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| Fried rice |
Food Diary (December 07, 2011)
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and toast
Lunch: Fried rice
Dinner: Beetroot soup, sourdough with medwurst
Baking/sweets:
Medwurst is a Swedish smoked sausage, perhaps a bit similar to the German Mettwurst. What makes medwurst different is that it contains potato flour as a filler. The one I bought today contains 85% meat and fat and about 15% potato flour. Potato gives it a milder taste and a softer texture.
Today's Favourite Photo
Norwegian smoked salmon and hot-smoked mackerel salad
Today’s Favourite Blog
Leatherhead Food Research from the UK has predicted the following top 10 food and drink trends to make an impact in 2012:
1. Health and wellness: This has influenced on the developments of the food and beverage industry in recent years and is expected to continue in 2012. Key priorities for companies will include reduction of salt, fat and sugar as well as the active promotion of health benefits on products.
2. Sustainability: This is likely to be a present and influential trend for many years to come as companies work hard to streamline their practices and supply chains into more ethically-sound operations
3. Convenience: Convenience food is expected to continue as busy and chaotic lifestyles do not allow elaborate home-cooked meals during the working week. New ‘ready meal’ concepts such as meal kits and premium offerings are expected to be developed
4. Flavour solutions: The need for more flavourful solutions such as combinations of herbs, spices and other strong flavours will increase due to lower levels of salt, fat and/or sugar. Furthermore, consumers are looking for more adventurous and ‘premium’ flavour combinations, for example the use of lavender in dark chocolate.
5. ‘Free from’ foods market: There is a growing number of consumers who believe that their general health improves with the omission of certain foodstuffs from their diet such as excluding wheat or gluten.
6. On-going demand for “natural”: The hype around the natural trend has dampened slightly but larger multinationals are weighing up the cost/benefit of switching to natural components (e.g. food colours, flavours).
7. The budget conscious still seek affordable luxuries: Pressure on household budgets will see increased offering of ‘value for money’ products.
8. Quality linked to location: Consumers are more keenly aware of where their foods are produced and sourced and this will continue to impact the food and beverage market in two ways. Firstly, the demand towards locally-produced and locally-sourced fresh food including meat, vegetables, fruit, cheese etc. has not abated and will continue into 2012. Secondly, more exotic ingredients such as Madagascan vanilla will also benefit. The clear message is that location helps to give consumers a distinct impression of the product’s quality.
9. Over 55 and fitter than ever: Longer working lives and a strong interest in maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle is leading to the creation of more products which are tailored to the specific needs and wants of these consumers.
10.Softer claims: The regulatory environment is having a strong impact in the way manufacturers are positioning their products. Manufacturers will persist with seeking out a softer approach to deliver key messages to their consumers.
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yum yum yum yum yum! These look soooo delicious! :) . thanks so much for the recipe! i have a cheez-its addiction. this sounds like a great substitute!
ReplyDeleteI've never had potato in a sausage before - or maybe I have but just hadn't realised at the time. Either way, it looks like you had a far tastier day than I did.
ReplyDeleteThe Swedish sausage sounds very interesting. It's funny because I have almost had fried rice today (I had leftover meat, vegetables and rice), but at the last moment I changed my mind: I prefer my Japanese rice separately. I enjoy its flavour so much... (Otherwise, all the cheaper rice would end up as fried too!).
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know most 2012 trends are positive. I observe however the need of Western populations to deprive themselves of something. It's a pity there is no trend like "high quality, wide variety and moderation". This is what I try to practice.
Interesting list of trends. I have a lot of friends who are delighted with the availablity of decent gluten free products.
ReplyDeleteThat's kinda rice I would love!
ReplyDeletei love the fact that there is a trend for more healthier items. its nice looking at labels that say where its been manufactured and what it is "free" from! :)
ReplyDeleteOhhh how I love fried rice, particularly when its homemade. Yours looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteGluten Free: thanks for visiting
ReplyDeleteShez: I don’t think its very common
Sissi: that’s so true about deprivation. First there is excess and then there is deprivation. Moderation sounds like a more interesting way but I guess some/many humans like extremes!
I have never tried Japanese rice, or maybe the rice I eat in Japanese restaurants is Japanese rice.
Lizzy: that’s increasingly becoming available
Angie: me too:)
Junia: and we will see more of such labels. Hopefully it does not cause confusion
Caroline: thank you
Your fried rice looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteNice fried rice. Those trends sound expensive!
ReplyDeleteMost rice served in Japanese restaurants (in Europe) is the cheapest sushi rice (the Japanese rice for sushi or not is the similar round shape). If you ever see expensive Japanese rice, buy it and you will see the difference. I used to buy the cheapest one and then a shop assistant convinced me I should try a more expensive one (not the most expensive though). Since then I have been addicted to the taste and texture of Japanese rice and I am happy to pay it much more expensive than the basic one. I buy Yumenishiki.
ReplyDeleteI love that smoked salmon photo, it's so clean
ReplyDelete