There has been no shortage of innovative frozen products to see and sample at Seafood Expo Asia, the three-day fair in Hong Kong that wraps up on September 8. Exhibitors from 29 countries and visitors from over more than 86 nations have been on the scene buying and selling since Tuesday.
The annual event’s Product Showcase has established itself as a must-see area of the trade show floor providing industry buyers and retailers with an opportunity to discover the latest innovations in packaged seafood products, culinary dishes and condiments that are about to be introduced to the Asian marketplace.
Always popular with visitors, the showcase display area has unveiled more than 220 new packaged seafood items to the marketplace over the last three years. Serving as an industry-wide launching point, numerous product debuts are timed to coincide with the event. A small selection of the value added fare in high profile during the 2016 edition of Seafood Expo Asia is detailed below:
Ocean Bella brand ready-to-cook authentic Nyonya Fish Otak-Otak from Singapore-based Cellmore Foods. Traditionally grilled over banana leaves, the appetizing fish pâté specialty is mixed with an aromatic blend of fresh herbs and spices.
The spicy and savory frozen product is available in three flavors: Red Snapper and Mackerel Fish Chunks, Prawn and Mackerel Fish Chunks, and the Mackerel Fish Chunks. Each may be consumed on its own, as a canapé with crackers or on toast, or even as an accompaniment to rice or noodles.
Also rolled out at the show under the Ocean Bella label was a quartet of barramundi and grouper frozen fish fillets featuring chef’s signature sauces.
Errigal Bay Wild Atlantic Seafood spotlighted North Atlantic Brown Crab Claws handily scored to assist in easy break up and make for interactive dining. They may be warmed up in a pan, tossed and drizzled with garlic butter, or served cold in a salad with a spicy mayonnaise or flavorful aioli.
Headquartered in Meenaneary, Carrick, County Donegal, the company is Ireland’s largest processor of wild Atlantic shellfish. In addition to crab, its wide assortment of products ranges from scallops and whelk to prawns, langoustine and lobster.
Baby Soft Shell Crabs from Kaohsiung, Taiwan-based Gallant Ocean International are wild-caught from mangrove swamps and transferred to sea cages to await molting and eventual harvesting. The product, of Myanmar origin, may be eaten whole with or without sauce.- Lian Ruey Enterprise Co. of Tainan, Taiwan, unveiled Kuro Mirugai Salad at Seafood Expo Asia. The “fusion cuisine” dish features wild-caught kuro mirugai mixed with squid and fish roe. With a crunchy texture and a naturally salty and sweet flavor slightly accented with wasabi, the product can be used as a sushi topping as well as served as an appetizer. It is not only suitable for Chinese-style cold dishes, but also Japanese sushi and Western gratin recipes.
- Easton, Maryland, USA-headquartered Sea Watch International unveiled Sea Watch Whole Ocean Clams. Processed from the Ocean Quahog Clam (Arctica islandica), the product’s foot muscle is taken away from the rest of the body meat and the belly cavity removed. This leaves the largest solid muscle of the clam, which is blanched and topped off with juice.
“According to a post-event survey conducted last year, more than 71% of buyers who attended the 2015 edition of Seafood Expo Asia found new products and suppliers for their business,” said Terri Tsang, show director for the exhibition’s organizer, Diversified Communications.
For those not able to attend the fair this time around, all seafood products featured in the showcase can be viewed online at www.seafoodexpo.com/asia/product-showcase.
