Enhancing that flavorful explosion
Chicago Americans began to experience cooking fatigue months into the pandemic; most wanted options with novel and intriguing flavors they could enjoy at home. Several classic center-of-the-plate options were revitalized by the use of flavorful condiments, cooking sauces, and marinades.
Specialty flavors and textures give comfort foods a tasty twist, according to Anne-Marie Roerink, a principal at the Houston-based consultancy 210 Analytics.
According to her, quick-service restaurants have adopted this strategy to cater to a variety of customer preferences. This has encouraged creativity among those who create marinades, cooking sauces, and condiments. These products give home cooks a simple way to present a creative take on a traditional recipe.
Popular tastes
Spice and heat-based flavor profiles, such as peri-peri, curry, and sriracha, are among those that are drawing in customers. When they have control over the amount of heat in a dish, consumers don’t shy away from it. More and more, they are putting heat and spice—sometimes even a hint of sweetness, or what’s known as “spicy”—to various parts of the day.
According to Jill Houk, director of culinary at OFI, Chicago, “the big trend in the sauces, dressings, and marinades space is that they are appearing everywhere, in breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.” They’re among the simplest ways to vary the taste of a dish, and they’re also a really simple way for customers to make sure everyone in the family enjoys what they’re eating.
Sauces ensure that everyone has the particular experience they desire because our family is often made up of several generations with varying affinities for spice levels and tastes.
According to Itzel Rincon, director of sales and new product innovation at Chaucer Foods in Hull, United Kingdom, “Consumers are looking for condiments that introduce them to new flavors and spices.” It’s an easy method to try out new flavors. Customers enjoy it when unusual fruits, vegetables, and spices are combined with their food, but they also enjoy condiments because you can adjust the quantity that you use. Flavors like curry ketchup or mango-habanero avocado spread arouse the senses and give the customer the option to pour or dip the product.
Because hot honey drizzled over pizza is so popular, honey is also a trending ingredient in condiments. Doug Resh, director of commercial marketing at T. Hasegawa USA, Cerritos, California, stated that the adaptable sweet-heat flavor profile of hot honey offers a quick, inexpensive thrill that elevates taste buds. Kelchner Food Products, Allentown, Pennsylvania, recently introduced a smoky maple chipotle marinade and sauce as their own take on hot honey. Howell’s Standard LLC, Marlboro, Maryland, offers hot honey that has been infused with vinegar and pepper. The business has a brand-new mango hot honey as well. Howell’s offers a lavender honey that is characterized as “a delicate floral infusion for those seeking a touch of sweetness” for those who prefer not to be heated.
Investing in high-quality restaurants
It is difficult for the average home cook to recreate the complex layers of flavor found in condiments, cooking sauces, and marinades from scratch. Because of this, the products are a reasonably priced luxury.
Whether eaten at home or away from home, food will always be consumers’ top priority, according to David Portalatin, food and foodservice industry adviser, Circana, Chicago. This past year, there were some reductions in discretionary retail spending that were necessary to pay for increases in food and beverage expenses.
“Value is defined differently by consumers, but price will always matter,” Mr. Portalatin stated. For instance, diners at a restaurant aren’t always searching for the best deal. They are searching for restaurants that serve their favorite dishes or menu items in a high-quality, varied selection so they can indulge themselves.
This also applies to marinades, cooking sauces, and condiments. Both variety and quality are important.
The senior vice president of marketing at Mizkan America Inc., Mount Prospect, Ill., the company that makes Ragu, Megan Frank, stated, “We believe ‘homemade’ doesn’t have to mean spending all day in the kitchen.” “With a rich and savory homemade taste, New Ragu Kettle Cooked sauces offer a smart shortcut that makes mealtime even easier.”
The marinara, roasted garlic, and tomato basil flavors are available in the jarred sauces. They are said to be prepared through a slow-simmering method that results in a refined flavor profile for an at-home Italian bistro experience.
To help home cooks serve authentic Italian dishes, Rao’s Homemade has also introduced two new pasta sauces, caramelized onion and vodka arrabbiata, as well as one new pizza sauce, pizza arrabbiata.
Americans still love Italian food, but they are becoming more interested in trying out other cuisines. According to a OnePoll survey of 2,000 adults conducted in May 2023 on behalf of Fresh Express in Orlando, Florida, more than one-third of Americans say Mexican food is their preferred foreign flavor profile, followed by Italian and Chinese. When utilizing foreign ingredients in their cooking, nearly half of the respondents claimed to feel like a professional chef. Additionally, according to the survey, 69% of Americans said they would be more inclined to make foreign or foreign-inspired dishes, such as enchiladas, if they were simpler to prepare.
Presenting the Twisted Caesar Enchilada, a twist on the classic Caesar salad that comes from green enchilada Caesar dressing and toppings.
Fresh Express, a subsidiary of Chiquita Brands International, vice president of marketing and innovation Fabian Pereira said, “By keeping our finger on the pulse of consumer trends and culinary preferences, we can continue bringing unique products to market, featuring the flavors and premium ingredients consumers crave, with our fresh salad greens at the heart of every recipe.” For instance, over 25% of US restaurant menus feature French cuisine, and 17% feature brioche, according to Datassential. This is expected to continue expanding.
