BM: Why sweet potato?

LD: Sweet potato is about flavor combined with functionality. It contains fiber and beta carotene, so it’s a food with a purpose. Also, there’s a certain level of wholesomeness and nostalgia wrapped up with the sweet potato.

BM: You mention hibiscus and rosewater. How do they apply to bakery?

LD: Hibiscus is another item that bakers might want to keep an eye on, though where it is now is where mango was three to five years ago, it isn’t quite there yet. Some flavor trends are newer and haven’t yet experienced assimilation. Floral flavor profiles, for instance, are still gaining momentum. Lavender was the first of the florals to have an impact in baking, and now rose and rosewater are doing the same. Bakers primarily pair rosewater flavor with dark chocolate products, especially brownies. Last year’s major floral trend was lavender, and it was paired with chocolate, too,” Dornblaser says. “It was a very feminine flavor pairing that took some getting used to, but it was successful. Rose could be the next lavender.” Another floral that bakers should keep their eyes on is hibiscus. It is almost exclusively used in Asian or Caribbean food preparation, but as other florals are included in baking applications, the idea of flowers as food flavor becomes increasingly conventional. Hibiscus might be three to four years away from being regarded as mainstream, however.

Again, these flavors are usually introduced as finished products, as drinks or gum, prior to people knowing and recognizing them.

BM: How is Latin American food trending?

LD: Argentinean food, Chimichurri, and the whole meat eating culture, is popular now. American’s are going back to being big meat eaters. Pisco is a Peruvian cocktail, distilled spirit specific to Peru. Pisco Sour is similar, only with a citrus component and egg white, so it’s a little foamy. Also, ceviche is gaining momentum. So the Latin trend probably applies the least to bakery, at least in terms of flavor.

BM: Where should bakers focus?

LD: One important are for bakery products to be focused on and stay focused on is nostalgia, whether it's flavors or forms.

These days, with the economy as it is, the biggest sellers are any flavors that tie in with nostalgia, flavors with a retro appeal. Bacon is the prime indicator of this phenomenon. I think when looking at the list, most items have a bakery application. Bacon means nostalgia. We’ve seen bacon lip-gloss, I mean, it’s popping up in unusual places. If there's a place for bacon in bakery, clearly in crackers and those things, but the two main flavor components are saltiness and smokiness. That’s where bakers can capitalize.

One thing I keep seeing is a million of variations on whoopee pies and moo pies. It's amazing to me how all the sudden they seem to be upscale and unusual flavors, but they have the same old form and size, brown, creamy filling, so on that they are consistent. This kind of traditional, recognizable and nostalgic item can serve as a vehicle for interesting flavors because the form is so familiar. It’s old fashioned, and people like it. We notice an uptick in supermarket wholesale baking applies. Just as the deli has the roasting chicken smell, same kind of thing needs to be capitalized on in the bakery aisle. Make use of the aroma.