Make way for new flavors. More and more we are attracted to exotic foods topped with wasabi and Thai sauces such as spicy sriracha. And then different dishes from the usual like purple potatoes and flower buds. Also distant spices in place of our own ones such as rosemary and Mediterranean basil. After more than a year of home-made, traditional and 'comfort food' menus, that is, consolers to defend themselves from the sadness of the pandemic, Italians, and all Europeans, are curious about new tastes. The exploration of lesser-known flavors will distinguish the coming months and the trend, emerging for now, will become the rule from next winter, becoming an inspiration for chefs and restaurants. Two analyzes just published by Kerry and McCormick anticipate the culinary desires of peoples around the world.
Explains Leigh-Anne Vaughan, global strategic marketing director of taste for Kerry: "Over the past year, we have seen trends change and accelerate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A taste for nostalgia has emerged for countries like Mexico. and Asia Pacific, with consumers gravitating towards comfortable and familiar foods and beverages like cotton candy and cookie dough, finally seasonal tastes.However, European and American consumers are mostly looking for novelty, surprise, exciting flavors. They are now attracted to enticing, eye-catching foods and drinks to break the monotony of everyday life. They are
exploring the world through their taste buds in search of adventure.
, with authentic yet affordable culinary choices on the rise. In the meantime, for the more health-conscious consumers we will see an increase in requests for menus with less sugar and with healthy ingredients ”explains Vaughan.
The explorations of taste, that is the Europeans, are oriented in particular towards
wasab
i, a typical condiment for oriental dishes and
sriracha
, a spicy sauce from eastern Thailand based on chilli, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt used to season fish dishes . Trendy foods also include plant-based ice creams, tempura croquettes and iced tea with an original flavor.
Among the new dishes, vegetarian chefs from all over Europe will inspire more and more in an 'exploration of new flavors' key
purple potatoes, edible flower buds
and 'trumpet of the dead' mushrooms, very similar to the cockerel, attests the 21st edition of McCormick's Flavor Forecast.
Snacks with emerging global flavors are on trend, instead of traditional lunches and dinners: they range from Indian spice blends such as
chaat masala
to green Malaysian
Pandan Kaya
jams
with which to make cakes or to spread on toast. Finally hot peppers everywhere.
Among the novelties in the culinary field, analysts point out
the new 'water flavors' such as sea lettuce, spirulina algae and sea grapes
(green algae).
Finally, foods representative of health for a strong trend that combines cooking with awareness of one's body, also taking inspiration from ancient practices for mind-body balance. Healthy spices among the coolest ingredients of 5-star restaurant dishes but also on home tables, in particular
coriander, lemon, pure sea salt, cumin, ginger and turmeric
.
Americans also open up to new flavors and, faithful to the barbeque, they adapt it to the
Korean
way
that involves thin slices of meat
to be cooked on mini grids positioned as a centerpiece. In the States we also look to Europe and Irish cream is becoming the coolest among alcoholic beverages. Finally, in the world of flavors, the tables of the Mexicans remain linked to nostalgia who will rediscover their tacos Al Pastor, the classic Mexican dish famous all over the world, and among the drinks
the tamarind
. Even in the Asia Pacific region the flavors remain traditional with a strong 'nostalgia' and comfort denotation with the use of lychee and green mango.
