Quick bites: foodie news

Thérèse Henkin features news and new products from the culinary market.

Super fad?

Watermelon is being hailed as the new superfood by some, but food experts predict it’s just a fad. While the fruit itself is a delicious low-calorie snack, it’s the watermelon juice and seeds that are getting all the attention. The juice is competing with the coconut water market, amid claims that it’s packed with electrolytes and L-Citrulline, an amino acid that reduces muscle soreness and boosts performance. But dietitians say that water is still the best way to rehydrate and while watermelon seeds are filled with fibre, much like any other seeds, they have no extraordinary health benefits.

FISH FRIENDLY

A new mobile app will help Kiwis be conscious seafood consumers. The Best Fish Guide 2017 app developed by Forest & Bird provides an insight on how 87 different fish species are caught and the impact this has on the environment. Based on independent research, the guide uses a traffic light system to organise seafood choices from best to worst. The aim is to encourage only the consumption of seafood farmed and fished sustainably. Visit bestfishguide.org.nz or download the app from Apple or Android app stores.

SUMMER SIPPER

Spice up cocktails with new Dancing Sands Sacred Spring Dry Gin. Infused with eight carefully selected botanicals, including manuka, and made with crystal clear Golden Bay spring water it’s a classic gin with a Kiwi twist.

BREAD-A-LICIOUS

A gluten-free lifestyle has just got easier. Iconic Kiwi bread Vogel’s has expanded its Gluten-free Gourmet Buns range to include a delicious new wholemeal option. These soft breads are dairy-free too.

SWEET NEWS

Nestlé claims to have found a way to reduce sugar in chocolate by as much as 40 per cent. The food giant has developed a process that alters the structure of sugar so it tastes sweeter in lesser amounts. While not revealing the exact process, Nestlé says it compares to making sugar crystals that are hollowed.