Chip News

Seaweed and turmeric rule as hot new flavors in Frito-Lay snack survey

Seaweed chips, so green.

Seaweed potato chips are on the horizon, says a new survey from Plano-based Frito-Lay.

According to Frito-Lay's annual "U.S. Snack Index" survey, seaweed is a hot up-and-comer, along with middle-Eastern flavors tahini and turmeric. Globalization is the big trend, with consumers craving more flavors from their snacks and other food items.

The survey found that:

More than two-thirds (69 percent) say they eat globally inspired foods and flavors at least once a month
More than three-fourths (76 percent) like to try flavors from places and cultures that are not their own

What do we want? Global flavors. When do we want it? Now.

"What Americans choose to eat has become a complex mishmash of cultures and spices well beyond ethnic or traditional silos," says Dr. Christine Cioffe, research and development VP for Frito-Lay's parent company PepsiCo. "That's why we maintain a proprietary database of more than 1,000 global flavor variants and employ hundreds of culinary experts and scientists dedicated to exploring new tastes and flavors."

The Index also found that 74 percent of respondents are willing to try new types and flavors, rather than purchase snacks they've already had.

"It's given us a tasty challenge — to predict, respond, and adapt to rapidly expanding consumer preferences with speed and agility by leveraging technology to ensure we can get consumers exactly the snacks they want exactly where they want to buy them," says Michael Lindsey, whose title is chief transformation and strategy officer for Frito-Lay North America. You expect to read a long sentence about leveraging technology from a guy with a title like that.

Frito-Lay is also using AI technology to identify micro-markets for a flavor or product that might otherwise be missed. Is that even legal? For example, AI unveiled small market segments in the usually bland eastern U.S. that sought hot and spicy flavors.

This is an area for the South and Southwest to gloat, since those areas are more culinarily adventurous — particularly Atlanta and Houston, two cities more adventurous than the national average.

Frito-Lay has been busy creating spicy snacks to meet the need, with flavors such as mole, fried pickles, Himalayan salt, and sweet chili.

The poll was conducted between August 13-15, among a national sample of 2,200 adults.

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Relo News

Oak Cliff Dallas address says bye Swank and hello Indian restaurant

Elephant Indian Bar and Grill

A location in Oak Cliff Dallas that has seen some turnover in recent years is about to see some more: It starts with Swank, the ambitious restaurant from chef Luke Rogers, which is leaving its address at 1115 N. Beckley Ave. after a year and relocating to a new space still to be determined. The restaurant's final day at its current location will be Saturday, July 26.

"We want to give guests one last chance to toast the place that started it all," Rogers says in a statement.

But 1115 N. Beckley Ave. won't be empty for too long: The space will soon be home to Elephant Indian Bar and Grill, an Indian restaurant from chef Praveen Prasannan, an industry veteran with international experience working in the kitchens of hotels and on cruise ships.

This will be a second location of Elephant Indian Bar and Grill following the original that opened in the original Buzzbrews location at 4154 N. Central Expwy. in 2024.

Prasannan says he wants to expand his customer base by bringing Indian food to areas currently lacking in Indian options. He's also opening an Elephant to-go spinoff in the Park Cities, at 5601 W. Lovers Ln. #110.

He also owns Shivas Bar and Grill, an elevated Indian concept, with his brother Prinu, which has locations in downtown Dallas and Allen.

The menu at Elephant Indian features Indian classics such as chicken tikka masala, butter masala, tandoori, and a variety of biryani, the comforting rice dish.

There are also Indo-Chinese fusion dishes, such as veggie fried rice, chilli paneer, and hakka noodles; plus wraps, hummus with naan bread, and thali, a selection of different dishes served in small bowls on a round tray, served with choices of steamed rice or naan.

Prasannan is a forward-thinking chef who has also created a number of vegan items and meatless versions of their signature dishes, including a rare vegan version of butter chicken and Kadai vegetables, a mix of stir-fried vegetables. Prices are affordable, ranging from $6 for a soup or salad to $26 for lamb biryani.

Prior to Swank, 1115 N. Beckley Ave. was home to some big-name restaurants over the years, most recently Beckley 1115, and before that VH, and before that Outpost, and before that, Campo featuring chef Matt McAllister, and before that an Argentinian place called La Carreta Argentina.

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