Fresh Express created two salad kits with a French flair as a result of the insights. Iceberg and green leaf lettuce, shredded carrots and red cabbage, crunchy garlic brioche croutons, shaved Romano cheese, and honey Dijon dressing are all ingredients in the French Bistro Chopped Salad Kit. Baby spinach, spring mix, red cabbage, and carrots are combined with flavorful blue cheese, crispy garlic brioche croutons, and a rich French blue cheese dressing to create the French Blue Cheese Salad Kit.
According to a OnePoll survey, 35% of Americans express the greatest affection for the flavors of their native country, even though foreign flavors are still popular. When asked what ingredients they would use to improve the flavor of a dish, 39% of respondents said bacon and over 25% said barbecue sauce.
Savor technological developments in taste
Many ingredients are included in formulations for their non-characteristic flavors, even though the main purpose of condiments, cooking sauces, and marinades is to impart flavor. They offer subtle undertones that the palate may not always detect, but which are the brand’s trade secret.
“Flavor and clean label are the two categories that most of the trends we’re tracking absolutely overlap,” Ms. Rincon stated. “Whether it’s a robust salad dressing, a citrus chicken marinade, or barbecue sauce, people are searching for ways to flavor their food that don’t require a lot of ingredients—just ones they can identify. Nobody wishes to eat an unpronounceable additive.
Chaucer Foods produces a variety of fruit and vegetable ingredients that contribute color and flavor to condiments through the use of freeze-drying technology. They are available in various forms, such as pieces or powders that can be blended into liquid or solid applications. These ingredients are shelf-stable and can be shipped and stored at room temperature before being applied.
According to Ms. Rincon, “the drying process makes them more nutrient dense than fresh ingredients.” “Freeze-dried fruits and vegetables have health and flavor benefits that improve the product without adding unnecessary chemicals or fillers. Nothing is more delicious and natural than the sweetness that comes from real fruits and vegetables. These ingredients maintain all of their sweetness, color, and flavor when freeze-dried. For instance, formulators can use freeze-dried raspberries to make a tasty and healthier version of the widely consumed raspberry vinaigrette, rather than sweetening it with fresh raspberries or unwanted added sugars.
“Taste is king, and that’s where a lot of our focus goes during development,” stated Ms. Houk. The way we plate on different flavors by starting with onion and garlic powder is a great example of our taste technology in action.We used onion powder that had been plated with a roux flavoring to give that long-cooked flavor when we were creating a dairy-free alfredo sauce. By adding flavors to onion and garlic powders, we can avoid our customers having to go out and purchase extra, occasionally synthetic, flavors. When plating flavors to our powdered onions and garlic, the possibilities are endless. We’ve also developed hotter varieties as well as an umami powder with garlic, onion, and mushrooms.
Prune ingredients work in the background to improve texture and enhance flavor. No caramel coloring is needed because their natural brown flavor amplifies brown color, which is often associated with umami.
“A tangy caramel richness develops when fresh prune plums are dried,” stated Kate Leahy, a spokesperson for Sunsweet Ingredients in Yuba City, California. Because prunes naturally contain sorbitol, they impart a subtle sweetness. Additionally, they are used in conjunction with naturally occurring non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit to balance the flavors of low-sugar marinades and condiments.
“A similar to how a few drops of lemon juice can liven up a product, prunes also have acidity, which boosts flavor,” Ms. Leahy explained. “This could enable less expensive herbs and spices, as well as sodium, to be used.”
Cooking sauces, marinades, and condiments are known for having a lot of sodium. While the latter adds viscosity and balances the flavor, the former give consumers the flavor boost they want. Reduced or even no added sugars can be achieved by using pruned ingredients, which include purees, concentrates, bits, and powders.
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Dicing a paste made of prunes produces prune bits. They mix easily into viscous systems, flow freely, and have a low water content.
According to Ms. Leahy, “hydrated prune bits can be used to make barbecue and teriyaki sauces with the texture of dipping sauces and no added sugar.” Our prune puree is a thick paste with a dark purple color and a tangy flavor akin to tamarind or molasses. It gives sauces body, tart sweetness, and depth when used. It works particularly well in Asian sauces like hoisin and barbecue sauces.
“One of my favorite tricks is to help with sweetness perception by adding a hint of vanilla or cinnamon,” Ms. Houk stated. I find that many people associate these flavors—which might not even be apparent in a formulation—with sweetness, even in the absence of sugar. A different approach to reducing sugar intake is to embrace the flavors of bitter chocolate and coffee. To create a distinctive flavor that piques customers’ interest, we occasionally add a small amount of highly roasted cocoa powder and coffee to our barbecue sauce, for instance.
There is much more to sugar and other liquid caloric sweeteners than just sweetness. They are in charge of binding water and constructing viscosity.
Our onion and garlic purees, according to Ms. Houk, “help add back the volume lost if you’re pulling out sugar or water.” “You could use the purees to replace some of the sugar and fat in an alfredo sauce, for example, and gain a lovely flavor.”