Publisher Ed Avis manned the el Restaurante booth at Sabor Latino, which was inside the Western Foodservice Expo in Los Angeles this week. He saw the following products – most of which were in the Sabor Latino section -- that might interest el Restaurante readers:
Tejuino – Looking for a totally authentic and unusual drink to offer guests? Try Tejuino, a pre-Hispanic beverage out of Mexico made with corn, brown sugar (piloncillo), water and a touch of lime and salt. It’s a slightly sweet, refreshing drink unlike any other on your menu. The product has been catching on in restaurants in Mexico, and now is available in the U.S. through Corazon Mexicano, corazonmexicano.com.mx.
Aguas Frescas – Our friends at Naturas served up a steady stream of samples of their delicious aguas frescas at the show, in flavors including Jamaica, horchata, pina colada, and others. They all come in super convenient packets that are ready to mix with water and ice. www.naturasfoods.com
Michelada – It’s easier today to make the traditional beer-and-tomato juice cocktail Michelada with mixes. For example, Baja Micheladas makes their convenient product available in foodservice-size syrup containers and single-serving cups (bajamicheladas.com). Also, the famous Los Angeles Mexican restaurant Guelaguetza is now selling its own brand of Michelada mix, called I Love Micheladas (ilovemicheladas.com).
Aguachileada – Another spicy Mexican cocktail being demonstrated at the show was Aguachileada, which is similar to Michelada but made with the juice left over from aguachile preparation instead. Now the mix is made especially for the cocktail, of course, but the ingredients are the same as found in aguachile. www.aguachileada.com
Dos Cuates Agave Wine – For restaurants with a wine/beer license, agave wine is way to serve margaritas without spirits. The wine is 24 percent alcohol, which is just below the spirits threshold, and can be part of delicious cocktails. Dos Cuates Agave Wine is a new product; the company also sampled watermelon and hibiscus mixers. www.doscuatestequila.com/
Mazapan – You are probably familiar with the little De La Rosa marzipan candy discs sold in Mexican groceries. Now that sweet, nutty flavor is available in powdered form, which can be used in refreshing drink or as an ingredient for desserts. Imported by Grow-Link Distribution. grow-link.net/
Thomas Telecom POS Systems – If Spanish language in the interface of your POS system is important to you, and you would prefer customer support at the POS supplier in Spanish, you’ll be happy with Thomas Telecom. The company exhibited their POS systems – which include all the popular features such as Waitlist, delivery management, and many others – in the Sabor Latino section of the show. 818-500-2000.
Chocolate – Who can resist samples of chocolate? Vanuato Kakaw offered attendees samples their truffles, bars and other forms of chocolate that they described as “The Chocolate of the Gods.” www.vanuatokakaw.com/portal/
Burrito Wraps, Tortilla Liners – Pari Olefins exhibited in the Sabor Latino section with their tortilla liners, which keep house-made tortillas fresh and easy to separate. They also showed a new product – burrito wraps -- which have paper on one side and foil on the other, and come in a super handy one-at-a-time dispenser. These wraps are a step above the standard – the pattern on the paper side is designed to whisk away moisture while keeping the burrito warm. www.pariolefins.com
Pez Powder Black – Pez Powder, made by Pez Cantina Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, sampled their new flavor, Pez Powder Black. It includes chipotle to give it an extra kick. www.pezpowder.com
Chata Chilorio – The rich, tangy flavor of Chata chilorio cooked, shredded pork was a hit. The meat, which was being served together with sweet corn tamales, is simply irresistible. Imported by Grow-Link Distribution. grow-link.net/
Avocado products – A number of exhibitors featured avocado products. Avo Salc got a lot of traffic to their booth by making sushi-like rolls with their premium avocados. It was a good idea to attract attention to their booth, and it planted the idea for a fun new appetizer in many attendees’ minds (www.instagram.com/avosalc/?hl=en). Guacamolito, which is a new company, offered guacamole made with their chunky avocado pulp in foodservice pouches (www.guacamolito.com.mx/home-1). And Wateke Foods offered samples of their guacamole, including Fiesta Flavor and Cilantro Flavor. (www.watekefoods.com)
Rotisserie Ovens – The Hi-Lite Rotisserie Oven is designed to make roasting chickens and other meats easier. The ovens come in gas and charcoal versions, and options such as baskets for produce, racks for ribs, and spits for chickens. The ovens are made in Peru. www.hilite.com.pe
Mobile Bar Cart – The Barmobile is a cool innovation that lets you make margaritas and other cocktails tableside. Just roll the cart into the dining room and start mixing. The cart is only 16 inches wide but holds 13 to 24 wine or liquor bottles and 50 to 80 glasses, as well as 20 lbs of ice and bins for napkins, tools, straws and garnishes. Barmobile.com