New Sour Food and Beverage Trends
While the five tastes, sweet, sour, salty, sour, and umami are often balanced to create optimal flavor sensations, we predict that one flavor in particular will experience a surge in popularity this year. Sour is poised to dominate the market as health-conscious and globally-minded consumers are seeking out new products to satisfy their tastes. Join us as we explore the sour taste sensation driving consumer trends and the newly popular products made popular by this new demand for these mouth-puckering foods.
Fermented
Fermented foods are surging in popularity as consumers are constantly on the lookout for natural foods with added health benefits. Flavorful, versatile, and self-preserving, fermented foods offer the unique prospect of clean label, cost-effective, and gut-friendly. Kimchi is a Korean specialty made by fermenting cabbage with chilies, red pepper powder, and other spices to create a crunchy, tangy pickle that pairs well with everything from meat to rice. Kombucha, made from fermented tea, is still a popular choice for those looking to boost their digestive health while enjoying a fruity, bubbly drink. Coconut vinegar is relatively new to the scene, coconut vinegar is like a cousin to apple cider vinegar and features an array of helpful components like amino acids, vitamins B and C, fiber, and probiotics.
Citrus
Always a popular choice for a boost of vitamin C, globally-inspired citrus puts a flavorful new twist on tried and true classics like lemon and orange. Calamansi is a round citrus fruit is found everywhere in the Philippines and used in everything from desserts to beverage and even paired with salty soy sauce for a unique flavor experience. Yuzu is a citrus fruit that is popular in Japan and is quickly becoming an internationally-appreciated flavor. Tart, fragrant, and comparable to a cross between a grapefruit and mandarin orange, yuzu is often used in desserts, craft cocktails, and in beauty applications like perfumes, bath salts, and lotions. We predict in the coming months that more citrus with global origins will become popular flavor choices for chefs and manufacturers alike.
Sauces
While sour sauces like malt vinegar, sour cream, and soy sauce have always been popular choices, consumers are branching out and looking for more condiments to satisfy their craving for sour foods. Tamarind, a legume native to Africa, has become a popular ingredient in many dipping sauces and is often paired with soy and garlic to make for sour, umami flavor experience. Chamoy is a sauce native to Mexico and is made from pickled fruit and other spices. Loved for its sweet, spicy, and sour flavor, chamoy is used to top everything from proteins to fresh fruit and even gummy candy.
As consumers continually look to challenge their taste buds, we can expect brands to continue to search for new and exciting sour ingredients to create new flavor sensations.