Making sense of the flavor trends

Baking Management asked Lynn Dornblaser, director, CPG trend insight, Mintel Research, Chicago, about Mintel’s 2010 flavor predictions (listed below.)

Mintel's flavor predictions for 2010

Cardamom - Known to be intensely aromatic with a strong, unique taste, cardamom will find a home in more than just ethnic fare. Cosmic Chocolate recently launched a chocolate bar flavored with cardamom and oranges.

Sweet Potato - Candied, fried, baked or boiled...sweet potatoes are one of the most diversely prepared vegetables. Aside from being a delicious snack or side dish, they also will become known as the new functional food, as they are rich in dietary fiber, beta carotene and vitamins C and B6.

Hibiscus - Commonly seen in teas, the USDA has said that consuming hibiscus tea can lower blood pressure. In the future, expect to see it become a common ingredient in the beverage market. Premium Essence Water from Hint now offers Hibiscus-Vanilla flavored water.

Cupuaçu - The taste of the Amazon...cupuaçu is the next big superfruit. And when we say big, we mean big! It contains more than 10 vitamins and antioxidants, as well as essential fatty acids and amino acids. Musselmans launched a lime and cupuaçu flavored apple sauce showcasing this unique flavor.

Rose water - Rose water is no longer just a fragrance. You can look forward to finding it as a common flavor in ethnic foods or, like Ghalia Organic Desserts in Los Angeles discovered, you can add it to your brownie recipe for a subtle rose water flavor.

Latin - Latin spices will be heating up our palates next year, and you won't have to dine out to get these exciting flavors. Whole Foods Market now offers a Mayan Ceviche; meanwhile, Icelandic Salsa Shrimp Cocktail features a spice packet loaded with the popular Latin flavor of cilantro.

Baking Management: How do you approach your consumer surveys?

Lynn Dornblaser: One thing we do on purpose when coming up with this, we don't talk about things in five years, we purposely look close in. Also, the list we arrived at is very much a US list, retail differences are too strong from country to country.

BM: What kinds of flavors do you look at when discussing emerging flavor trends?

LD: There are quite a few emerging ethnic flavors, and we include flavors that haven't been ethnic, but have turned into everyday common flavors –flavors that are not exotic anymore. Sometimes they have a functional benefit in addition to a flavor profile, a functional ingredient. We keep an eye on marketplace fads and trends to see what's attached to flavors, but you have to be careful not to get too caught up in a fad. These are the things we're thinking about when we come up with the flavors for a list. It's partially an art, partially a science. What do we know that's on consumers’ minds, what new products are out there, and with that information, we can predict and come up with a list.

BM: Deescribe some emerging flavor trends.

LD: Cupuaçu is a superfruit that’s emerging, but superfruits are beginning to fade. It has its own taste, but it’s definitely citrus. That’s a product that’s probably a little bit down the road for the baking industry. The whole concept of superfruits, it seems like consumers are less lightly to eat them at home as a regular fruit. Their exotic looks make them intimidating, so they are better off used as a finished produict, often in a juice, but also as, perhaps a pie or Danish filling.

BM: How about mango?

LD: Mango has made the transition from ethnic to mainstream flavor. It is not exotic anymore; in fact, it is a household name. So people do buy mango at the store. You occasionally see mango in baked products, especially in Danish pastry and other sweetgoods, but it’s primarily with more ethnic bakeries. I wonder if bakers are missing the boat on the fact that mango is now part of the mainstream.

BM: Why Cardamom?

LD: Cardamom shows up in sweet and savory products, so a lot of bakery products could use it. It also shows up in ethnic foods and beverages, though not exclusively. This is a super versatile spice, attached to several different ethnic cuisines, but because it can be sweet or savory, that positions it in a place to go far. It's a unique flavor, but it isn't very difficult to get used to. Very subtle, so this one has legs. We just saw a Wrigley Eclipse gum featuring the flavor.