Hot Topics & Trends: 10 Things You Should Know

January 19, 2015
Flavor Ingredients Trends


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1. Avocado Toast

Avocado toast lovers sent 62,000 tweets in 2014. Perhaps they’ve enjoyed the $10 best-selling avocado toast at Chalait in NYC dressed with radish, eggs and vinaigrette. | Food Network Magazine, DNAinfo.com



2. Flavor with Maple

Maple on the move: Making it easy to add maple flavor to any dish you wish, Tonewood Maple in Vermont sells a maple flavor set: maple cream for spreading, pure maple flakes for sprinkling and a pure maple cube for grating. 



3. Harissa Sauce

Harissa, called "North Africa's favorite hot sauce," could be the next sriracha. It's been spotted in more high-end dishes such as Harissa & Maple Roasted Carrot, as well as adding a spicy kick to the everyday comfort food, ranch dressing. | npr.com, Flavor & The Menu, Bon Appetit
4. Burnt Toast

Burnt-toast powder lends a “nutty, smoky” flavor to sauces, savory dishes and even makes an interesting topping on vanilla ice cream, where it “takes on a malty, chocolate-like flavor.” | Saveur



5. Waffles with a Savory Side

Savory waffles: Food Network Magazine suggests a savory grilled cheese waffle with manchego and fig jam. Seattle’s Waffle Wagon has turkey & stuffing, taco and shepherd’s pie savory options. Tallgrass Kitchen features a veggie hash waffle starring potato, onion and kale. 



6. Persimmons In Savory Dishes

Savory persimmon dishes sautéed with radicchio or paired with crispy pork belly move the fruit beyond sweet treats. You can also drink it: Virginia’s Ardent Craft Ales made persimmon beer this winter from a 300-year-old recipe discovered by the Virginia Historical Society. Vegetarian Times, Saveur, Richmond Times-Dispatch
7. Tahini

“What is tahini?” was a top search in New Zealand for 2014, and Rachael Ray, Jamie Oliver and Williams- Sonoma have all recently posted on Twitter about the sauce. A recent issue of bon appetit featured tahini-flavored cookies, hot chocolate and dates. 



8. Maple is a Top Alternative Sweetener

“Pure maple” has premium positioning with consumers and is one of the top three alternative sweeteners, along with honey and agave nectar. It’s also appearing in more drinks, such as “Hoosier Heritage” at North end BBQ, winner of Indiana’s 2015 cocktail of the year contest, featuring whiskey, maple syrup, apple cider and lemon juice. | Indianapolis Star



9. T is for Toast

Move over, bread basket — Crunchy toast bites are here! Topped with everything from nut butter, honey, yogurt and nuts to trout roe, radishes and kale, there are no limits to the flavor opportunities. Textural and visual oomph are important, with chefs topping creations with a “drizzle, crumble or sprinkle.” Flavor & The Menu, Bon Appetit



10. Flavorful Fig

Just a few of the many fig flavor combos we’ve seen recently: Bacon- Fig Tassies, Chocolate-Dipped Figs, Figs Drizzled with Honey-Syrup, Arugula-Fig Salad, Tempeh Braised with Figs and Port Wine and a Roasted Fig Cocktail made with whiskey, maple syrup, fig puree, lemon, balsamic vinegar.


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FONA CAN HELP!


Let FONA’s market insight and research experts translate these trends into product category ideas for your brand. They can help you with concept and flavor pipeline development, ideation, consumer studies and white space analysis to pinpoint opportunities in the market. Our flavor and product development experts are also at your service to help meet the labeling and flavor profile needs for your products to capitalize on this consumer trend. We understand how to mesh the complexities of flavor with your brand development, technical requirements and regulatory needs to deliver a complete taste solution. From concept to manufacturing, we’re here every step of the way. Contact our Sales Service Department at 630.578.8600 to request a flavor sample or visit www.mccormickfona.com.