What are the Uses of Walnut Flavor?
When it comes to flavor ingredients, most people are aware of the importance of the most popular flavors. Apple, pineapple, and citrus flavors are just a few examples of the “big guns” in the flavor industry, appearing in tasty treats ranging from beverages to baked goods. Even almond gets its fair share of recognition, being one of the more recognizably nutty flavors available on the market.
However, flavors such as walnut are sometimes overlooked – this, despite the fact that walnut flavors, which can be created by using flavor ingredients such as Advanced Biotech’s Natural Walnut Furanone and Synthetic Walnut Furanone, are used with a fair amount of frequency in the flavor industry. There are many reasons why this is the case, chief among them being that walnut is one of the most recognizable nut flavors, providing an earthy quality that works especially well in combination with lighter, sweeter notes for a more complex flavor experience.
Speaking of baked goods, this is where walnut flavor ingredients will most likely be used. From baked breads to rolls, tarts, pies and more, ingredients that provide the flavor of walnut can bring depth to one of these sweet dessert products.
In addition to baked goods, walnut flavors can be used in any product where an earthy flavor enhancement may be needed. An example of walnut flavor ingredients put to good use is the creation of hot coffee and cocoa drinks, where walnut can add an earthy, nutty finish that rounds out the flavor of the chocolate or the cocoa itself. Likewise, walnut flavors are also widely used in the creation of chocolate food products, including but not limited to chocolate truffles, chocolate frostings for cakes and cupcakes, etc.
What it really comes down to is that the main reason why walnut flavor is not more widely recognized is because it hardly ever acts on its own as a flavor ingredient. Instead, it provides the richness and earthiness that consumers are looking for, while often taking a backseat to the more prominent and noticeable flavor notes in a product. Flavorists may even be surprised by the variety of things that can be accomplished with walnut flavor.