edgy new combinations.

"Unusual combinations of familiar foods or unusual foods used in familiar recipes are what we have been adding to our menu," says McCabe. "[For example,] yams from Africa or caramelized onion in a dessert, [or] green tea ice cream on a red pepper-dark chocolate base. By combining the commonplace with the exotic, the door is opened for customers to try exciting new flavors and textures. Fresh, ripe fruit is also a constant on the menu being used in many items: familiar fruits in unusual recipes or exotic fruits in familiar uses."

Ed Sugi, Sugar's manager, shares his frustration with fad diets in general. "If I had one wish, it would be that customers would be more adventurous and open to exotic fruits or spices. Rather than searching for a magic way to eat huge amounts of snacks, eat small portions of luscious, rich dessert. Try every new exciting flavor there is!" Ed believes tiny amounts of super-rich foods satisfy more than piles of tasteless low-cal snacks or low-carb gimmicks.

The saying goes, "The proof is in the pudding." Of course, manufacturing must stay in tune with customers' current desires. But smart marketers and product developers watch the winners. Sugar has been riding a double-digit increasing trend in sales since opening day and shows no sign of slowing down. And yet, it doesn't feature a single diet item on the menu.