New Tastes in Green Tea: A Novel Flavor for Familiar Drinks, Dishes, and Desserts

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Boldness is the name of the flavor game this year. “2023 is set to be a year for people to march to the beat of their own drum,” says Jennifer Zhou, global director of product marketing, flavors, ADM (Chicago). “Consumers are actively making purchasing decisions that loudly reflect their own identities.” This includes which flavors they choose. “The increased need for experiential flavors in functional applications and a heightened focus on bold experiences are supporting this need for self-expression,” Zhou says. Today’s consumers want to explore new tastes and sensory experiences and are looking for products that can develop this sense of adventure. The baking industry is seeing this as an opportunity to innovate their products by intensifying the flavours, colours, textures and aromas that sweet bakes can offer. Nerves found along the pathway from the mouth to the brain are responsible for taste bud function and the perception of flavor. Nerve damage anywhere along this pathway, whether from injury or illness, can contribute to a change in your taste buds. Much as nostalgia is on-trend, new flavours, particularly those with an Asian influence, and spices used traditionally in savoury products are emerging in sweet bakery too. New flavours include calamansi (citrus) and kumquat, as well as Japanese influences such as yuzu and sakura (cherry blossom). Big and bold fruit and spice combinations are being used in patisserie such as a Chilli Raspberry Paris Brest or Cardamon Madeleines, for example. More delicate flavours, but still with an Eastern influence, include tea infusions, such as Butterfly Pea Tea to bring a delicate flavour to patisserie creams and desserts. As outlined in our article on Global flavours for your local bakery, consumers are becoming more interested in global ethnic cuisines, exploring new combinations and taking themselves on a journey through the food they eat. Flavours popular in Asia provide an interesting inclusion to sweet goods such as yuzu, matcha, wasabi, ginger, cacao, mochi and halva.

The insights are contained in Kerry’s Global Taste Charts for 2022, which uncovers the flavours and ingredients that are set to inspire food and beverage innovators across North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa over the coming year. Kerry leverages a blend of sources to create the charts and provide an in-depth analysis of taste trends, from scanning product launch activity, restaurant and café menu penetration, research reports, in addition to Kerry’s proprietary internal insights engines such as Trendspotter that peers into social media influencer content. Taste trends for 2022 The name changed to Lucozade in 1929 then Beechams bought it in 1938 before being sold to Japanese drinks firm Suntory in 2013. Over the years there have been a number of changes including new brands such as Lucozade Sport and the flavours including the popular Orange Lucozade. Cheruel F, et al. (2017). Effect of cigarette smoke on gustatory sensitivity, evaluation of the deficit and of the recovery time-course after smoking cessation. She cautioned that this is very early research and further study is needed to understand species differences in sensitivity to ammonium and what makes OTOP1 channels from some species sensitive and some less sensitive to ammonium. Much more research is required to fully assess our sensitivity to ammonium and whether it constitutes being classified as a new, unique taste.She speculates that the ability to taste ammonium chloride might have evolved to help organisms avoid eating harmful biological substances that have high concentrations of ammonium. If you live in a Scandinavian country, you will be familiar with and may like this taste,” said Emily Liman, the study’s corresponding author. Liman’s referring to salty licorice, a confection with added ammonium chloride, which gives it its distinct flavor: bitter, salty, and a little bit sour. It added: "Core Brand Innovation is recognition that consumers, and the world they live in, are changing constantly. The programme on Lucozade delivers the great taste and energy that shoppers know and look for, while also appealing to changing tastes and palettes. Coquito, a sweet drink from Puerto Rico, is another inspiration. “Building off eggnog’s popularity, we think coquito has a chance to gain flavor favor with American consumers,” he says. “This deliciously creamy beverage is coconut based, instead of dairy based, and features a sweet blend of cinnamon and nutmeg flavors to provide a new flavor twist on holiday beverages.” The scientist suggested that these variations may reflect differences in the ecological niches of different animals. Can your morning cup of coffee help your memory and learning ability?

The loss of smell that occurs with aging can also lead to a decrease in the sense of taste as we age. In addition, many of the illnesses and conditions we experience as we age – some of which have been listed above – can have a negative influence on our taste buds. 7. Smoking Watermelon chili lime is another spicy/sweet combo. It “combines the coolness of watermelon with the slight spiciness of chili, and bright lime gives a new experience that is sure to excite tastebuds,” says Hartman. Finally, he suggests combining the spicy, savory Korean chili paste gochujang and “buttery” sweet caramel.Flavorchem’s (Downers Grove, IL) 2023 Flavor & Trend Forecast reports that “Authentic flavors and ingredients from Latin America will shift to the spotlight as consumers show greater interest in culinary exploration and regional diversity.” This includes flavors inspired by beverages (horchata, tepache, and aguas frescas); dessert flavors like tres leches, dulce de leche, and churro; and birria, a traditional Mexican stew. Health consciousness – improved awareness and a desire to be healthier may also have played a role, with our consumption of white bread dropping by 75% since 1974, while brown and wholemeal bread has risen by 85%. Likewise skimmed milk overtook whole milk in the 1990s and we now drink four times as much. And Hartman adds, “Over the past few years, we have seen many comfort flavors trend as consumers looked to improve their mood through conscious indulgence. Look for this trend to continue, but with an international twist.” Other medications may cause a change in taste by contributing to dry mouth, which makes it hard for the taste buds to recognize taste chemicals. Some of the common medications that cause dry mouth include:

The natural sweeteners that they source include monk fruit and stevia, a plant extract. Stevia-based sweeteners have been approved for use in the US, Australia, New Zealand and the EU for at least eight years, and are now used by Pepsi and Coca-Cola in their ‘naturally sweetened’ products – although not in their most popular sugar-free drinks.

At Trendincite LLC, Founder Amy Marks-McGee predicts more brand names joining forces to create new product development and marketing opportunities. “Iconic food and beverage brands are partnering on fun collaborations and innovative scented applications inspired by the different flavors in their portfolios. From savory flavors such as burgers and bacon to sweet flavors like donuts and ice cream, I anticipate more unique partnerships on scented beauty and home fragrance products,” she says. Zoe Trimble, Head of Lucozade Energy, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I said: "Core brand innovation is at the heart of our approach to brand building. We believe across our business that brands must evolve to keep up with changing consumer needs. The new recipes deliver a more “zingy” taste, with a bolder taste for the unique Original flavour and more citrusy, orange note for Orange, giving consumers more of what they love. The changes are subtle but further elevate the drinks’ flavours, giving Lucozade Energy drinkers more of the unique notes they associate with the brand." Tropical flavors are trending for this reason. “Fruity flavors with fresh notes transform any food into a multisensory experience,” says Michael Falkenberg, head of the global taste business unit at Döehler GmbH (Darmstadt, Germany). “Tropical fruit flavors will be popular in 2023 as their bright shades can inspire feelings of positivity and help to escape from stressful realities. Dragon fruit lychee, guava pomegranate, watermelon, or mango passion fruit will be one of the favorite taste directions, especially in juices and nectars, but are also suitable for applications such as ‘water-plus,’ energy drinks, or spirits.” To find out more about the latest trends in bakery or how Dawn Foods can help, go to Bakery Trends | Dawn Foods.