Handy Seafood and Acme Smoked Fish recently launched products into U.S. retail stores that align with growing consumer preferences for Asian fusion food.
“We are seeing an increase in younger generations with seafood sales due to innovative and regional/ethnic flavors,” Handy Director of Marketing Maureen Johnson told SeafoodSource, adding that there has been a particularly “strong trend for fusion foods that combine different ethnic flavors in new, accessible formats.”
To accommodate these preferences, Salisbury, Maryland, U.S.A.-based Handy rolled out a new Shrimp Birds' Nests product that includes frozen shrimp in two-count and six-count packages. The product, which can be baked or air-fried, includes a mixture of shrimp, sweet onions, carrots, and kale coated in crispy tempura batter, and includes a tangy chili sauce packet.
“Consumers are actively seeking out these kinds of bold, exciting flavors. By incorporating them into shrimp, Handy is meeting that demand,” Johnson said at the 2025 Seafood Expo North America in March where the firm debuted Hot Honey Breaded Shrimp, Korean-Style Breaded Shrimp, Keto-Friendly Shrimp Power Bites, and Keto-Friendly Gluten-Free Crab Cakes.
Aiming to take advantage of similar trends, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.-based Acme Smoked Fish debuted Ready-to-Eat Smoked Ahi Spicy Tuna in mid-October at Whole Foods Market locations across the country.
The wild-caught, sustainably sourced ahi tuna is cured, cold-smoked, and seasoned with a bold chili garlic spice blend. It can be used in poke bowls or hand rolls, as well as for quick weeknight dinners, entertaining spreads, or straight-from-the-pack snacking, the company said in a press release.
“As we traveled the country and listened to our customers, we found that especially when it comes to tuna, sushi, and associated Japanese flavors, they appeal to a broad swath of the country – whether they grew up eating it or found it later in life,” Acme Senior Manager of Research and Development Sam Lopane told SeafoodSource.
Lopane’s research and development team was inspired when creating the new product by “all the wonderful sushi bars here in New York City and the classic American spicy tuna roll and spicy tuna plus crispy rice appetizer,” he said.
“Our tuna is prepared and sourced meticulously, just like the best sushi restaurants, so we thought pairing it with toasted garlic and sesame, chiles, and green onion was the perfect flavor combination and a convenient way to get that flavor and protein,” Lopane said.
