01 Jun 2026 Great new culinary twist to herbs
New frozen herb pops redefine convenience and sustainability…. yet more impressive NPD out of Israel….
Innovative flash frozen herb spheres by agrifood company, Kad Bnei Darom, offer fresh herb accessibility and lower prep time and costs for chefs and home cooks.
Dubbed Cuca frozen pops, they are a new format for flash-frozen fresh herbs, merging convenience with eco-consciousness.
Kad’s refashioned minced herbs are transitioned into uniform spheres sealed in flexible pouches that require no individual wrapping. Each pop delivers 15g of frozen fresh herbs.
Beyond their role in saving valuable freezer space, the novel nearly packaging-free delivery system is environmentally friendly, eliminating the need for plastic trays, including the plastic sealing films. This cuts packaging costs as well as the waste of highly perishable herbs.
Freeze, pop, and drop
Developed in collaboration with Practical Innovation, an innovation development firm, Cuca frozen pops help cooks and chefs in homes or commercial kitchens save time and labour washing and chopping fresh herbs.
They can simply pop and drop the frozen herbs straight into the recipe with ease. There’s no compromise on quality or having to struggle with complex packaging to access the herbs. They provide precise portion control, and maintain the herbs’ texture, flavour, and nutritional value even after defrosting.
“We have been in the business of growing fresh produce and creating artisan products for more than 50 years,” proclaims David Ben-Ze’ev, CEO of Kad Bnei Darom. “While honouring our traditional roots, Cuca Pops mark Kad’s expanding foothold in food innovation, bringing vibrancy, ease, and environmental consciousness into every kitchen. Our product is creating a new category in the global fresh herbs market, valued at tens of billions of dollars.”
Kad operates a near-fully vertically integrated operation, growing herbs with partner farmers in the Arava desert. The herbs go from field to frozen at the source soon after harvest, without any intermediary packaging. This serves to lock in “just-picked” flavour, aroma, colour, and nutritional value of the fresh produce.
The fresh herbs are frozen using advanced IQF technology for the creation of perfect spheres that don’t stick to each other inside the pouch. This allows for seamless extraction and prevents rapid thawing while ensuring structural stability throughout freeze/thaw cycles. The herb pops maintain their form even when left outside the freezer.
The herbs pops currently come in six varieties: garlic, onion, parsley, cilantro, dill, and basil. They are 100% natural and contain no added or artificial ingredients.
“These individual, quick-use frozen herb balls were crafted to respond to demands for top quality natural ingredients that provide convenience, precision, and flexibility while solving the overuse of plastic packaging and food waste,” informs Tal Leizer, CEO of Practical Innovation. “Fresh green herbs are highly perishable by nature and known to be particularly prone to degradation.”
Home cooking revival
Since the Covid Pandemic, consumers have rekindled a connection with the kitchen. They are increasingly embracing home cooking in pursuit of healthier and more harmonious lifestyles, as well as to balance living expenses.
At the same time, daily hectic schedules compel them to seek simple, time-saving solutions that deliver quality, enjoyment, and sustainability without compromise.
Innova Market Insights reports a 30% net global shift toward eating at home vs eating out, with more individuals opting for home-cooked meals. Another likely contributing factor to this trend is that 45% of consumers globally work from home at least once a week.
According to Kad Bnei Darom, the new product is intended for both the retail FMCG food market and the foodservice sector. The company also is open to private label requests internationally.
Cuca frozen pops will be launched at the PLMA trade show on 19-20 May in Amsterdam and Fancy Food Show in New York, 28-30 June 2026.