This is a special message from McCain Foods.

As consumer tastes continue to evolve, restaurant operators are creating bar menus, small plate selections and snack medleys to meet the demand for accessible, globally-inspired flavors.

The longing for global flavors is reaching new heights. In a report entitled 16 Hottest Food and Dining Trends for Restaurants and Hotels in 2012, Baum & Whiteman, New York City-based international food and restaurant consultants, predicted that customers will find “the whole world on a plate” when eating out. Forward-thinking restaurants will offer “a multi-ethnic, multi-sensory dining experience” with flavors from all over the world.

Operators keen on the global flavor trend deliver exciting new tastes in ways that are comforting and familiar to guests, often in shareable portions that are small but substantial. It’s perfect for today’s diners who are willing to try something new and different but might be leery when committing to a full-sized entrée.

For example, The Cheesecake Factory’s Small Plates & Snacks menu features White Bean Hummus, a spin on the garlicky chickpea spread beloved in the Middle East. Its Spicy Ahi Tempura Roll is a journey through Asia with green onion, spicy soy sauce, and hints of ginger and garlic. BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse tempts patrons with the layered sensations of Housemade Italian Mini Meatballs, which are tossed in Marsala marinara sauce and topped with melted Fontina cheese.

Anchor High Grill in Hendersonville, Tenn., tested a unique new product from the McCain Foods® Taste Travelers™ lineup: Steak Mini Chimis. Filled with flavorful strips of beef steak, whole black beans, corn hominy and a zesty chimichurri sauce in a hand-rolled light, crispy shell, they were true crowd-pleasers. Guests liked the flavor of the Mini Chimis and found the familiar egg-roll shape easy to dip in operator Vern Benke’s signature sauces: Chipotle Salsa and Garlic-Ranch with Cajun Seasoning.

For Benke, adding the Steak Mini Chimis was an easy way to offer global flavors without revamping the entire menu. He simply added them alongside his core appetizers, an array of 13 customer favorites like chicken wings and tenders, spinach artichoke dip and loaded potato skins.

There are many more potential culinary applications for Taste Travelers™ globally-inspired foods. Perfectly sized for multiple menu price points, they have the flavor and versatility to work as appetizers, small plates, side dishes and even entrees.

For example, Old Timers Restaurant in Millington, Tenn., served new Taste Travelers™ Pork & Queso Triangles in a successful new lunch special. Executive chef Joey Marcello presented the corn masa-crusted Triangles, filled with diced pork, Monterey Jack cheese, whole black beans, mild jalapeno and fire-roasted corn, atop a bowl of mashed potatoes drizzled with cheese sauce — pairing a new flavor profile with a comfort food customers know and love.

You could even serve the Triangles alongside fried eggs for a unique twist on breakfast, or pair them with a Santa Fe Chicken Wrap to create a great Southwestern lunch or dinner specialty.

The Taste Travelers™ line can also bring something new to a classic Ceasar salad. Instead of traditional croutons, top the cool, crisp greens with warm Cheese & Italian Sausage Mini Bread Rounds, which combine mozzarella and ricotta cheeses and bites of sweet Italian sausage in basil-herbed bread rounds. Or create an Italian-inspired small plate by serving warm Mini Bread Rounds with rosemary-skewered mozzarella and cherry tomatoes and basil pesto dip.

However you menu them, Taste Travelers™ globally-inspired foods make it easy to please global-flavor seekers, ultimately increasing your menu (and profit) potential. To request a sample of globally inspired Taste Travelers™ and find exciting new ways to menu them, visit www.McCainTasteTravelers.com or call McCain Foods at 1-800-767-7377.