Global cuisines have been gaining popularity over the past few years—and when it comes to delivering on the experience, authentic flavor is non-negotiable. According to Technomic’s 2020 Global Food and Beverage Consumer Trend Report, nearly half of consumers—47%—say that food tasting authentic is the most important factor when deciding which restaurant to visit for global cuisines.
For operators—who are already offering global dishes or who want to start doing so—another important factor to consider when creating these meals is the labor involved. Many cuisines involve an array of ingredients and preparation steps, so trimming labor where possible is key in ensuring back-of-house staff don’t get overwhelmed.
Using versatile ingredients, such as cheese, prepared beans or seasoned, shredded chicken can help cut down the amount of labor needed to prepare dishes. This way, kitchen staff can prepare a day’s worth of the ingredient needed for the dishes they anticipate having to make, and they won’t have to start from scratch every time a new ticket comes into the kitchen. To save even more time, operators can consider using prepared ingredients that trim labor even more—shredded or crumbled cheeses, for example, or pre-shredded chicken that staff need only heat up and season.
Benefits of prepared ingredients
By finding ways to cut ingredient prep time down, operators can also cut down total dish prep time, so whenever a new order comes in, kitchen staff only has to assemble all of the ingredients needed.
One way to cut ingredient prep time is to purchase it already prepped. That is, buying ingredients such as authentic cheeses in formats that are ready to be used—that don’t need to be shredded or grated, for instance.
Imagine staff not having to dedicate any time to preparing cheeses to be used in menu items—even if a large block of cheese only takes 10 minutes to be fully grated and stored, that’s 10 minutes multiplied by how many shifts, how many days—how many years? That small amount of time adds up, and it can mean fewer customers served or longer wait times—neither of which are great for the customer.
Choosing authentic, convenient ingredients
Of course, when choosing convenience, operators should still make sure to consider authenticity—that is, don’t use cheddar where Chihuahua cheese fits better. Choose a supplier that offers the prepared ingredients necessary to make the dish as delectable as can be—cheeses such as Cotija, Panela, Queso Oaxaca, Queso Fresco, Mexican melting cheese, and more are available from Sigma Foodservice USA and make creating authentic Mexican dishes a breeze.
Available in large-format bags of shredded or crumbled cheese, these products make it fast and easy to prepare dishes diners will love without sacrificing taste, indulgence or authenticity. To learn more about convenient, delicious Hispanic cheeses as well as our other global and local favorites, visit: https://sigmafoodserviceus.com/our-brands
This post is sponsored by Sigma Foodservice USA