Customers crave flavor first: the way into consumers' hearts is by making authentic, full-fat and delicious desserts. Whittling out fat, carbs and calories does not fool them one bit

Prepared Foods, August, 2005 by J. Hugh McEvoy

Americans may well be reeling from the latest "new" dietary recommendations. Just as they were beginning to understand the old pyramid, the new version is being rolled out--well, actually 12 of them. (So it will be easier for consumers to understand.) Margarine was good, and butter was bad. Now trans fats are bad, and dairy is good. Does that make butter good? Carbs were good, then bad, then good again.

How is this never-ending nutritional roller coaster affecting consumers' dessert preferences? To find out, Prepared Foods sent its executive chef to some of America's" centers of culinary excellence. There, he ordered, and ate, some of the latest and greatest desserts now on our county's menus. According to the nutrition experts, it was a very dangerous job, but someone had to do it/Here is" what was learned.--Eds.

Nestled in a beautiful hillside, overlooking California's Napa Valley, sits majestic Grey Stone Mansion--The Culinary Institute of America's (CIA, Hyde Park, N.Y.) crown jewel. The chefs trained at CIA influence culinary trends across America and around the world. A recent visit to the mansion, also known as the "Gray Lady," was quite telling. A grand event was being catered on the garden terrace, and what extraordinary dessert was being served? Something new; something healthy? No, the dessert served was what the customers had ordered: a traditional, classic strawberry shortcake. It was perfect, delicious, decadent--and very high-carb.

Meanwhile, in view of the Golden Gate Bridge, dozens of trendy upscale San Francisco restaurants were serving numerous variations on a single theme--chocolate. Almost every menu had more than one chocolate item, and on most, it was the top seller. Every restaurant also had at least one item containing fruit. But, in most cases, it was covered with yummy sauce, toppings, or sitting on a piece of cake.

What about New York City? Chef Nobuyuki Matsuisa of Nobu Restaurant is serving a Chocolate "Bento Bo." In Portland, chef Greg Higgins creates his signature Chocolate Bread Pudding. Meanwhile, at Abacus restaurant in Dallas, chef Kent Rathbun is wowing customers with his Abacus Chocolate Tart.

In Miami, dessert menus have seen a recent and ongoing simplification. In a word--cheesecake. Also, most restaurants in Florida have some version of Key Lime Pie on their menu. However, that same list most likely will also carry four or five types of cheesecake. Why are they there? The customers insist on it.

Then there is Omaha; perhaps our last, best defender of good old "steak and potatoes cuisine"--a true American classic, if ever there was one. M's restaurant may be the best place to eat in Omaha's Old Market section. Although the gourmet chefs at M's may have fretted a bit about the low-carb craze, they stuck to their guns--and also have listened to their customers. The dessert menu at M's is all about chocolate, sugar and cream.

On the restaurant menus in New Orleans, Los Angeles and Boston, chocolate desserts and rich cakes "garnished" with fresh fruit appear. Not a low-cal item is to be seen. What is going on?

Net Carb Backlash?

The National Restaurant Show in Chicago is the perfect place to investigate what manufacturers are selling to chain restaurants. It also is a great place to get "off the record" comments on various works in progress. At booth after booth, the same thing was seen. Very few truly healthy desserts were being displayed. Here, too, chocolate desserts and cheesecake were the star attractions. When asked about new dessert products in the pipeline, no one mentioned anything really new or innovative. Many of the biggest players seemed to be focusing on trans fat reduction of existing items. Others said they were trying to find ways to "get additional fiber" into their products. The misleading term "net carb" seems to have completely disappeared from people's vocabulary in the foodservice industry. Customers visiting the show, looking for products, said they are still interested in healthy items. However, many have grown weary of ever-changing recommendations. Consumers are seeking a long-term answer. Most have tried a number of diet or healthy foods, and most have not continued to buy those products. Overall, they shared a few common views.

1. Dessert is not the primary meal. It is the "treat" at the end of a meal. Many view dessert as a reward for eating a healthy main item. Many will skip other high-calorie items to "allow" for a great-tasting dessert.

2. When dining out, many are less interested in healthy desserts than when eating at home. Since a restaurant dessert is a special treat, it must be extraordinary and taste extraordinary to meet customers' expectations.

3. When dining away from home, the expectation is that a dessert must taste better than one could make at home. "Good enough" is not good enough.

4. When in doubt, many customers will order their "favorite" flavor restaurant dessert. In many cases, favorite has come to mean chocolate.

5. Almost universally, customers would rather skip dessert than eat something less than delicious--even if it were healthy.