CulinArt's 'Find Your Flavor' station encourages diners to follow their taste buds

CulinArt Group has launched a new cafe station organized around five tastes: sweet, salty, spicy, sour and umami.

Called “Find Your Flavor,” the station is “is all about bringing awareness to our taste buds, breaking them down by the five taste elements and offering a variety of condiments for each,” said Peter Klein, director of culinary development for the foodservice provider, in a statement.

The Find Your Flavor station was introduced at 50 CulinArt-managed school, higher education and corporate operations this spring. At each cafe or dining venue, the flavors are arranged in groups and displayed with signage explaining and identifying each offering. Diners are coached on their customization journey with phrases like “sweet plays well against spicy,” and “the elusive flavor umami is an inherently savory one.”

Managers can choose up to eight toppings, seasonings, sauces and other fixings in each flavor category. These include ingredients such as everything spice (umami), red pepper (spicy), teriyaki glaze (sweet) and oyster sauce (salty). At each operation, the station is arranged to complement what’s on the menu and play into customers’ likes and dislikes. For employees at a law firm in New York City, for example, burgers, soups, stir-fries and ramen noodles get extra shots of flavor from the station's selection.

At the George School in Newton, Pa., students use Find Your Flavor to enhance stir-fries and global bowls. The most popular condiments are Sriracha, gochujang, sweet soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and Japanese mayo.

“We relocated our rice cookers closer to the Find Your Flavor station to encourage it further,” said Fred Long, director of dining services. “Experimentation with this concept is limited only by imagination—of which our students have plenty.”

The station’s debut at the school included educational tables led by a CulinArt dietitian, where students sampled the various flavors. Teaching kitchens were also part of the launch, providing students with the opportunity to learn the science of each taste, and how toppings, sauces and fixings can enhance the flavor of a dish.

At Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles, Find Your Flavor is included with the purchase of any entree or hot side dish, according to Meghan Lambert-Jackson, director of dining services. But even students who bring lunch from home use it to pump up the flavor of their food, paying per ounce. Spicy and sweet flavors are the most popular, including sweet and sour sauce, barbecue sauce and sambal olek, the Indonesian chili paste.

“Everyone loves the addition of the Find Your Flavor station,” said Lambert-Jackson. “It’s a fun way to change up your meal and make your own creation.”