Kent, Washington, U.S.A.-based Western United Fish Company, which operates as Annasea Foods Group, has introduced two new poke meal kit varieties.
The new items include California Roll Ahi Poke and Sweet Chili Tofu Poke, both of which come in 10-ounce kits. Retail-ready, the new products “offer a new way for customers to easily make poke at home using traditional poke recipe sauce packets with either premium, sustainable, traceable ahi tuna and imitation crab or Japanese-style deep fried tofu,” Annasea said in a press release.
Both 10-ounce kits include fish or tofu with a sauce packet, and are ready to thaw, mix, serve, and eat, according to Annasea. California Roll Ahi Tuna Poke Kit features sustainable, traceable, wild-caught ahi tuna, while the Sweet Chili Poke Kit includes ready-to-eat Japanese-style deep fried tofu, the company said.
Demand for poke has grown exponentially in recent years, with GrubHub data showing a 365 percent increase year-on-year for deliveries of poke bowls from 2016 to 2017. Furthermore, Dataesssential Senior Account Manager and Chef Jennifer Aranas said in 2019 that “healthy functional and plant based are the two arching trends in today’s food culture… and one of the hottest menu concepts is the poke bowl, showing 167 [percent] growth on menus in the past four years.” Other surveys show that 24 percent of consumers want to (but haven’t yet) tried a poke bowl despite a 167 percent increase in bowls on restaurant menus, Annasea said.
“California rolls are evergreen in sushi and fast casual dining; and reliably available as a foodservice item,” the company said in a press release. “To help drive this demand and extend the familiar flavor profile in the market, Annasea’s California Roll Ahi Poke meal kit offers a trendy, in demand product customers can make at home, anytime. Additionally, with 57 [percent] of consumers saying they are trying to eat more plant protein, Annasea Sweet Chili Tofu Poke Kit offers convenient meal kits, serving two to three [people] per 10-ounce kit.”
The two new Annasea Poke kits will be available online at Annaseapoke.com beginning on Tuesday, 18 August. The firm said they will also be available at local retailers in 2020. Other varieties of Annasea Poke Kits include Shoyu Ahi, Wasabi Ahi, Limu Ahi, Spicy Ahi, Albacore, California Roll Ahi, Sriracha Salmon, Garlic Shrimp, and Sweet Chili Tofu.
Photo courtesy of Annasea Foods Group
