{"id":25399,"date":"2022-08-25T10:08:59","date_gmt":"2022-08-25T14:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-gordon-food-service-canada.pantheonsite.io\/ideas\/mediterranean-flavours-yours-to-rediscover\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T10:00:40","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T14:00:40","slug":"mediterranean-flavours-yours-to-rediscover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/mediterranean-flavours-yours-to-rediscover\/","title":{"rendered":"Mediterranean flavours\u2014yours to rediscover"},"content":{"rendered":"

The cuisine at the cradle of civilization meets the future of dining.<\/h2>\n

At the dawn of 2022, food trend predictions called for more global flavours and health-conscious eating. Mediterranean foods and flavours are poised to help operators keep pace.<\/p>\n

Sail through the Strait of Gibraltar and enter a world of Mediterranean flavour that goes far beyond the familiar Italian and Greek dishes. From Albania to Turkey, there are 21 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, each with regional cuisines ripe for adding global flavour and satisfying mindful eaters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe repertoire of what you have available for Mediterranean cuisine is a huge reach, with all kinds of wonderful foods stretching from North Africa to the Middle East and the Baltic region to the Iberian Peninsula,\u201d said Gordon Food Service\u00ae Consulting Chef Nicholas Gonring. \u201cAnd from a health perspective, it\u2019s really encouraging that you can cook more healthy and flavourful dishes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start simply<\/h3>\n

Adding Mediterranean foods and flavours to the restaurant menu doesn\u2019t have to feel foreign. It can be as simple as mixing up some dips or adding seasonings, glazes and sauces to a familiar protein like chicken or vegetable like cauliflower.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe foods you select can be approachable and recognizable while being interesting and healthy,\u201d Gonring said. \u201cThere are so many foods and flavours in the Mediterranean realm\u2014it\u2019s a fun spot to play in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Mediterranean foods are Old-World, it\u2019s a new school of thought for some operators. For those looking to differentiate their menus and achieve the sweet spot of being both flavourful and healthy, there\u2019s a lot of promise. To set yourself up for success, Gonring recommends looking for ingredients that can become staples.<\/p>\n

\"Map<\/p>\n

Woo with familiarity<\/h3>\n

Unlike French cooking, where butter and cream are a flavour staple, Mediterranean cuisine offers condiments and sauces with lots of healthy flavour options that can be woven into the menu. It\u2019s all about showing diners how Mediterranean components are constructed in ways similar to familiar foods.<\/p>\n

Gonring offers three examples:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Muhammara:<\/strong> a spicy dip made of walnuts, red peppers, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and breadcrumbs. It\u2019s made the same way as the familiar romesco (roasted tomatoes, peppers and red wine).<\/li>\n
  2. Toum:<\/strong> a garlicky dressing made with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, oil and lots of garlic. It\u2019s simply a Mediterranean version of vinaigrette.<\/li>\n
  3. Chermoula:<\/strong> a North African condiment that calls on cilantro, parsley, scallions and olive oil. It\u2019s a cousin of the familiar pesto.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u201cMost people are already familiar with components and techniques,\u201d Gonring said. \u201cIt would be easy to add yogurt-marinated chicken wings with a dipping sauce to introduce these flavours to mainstream audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \"A<\/p>\n

    Win with healthfulness<\/h3>\n

    Now is a great time for operators to consider a Mediterranean strategy, notes Amanda Goldman, a Gordon Food Service Healthcare Industry Sales Strategist and registered dietitian. For the fifth straight year, the Mediterranean Diet has been ranked No.1 for healthy eating by U.S. News and World Report.<\/p>\n

    \u201cAs operators look for ways to emerge from the pandemic, they are looking for something that\u2019s innovative, interesting and attention-getting,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom a health perspective, Mediterranean is in line with anyone who wants to move ahead with plant-based or plant-forward menus.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Consumers also are looking for new flavour experiences. Taking traditional ingredients and applying a modern Mediterranean twist may be a good strategy.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe pandemic has pushed forward where millennials are making living in the suburbs cool again, but that also means the places they like to eat will also move into the suburbs\u201d Goldman said. \u201cI think the pandemic and the work-from-home lifestyle make Mediterranean an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The cuisine at the cradle of civilization meets the future of dining. At the dawn of 2022, food trend predictions called for more global flavours and health-conscious eating. Mediterranean foods and flavours are poised to help operators keep pace. Sail through the Strait of Gibraltar and enter a world of Mediterranean flavour that goes far […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":26684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,68,123,112],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-catering-small-business","category-culinary-ideas","category-hotels-hospitality","category-restaurant-bars"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMediterranean flavours\u2014yours to rediscover | Gordon Food Service<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/mediterranean-flavours-yours-to-rediscover\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mediterranean flavours\u2014yours to rediscover\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The cuisine at the cradle of civilization meets the future of dining. 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