Cocktails with a healthful twist, fermented fruit, and Levantine, West African, and regional Indian and Mexican ingredients are some North American flavor trends for 2020, according to Symrise, a global manufacturer of flavors and fragrances.
Symrise tracks trends throughout the year through consumer insights, menu tracking, industry events like the Fancy Food Shows and StarChefs Congress, and interviews with culinary chefs, pastry chefs, and mixologists. During a webinar, Thursday, the company released five trending areas among the North American Top Flavor Trends it is compiling, and notes how their growth may be impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.
While the 2020 research began before the spread of COVID-19, which has cast uncertainty around business environments, the team of Symrise’s Teterboro, N.J.-based flavor division notes some of these trends seem poised to continue during the current, unpredictable situation.
“Over the past few months, we’ve seen many trends holding from a macro sense,” said Dylan Thompson, marketing & consumer insights manager.
While the long-term impact on restaurants remains unknown, consumers are cooking more at home with pantry staples and purchases are centered on the opposite of the store perimeter with categories like breakfast cereals growing, added Emmanuel Laroche, vice president marketing & consumer insights.
Symrise’s trends include:
Drink to Your Health. Craft cocktails aren’t fading anytime soon but mixologists are getting creative with ingredients mimicking the look and feel of perceived healthy drinks using plant and botanical-based ingredients. Vermouth, a fortified wine that’s aromatized through herbs, barks, flowers, seeds, and spices, will enjoy a revival, said Evan Unger, marketing & consumer insights specialist. A hot area in cocktails, botanicals will continue to be in the forefront. Look for Escubac, a botanical liqueur similar to a gin with notes of cumin and coriander, to grow. Functional juice bar items, like sea buckthorn berry, a “nutrient powerhouse,” will be used as the basis for cocktails similar to other superfood ingredients, said Unger.
In light of COVID-19, Thompson sees the healthful imbibing trend continuing with an emphasis on functional ingredients, especially related to immune health. “Maybe not specifically for alcoholic beverages but juice bar type drinks should grow,” he said.
Fruit Gets Funky. While fermentation is dominating condiments with products like kimchi and gochujang, a sweet shift is coming with fruit as the latest category, said Julia Gorman, digital marketing specialist. Pickled berries, popular in Scandinavian cuisine, have made their way to the U.S. Mixologists are also experimenting with fermenting tropical fruits in cocktails. Ume Boshi, a sour Japanese plum traditionally served over rice, is expected in more culinary applications, as is fermented cacao pulp, a byproduct of cacao beans that chefs have begun salvaging through fermentation.
Fermentation has been around for centuries and this trend could potentially continue with people doing more recipe experimenting at home during COVID-19, said Thompson.
Spice & Salt Meets Sweet. Sweet and salty are a classic combination and now spice is adding complexity, said Beau Collins, marketing and consumer insights specialist, who points to harissa resurfacing in sweets as an example. Wasabi has seen 33 percent growth used in sweet applications, including a Wasabi Oreo released in China, and Collins pointed to more wasabi and white chocolate pairings in the future. Curry is another trend in sweets as Indian food gains wider mainstream acceptance. The growing popularity of North African and Mediterranean cuisine and their use of preserved lemons is helping grow salted citrus flavors, including lemons, limes, and grapefruits, in desserts. And smoked salts, a 2.0 version of flavored salts, are poised for growth, continued Collins.
Sweets and spices are another trend Thompson said could withstand COVID-19 uncertainty because consumers are cooking at home more during self-isolation.
Incredible Spreadables. Global flavors in spreads are prevalent, said Thompson. Amba, from Iraq, is a tangy mango pickled spread made with turmeric. He also reported that chintestle, a smoked Oaxacan chile paste, is trending and that tahini will be branching into sweets like cookies and crème brulee. Beans, especially fava beans, are being converted into dips and spreads as well.
Global Horizons. Flavors from around the world continue to trend, said Laroche, with new regions growing in mainstream awareness and popularity. Rising chefs with Filipino roots will grow that country’s cuisine. India’s regional Keralan cuisine is trending with its Greek, Roman, Portuguese, and Dutch influences. Levantine cuisine from the Eastern Mediterranean, including Israeli, Turkish, and Lebanese foods, is growing with spices like sumac and za’atar as entry way items. And West African food from countries like Nigeria and Senegal continue to become more familiar to North American consumers.
Trends tied to global cuisines help offer comfort in the form of escapism, said Thompson. People aren’t going out, but they are still open to trying new things.
Related: Health, Wellness Trends Reverse as Americans Seek Comfort; ‘Sober Curious’ Movement Impacts Menus, New Products.
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