Kerry sees seven trends influencing the creation of flavors.
BELOIT, WI — According to Kerry’s new Global Taste Trends research, foods like ghost pepper donuts, brown butter cheese dip, and spicy macaroni and cheese burgers may provide an indication of 2021 flavor trends.
Reminiscent flavors are becoming more popular, according to a taste and nutrition company, as people continue to favor cozy, well-known foods and drinks. Across a variety of sectors, nostalgic tastes are emerging, from mixed berries, orange, and strawberry in drinks to family-favorite dessert flavors like chocolate, peanut butter, apple, and caramel.
According to Soumya Nair, marketing insights director for North America at Kerry, “aside from classic flavors, there’s a growing focus on nostalgic dessert-inspired flavors in beverages, yogurts, and sweet baked foods, such as brownie, apple pie, fudge, churro, and s’mores.” “Similarly, the seasonings and spice combinations added to salty snacks like pizza, tacos, salsa, and mac and cheese are being influenced by traditional meals and side dishes.”
A bacon-sriracha mac and cheese burger was featured in the article as an illustration of nostalgic flavors in action. For a decadent twist on traditional comfort food, the sriracha gives the macaroni and cheese an acidic bite, while the crispy bacon and creamy dairy give the dish a well-balanced texture.
Time of Year
Since the pandemic, consumers have become more excited about seasonal goods because they can break up the routine with limited-edition flavors and new takes on old favorites.
According to Julie Beauchemin, marketing expert for taste, North America at Kerry, “North Americans have come to expect seasonal and limited-time food and beverages that include crowd favorites such as smoke and barbecue in savory for summer, and pumpkin and apple in bakery for fall.” Another popular product in the spring in Canada and the fall in the US is maple.
Fruits like guava, dragon fruit, and yuzu, as well as springtime florals like rose, lavender, and cherry blossom, are among the new flavors hitting the market that provide a feeling of uniqueness to the occasion or season.
Tempting Foods
The paper states that new flavor, texture, and ingredient innovation are being sparked by visually striking foods and beverages. Among the mouthwatering foods that are in vogue are boba pearls, chia seeds, matcha, ruby chocolate, turmeric, whipped coffee, and edible flowers.
“New textures, flavors, and ingredients that enhance the overall taste experience are appealing to consumers,” stated Sian Cunningham, senior marketing insights specialist for Kerry in North America. “While matcha, ruby chocolate, and turmeric give visually vibrant color to sweet products and beverages, whipped coffee, boba pearls, and chia seeds add unconventional textures to beverages.”
Throughout the epidemic, a lot of customers haven’t given up on exploring their palates. According to Ms. Beauchemin, the degree of adventure varies depending on the customer; some are drawn to genuine representations of other cuisines, while others wish to experiment with new flavors in approachable and comfortable arrangements.
“International cuisines, such as Indian curry poutine and Korean kimchi poutine, have increased influence on poutine, a staple dish in Canada that consists of French fries and cheese curds topped with brown gravy, making the dish adventurous but approachable for consumers,” the spokesperson added.
The trend toward unusual flavors is also being shaped by taste exploration, as consumers become more curious about flavors like adobo, black garlic, cardamom, hibiscus, and lemongrass.
“Authentic international flavors and ingredients, like saffron and chile crisp/oils, also add novelty to consumers, especially if they’re unfamiliar,” Ms. Nair stated.In the meanwhile, delicious products like donuts are incorporating flavors of mystery and imagination. Ms. Nair used the ghost pepper frosted donut from Dunkin’ as an illustration.
“In addition to new, spicy flavors, donut brands are experimenting with new flavors like cucumber, mint, and lime,” the spokesperson stated. “Distinctive and innovative fantasy tastes, like unicorn, mermaid, and cotton candy, are emerging in the sweet, beverage, and salty snack product categories.”
As a result of the snackification trend, Leigh-Anne Vaughan, global strategic marketing director for taste at Kerry, noted that consumers are increasingly experimenting with novel and intriguing flavors in little snacks.
According to Ms. Vaughan, “many flavors start out in sweet or savory snacks and then can spread out rapidly from there.” “It’s critical to monitor developments in the flavors of sweet and savory snacks, as consumers may become early adopters of new tastes in this market.”
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Three-quarters of Americans would rather cut back on sugar than use artificial sweeteners, so clean label options like banana, brown sugar, coconut sugar, dark chocolate, fig, honey, maple, and monk fruit are becoming more and more popular. Kerry gave the example of a brown butter honey mascarpone dip. Tangy lemon and sweet honey blend with the rich flavor of mascarpone cheese and brown butter to create the sweet cheese dip.
“There are opportunities to use flavors and ingredients like vanilla, cinnamon, chiles, cloves, and other spices that shape the perception of sweetness without increasing sugar content,” Ms. Cunningham stated.
Beyond lowering sugar content, tastes that are thought to have health benefits are appealing to customers. According to the survey, this focus has sharply grown during the epidemic, with functional ingredients being utilized to add a health halo, including collagen, elderflower, ginger, ginseng, green coffee bean extract, lavender, mint, reishi mushroom, and turmeric.
According to Karine Tetreault, strategic marketing manager for beverages, North America at Kerry, “consumers are looking for products with added functionality to help improve their personal health priorities, ranging from probiotics and ginger for immune and digestive support, to adaptogens including moringa and turmeric for stress support, to green coffee bean extract and cordyceps to support energy.” Lavender, rose, chamomile, cinnamon, and cardamom are among the florals and botanicals that enhance mood, beauty, or antioxidant intake goals in addition tooffering consumers flavor profiles that are distinctive and innovative.