Hot & Cool Trends from CultureWaves^®

Hotlips is actually a Portland, Ore.-based pizza company that’s been in the soda business for just the last 4 years or so. The beverage is notable for what it doesn’t have (fake stuff), and for what it does: real fruit from the Pacific Northwest.

A farmer in Tasmania is growing heart-shaped strawberries, and as you might expect, there’s a strong demand for them with Valentine’s Day quickly approaching.

Instead of running commercials with “talkin’ babies or dancin’ monkeys,” as the Miller High Life delivery guy puts it, the beer brand will turn over its TV time to four small businesses that will get a rare opportunity to send their message to millions.

You may think of Girl Scout Cookies mainly as a sweet snack or dessert (and a good cause). But did you realize Girl Scout cookies have become an integral ingredient in a growing number of recipes, both sweet and savory?

Barilla America is stepping up to the plate with prize incentives for families that share dinner together, with a “cause” angle benefiting Meals on Wheels. One lucky family will win a $5,000 dining-room makeover and a year’s supply of Barilla products.

Once again this year White Castle will serve as the romantic setting for Valentine’s couples to share their undying love for one another as well as their passion for sliders.

The flavor experts at McCormick have once again teamed up with leading chefs, food bloggers and other culinary authorities to identify the top 10 flavor pairings and key trends that are poised to shape the way we eat in the year ahead.

What kind of tip do you leave for a robot waiter? None. And that’s the beauty of the Robo Café, a project in development from Korea’s ITM Technology.

Scientists at Birmingham University’s (U.K.) school of chemical engineering are in the middle of a four-year project to find a viable solution for those who want to reduce their desire to snack between meals.

China is putting the finishing touches on a giant Chocolate theme park being built in Beijing at the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium where the Summer Olympic Games were played in 2008. It includes chocolate replicas of the Great Wall and Forbidden City.