Nailing Novelty Foods

Naked food is often associated with clean, unadulterated ingredients and fresh techniques, but a new limited time offer (LTO) proves “naked” can also mean deep-fried. Taco Bell, the chain known for embedding Doritos into entrees and Mountain Dew into breakfast drinks, has now made fried chicken into a taco shell.

The San Francisco Weekly notes that leaving off the taco shell disrobes the un-ironically named Naked Chicken Chalupa, which is stuffed with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and avocado ranch sauce. This hand-held exploded onto the national food scene Jan. 26, complete with clever Super Bowl commercials, social chatter and even some serious reviews from food critics.

These indulgent hybrid hit dishes also underscore just how far apart the two ends of the food fad spectrum have grown. On the one end are spicy ghost pepper burgers and 440-calorie chalupa snacks, while on the other end are dishes that interpret “naked” to mean lightly dressed green-and-grain bowls and honey-sweetened chia seed puddings.

“Both of these food trends continue to have traction, but I’m not sure about all the trends in the middle ground,” says Mike Kostyo, senior publications manager for Chicago-based research firm Datassential.

Do faddish hooks really work to draw consumers’ attention? If Taco Bell is any indication, these hooks certainly don’t hurt. The chalupa LTO is sticking around for only a month, but Eater and Brand Eating blogs are reporting that “the chain is already testing a spinoff version”: Wild Naked Chicken Chalupa, with a spicier sauce on board.

Grocerant-Ready Ideas:

• Limited time offers for store-made, headline-grabbing hybrids—taco pizza wraps, french fry salads, cup-cookie-cakes
• “Naked” as a descriptor for oil-free dressings, herb-grain salads and other healthful treats
• An array of indulgent and health-minded snacks to hit both need states