Flavor is ever-evolving. New trends are constantly being set by master chefs around the globe. Exciting blends of spicy and tangy, creative ways to make a dish healthy and delicious, and finding less sweet alternatives are all shaking up the future of food trends.
What are some of the ethnic cuisines creating a buzz in the food world?
Right now, Filipino flavors are trending, we’ll go over why later in the article. Other international flavors that are trending include:
Indian
Who doesn’t love a warm blend of Indian spices over a piece of roasted chicken or chickpeas? Indian fare is making its mark in grocery stores around the world. It’s one of the most popular flavors and everything from chicken tikki masala to chutney is being tinkered with by chefs and food scientists to make it more accessible and easier to prepare for consumers.
Seawind products that are great for Indian products
Brazilian
Brazilian cuisine offers a fusion of flavors that center on fruits and meats. Local fruits like pineapple, mango, and papaya, bananas, and oranges are used in desserts and to balance out hearty, meaty dishes like feijoada.
Seawind products that are great for Brazilian products:
Japanese
Japanese food is one of the most popular cuisines in the world and the reason is because it’s often light, carefully balanced, and uses the freshest ingredients. Vegetables like mushrooms, ginger, sweet potatoes, and carrots all provide a rich, healthy flavors in soups, noodles, and meat dishes.
Seawind products that are great for Japanese products:
Middle Eastern
Middle Eastern food is rich, complex, and offers depth to every dish. Yogurt, lots of lemon, and meats characterize the Middle Eastern flavor and spices like cilantro, cinnamon, and coriander provide balance and harmony in these dishes.
Seawind products that are great for Middle Eastern products:
Let’s take a closer look at the flavors that are adding complexity to several new products on the market and how you can take steps towards incorporating them into your own products.
Popularity of Southeast Asian Flavors
The growing interest in ethnic food is explained by an entire generation of more ethnically diverse and globally connected individuals. Younger generations of consumers, such as millennials, are more curious about trying other types of food and are exposed to different types of food through social media. Food is a vehicle of exploration. For taste buds. For a walk down memory lane. For trying something new.
People’s food preferences are changing and experimenting with international flavors can add variety to your product and entice consumers to choose your package of Middle Eastern inspired chips vs the standard American potato chip.
The growing demand for global flavors reflects a diverse U.S. population. The population of Asian Americans is growing and according to Census data, the Pacific Islander population in the U.S. population is expected to increase 25% from 2013 to 2023. Within the same timeframe, the Asian American population is projected to grow by 28%.
What does that mean for you as a food scientist or food manufacturer?
There’s an opportunity to capitalize on an adventurous foodie market. Sit down with a colleague, peer, or friend and run through the following questions:
- How can you infuse your product with a new spice?
- Could we use an exotic fruit like Inca berries or mango or papaya to differentiate our product from a competitor’s?
- What flavors are our customers interested in?
Interestingly, a recent consumer survey found that American consumers prefer Southeast Asian cuisine more than Latin and African cuisines, and 75% of Southeast Asian consumers are seeking out food of their own background. That’s a huge percentage of consumers who would prefer eating a familiar flavor over going for something that’s considered American.
Keep this in mind if you’re developing a new product. A journey to the far corners of the earth could result in a brand new, best-selling product. The goal is to find new flavors and dishes that are unique, loved, and healthy.
If you need help getting started, call Seawind. We are experts in a changing food landscape. Call us today to hear about our all natural, non-GMO, and SO2 free ingredients and request a free sample.
Why to Incorporate New Spices into Your Product
More and more consumers are opting for international flavors, making once “exotic” foods like sushi and hummus mainstays of the American diet. Americans are expanding their taste buds, and according to Technomic, 32% of American consumers surveyed said they are willing to pay more for ethnic foods and 36% said they like to explore regional varieties of mainstream ethnic cuisines to try new foods and flavors.
With that in mind, what flavors are on the horizon?
Spices like coriander and cilantro are among the top trending spices to add an intense, full flavor that consumers are looking for. And spices like jalapeno, chives, and green onion are familiar flavors of international cuisines. Including these staple spices can make your product stand out.
With a surge in demand for healthier variations of beloved dishes, spices offer a great option for a fresh culinary experience, with less calories and more added nutrients. The health benefits of Seawind spices include:
- Chives
- Lower cholesterol
- Lower blood pressure
- Rich in Vitamin K
- Contains antioxidants
- Contains potassium, iron, calcium, vitamins A and C, folate, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin
- Cilantro
- Contains Vitamin A
- Maintains healthy liver and lung function
- Prevents liver damage
- Garlic
- Helps prevent cancer
- It may help lower cholesterol
- It may be helpful for high blood pressure
- Horseradish
- May have cancer fighting properties
- Contains Vitamin C
- Jalapeno
- Contains Vitamin C
- Contains Vitamin A
It’s important to realize that the number of Asian Americans living in the United States is growing and surveys show that 75% of Southeast Asian consumers prefer buying their own ethnic food at the grocery store. As if that’s not enough, Filipino food is gluten-free and dairy-free.
Rising Interest in Filipino Food
New research shows that there is a growing interest in Filipino flavors and foods. And the Google searches prove it. According to the New York Times, Americans more interested in eating Filipino food than ever before.
Flavors that are distinct to Filipino food include:
The most common spices used in Filipino food include:
There is an opportunity in the market for companies offering ethnic flavors like Filipino to break through and tap into a hungry market. The flavor profiles of Filipino food are bold and similar enough to Hispanic food that it’s familiar but differentiated enough to be unique.
Other Pacific Island flavors like coconut are still creating ripples in the industry. According to Kerry’s 2019 Taste Chart, coconut milk experienced a 5.2% growth from 2015 to 2018. And the global plant-based milk market is expected to exceed $34 billion by 2024. An example of exciting fusions may be combining coconut milk, mango, and jalapeno to create the perfect blend of sweet and spicy.
With the rise in popularity of food blogs, food photography, and more global travel of food photography on social media, consumers are more apt to try a dish from a country across the world.
In fact, food innovation is one of the most popular fields to be a part of right now. New companies are being created that are socially conscious, ethically friendly, and give back to the environment.
Forecast for International Flavor Market
The market for international flavors is growing. In fact, the annual demand for ethnic flavors grew by 20% between 2013 and 2017 and food experts believe these rates will continue to climb.
If you are a food manufacturer and you are interested in capitalizing on the growth of international foods, you may want to investigate expanding your products to meet the increasing demand.
Here are a few steps to help get you started in generating new product ideas:
- Get to know your consumers: Do a survey of your current consumers to understand what they are eating and drinking. When you have a deep understanding of their mindset, allergies, diet, and perspective on eating, you can create products that will address their needs.
- Track market trends: Keep a steady pulse on what’s trending in the food and beverage market. When you continually innovate, you stay ahead of other companies.
- Prototype your product: Once you find something that your customers like, start creating variations of it to test out different flavor profiles
Stores like Costco, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods are great examples of how to follow these steps. Each one understands their customer base and are constantly introducing new products onto their shelves.
If you’re thinking about how to get started with rolling out a new product, talk to other innovators in the food industry. Follow cutting edge chefs who are cooking up innovative cuisine on different social media platforms. Seeing how others are thinking outside the box will lead you down a path of creating and rolling out your own version of a beloved international flavor.
Conclusion
Introduce your customers to a broader range of spices and flavors. It may benefit your company to innovate with international flavors like Filipino dishes. Explore our natural and organic ingredients and contact us today to speak with a member of our team. We can help you find the best flavor to add to your next top-selling crackers, cereal, baked goods, meat, chips, or other culinary masterpiece.
