Fresh Catch, Fresh Flavors: Elevate Your Summer Seafood Offerings

Fresh Origins® - Redefining Coastal Cuisine with Every Bite

Fresh seafood in the summertime has the ability to transport our tastebuds to the coastline, regardless of where your dining room might reside. This week we explore some of our favorite Fresh Origins® items to pair with seafood, from above-board ingredient pairings to sea-worthy flavor combos that are sure to refresh your menu. Explore the high-seas of flavor with us and transform your menu this summer season from stem to stern.

Oyster Leaf & Ice Bud™

Oyster Leaf & Ice Bud™: We rarely advertise items from our catalog as dual pairings, but this is one grouping that we have a hard time not going overboard for. Our velvety, succulent Oyster Leaf provides a perfect bed for the seemingly ice-encrusted Ice Bud™. When paired together, your guests are treated to a flavor experience that is a perfect dupe for a fresh oyster. Feel free to spear this combo onto a brine-y martini as an statement piece perfect for sharing on your social channels or as a complement to a delicate piece of white fish that needs something to set it off as a next-level menu offering. Find more information about Oyster Leaf & Ice Bud™.

Oyster Leaf, Ice Bud™, and Micro Ocean Mix™ with Smashed Persian Cucumbers, Spruce Tip Ponzu, Toasted Kelp Oil, Hijiki Seaweed, and Pickled Shimeji Mushrooms
Jacqueline – Portland, Oregon

Ready to incorporate classic flavors from surprising sources?

The first items we’re exploring host classic flavor combinations that come from surprising sources. If you’re looking to hook new customers, our surprising pairing of Oyster Leaf & Ice Bud™ provides a next-level culinary experience with a 100% vegetarian recreation of a fresh oyster (seriously!). Oyster Flowers provide a delicate flavor of fresh oyster brine, with the added benefit of terrific blue and pink flowers, Fennel Bud, with their sweet-anise flavor, and Micro Wasabi™, with it’s hot Wasabi character, round out some of our favorite items that are sure not to leave your menu high-and-dry.

Oyster Flower

Not to be outshone by the Oyster Leaf & Ice Bud combination, Oyster Flowers bring their own oyster-forward flavor to menu offerings, with the added bonus of delicate blue and pink bell-shaped flowers. Add to seafood salads or pair with scallops, shrimp, or event fresh fruit for a salty burst of ocean freshness on your next menu offering. Find more information about Oyster Flower here.

Fennel Bud

The sweet-anise forward Fennel Bud brings the classic anise-seafood pairing into clear focus. Fennel Bud showcases spectacular gold blossoms on an attractive green stem that is sure to create a groundswell of support from your most discerning customers. Fennel Bud can be broken apart and used as a flavor component in a number of applications, or place whole across entrees, desserts or cocktails for a memorable and dramatic final touch. Find more information about Fennel Bud here.

Micro Wasabi™

Talk about a classic seafood flavor combo, right? Micro Wasabi™ is an item that made us famous amongst high-end chefs almost 20 years ago, and fans across the hospitality industry are still flocking to this item to bring outstanding wasabi heat without the outstanding wasabi cost or hassle. Drop a couple stems of Micro Wasabi™ on any raw fish application and you’ll immediately see the value of adding this item to your menu. If you’re feeling adventurous, use this as a bed of greens or a component in side salads to bring an Asian-inspired flare to your next creation. Find more information about Micro Wasabi™ here.

Want to master flavor combinations for summer seafood?

Our second set of items were hand picked to provide huge value to your dishes, with little to no prep. Our Micro Ocean Mix™ is a perfect no-prep flavor boost for Chefs looking to reduce complexity in their operations. Our Petite® Sea Beans™ bring the classic combo of salt & crunch to almost any dish, Petite® Nasturtium Leaf lends lily-pad looks with clean, hot mustard finish that lends itself perfectly to seafood and our Shiso Green Leaf provides an attractive, serrated leaf with iconic mint, anise and licorice flavor. Take the bait and add these items to your menu for easy, low cost dish upgrades.

Petite® Sea Beans™

Petite® Sea Beans™ bring a crispy, crunchy, bright saltiness to both raw and cooked applications. These snappy, asparagus-shaped items are a game changer for Chef’s looking to introduce bursts of saltiness or added layers of textural complexity without overpowering entire dishes. Float Petite® Sea Beans™ on classic seafood dishes like cioppino or clam chowder for an instant value boost. Find more information about Petite® Sea Beans™ here.

Petite® Nasturtium Leaf

Petite® Nasturtium Leaf are one of our most popular items, and for good reason. Their lily-pad looks add an edible element of whimsy to any dish and their strong sweet, peppery, hot-mustard adjacent flavor creates a memorable bed for seafood or as a snappy flavor component in mixed green salads. Consider Petite® Nasturtium Leaf a safe harbor for your most vibrant dishes, providing both value and outstanding ROI on your menu with virtually no prep work. Find more information about Petite® Nasturtium Leaf here.

Shiso Green Leaf

Shiso is a must-have ingredient for serious seafood aficionados, offering both an attractive bed for seafood and bold, earthy flavors that pair perfectly with Asian cuisine, particularly sushi and sashimi. Use these pliable, serrated leaves to freshen up dishes with bright mint and anise flavors or float them on an Asian-inspired cocktail for an attractive and aromatic bonus that will leave your guests asking for more. Find more information about Shiso Green Leaf here.