Symrise held another installment of Sabor in America on June 28th 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota, further strengthening their position as a go-to partner for Hispanic flavors in food and beverage. The event was held at Cooks of Crocus Hill, a kitchen supply store and cooking class venue, offering a world class kitchen to showcase Latin flavors from Mexico and beyond.
Sabor in America kicked off in the afternoon with food and beverage industry professionals gathering to gain better insight into Latino consumers in the United States and the influence they are having on mainstream America. The guests were welcomed with two cocktails from world renowned mixologist Junior Merino, The Liquid Chef, which included a Thyme Caipirinha (thyme-infused cachaca, lime) and Guanabana with Cava (guanabana, elderflower, cava).
CLICK HERE to view a photo recap of Sabor in America 2016
After guests mingled and enjoyed the opening cocktails, the Symrise Marketing and Consumer Insights team delved into flavor trends and consumer insights related to the U.S. Latino population. Emmanuel Laroche, VP of Marketing & Consumer Insights kicked off the presentation with a warm welcome and an overview of Latino consumer insights. The presentation also featured category insights for multiple categories in the areas of sweet, savory and beverage. Some of the categories included yogurt, ice cream, salty snacks, RTD tea and beer.
Following the presentation, the main room at Cooks of Crocus Hill was flipped from a presentation area into a full out tasting experience. Junior Merino and the Liquid Chef team prepared authentic Latin dishes including Esquites (corn, epazote and Symrise Cotija Flavor) and Avocado-Horchata Ice Cream with Symrise Horchata Flavor as well as cocktails including a Lima Daiquiri (lima, rum, lime, maraschino liqueur) and El Angel (mezcal, hibiscus and Cointreau).
Click HERE to check out insights from Sabor in America 2015: Chicago
The tasting experience also featured commercialized food and beverage products featuring Symrise flavors and seasonings which were tailored to millennial Latino consumer personas put together by Symrise and some of their multicultural consumer research partners. This allowed guests the opportunity to see consumer insight driven innovations in action. Some examples of the personas and products included:
Sara: An acculturated millennial female who is independent and health focused
- Chorizo Y Queso Arepas w/ Mango Hot Sauce featuring Symrise Natural Asadero Type Flavor
- Mole Granola with Banana Yogurt featuring Symrise Natural Mole Flavor
- Esquites Corn Nuts featuring Symrise Esquites Snack Seasoning
- Tamarind Fruit Chili Spread featuring Symrise Sensates
- Strawberry Hibiscus Tea K-Cups featuring Symrise Natural Hibiscus and Strawberry Flavors
- Raspberry Watermelon Lime Hard Seltzer featuring Symrise Natural Raspberry, Watermelon and Lime Flavors
Mateo: An acculturated millennial male cultural fuser
- Puerto Rican Chicken & Waffles featuring Symrise Chicharrones de Pollo Seasoning
- Spicy Ginger Habanero Chips featuring Symrise Honey Ginger Habanero Seasoning
- Horchata Thai Cookie featuring Symrise Horchata Flavor
- Arroz Con Leche with Honey and Pistachio featuring Symrise Natural Honey, Vanilla and Pistachio Flavors
- Cucumber Calamansi Sports Drink featuring Symrise Mandarin Cucumber Type Natural Flavor
Overall, the event proved to be a valuable experience for attendees and served as a great showcase for Symrise’s efforts in the world of Latino consumer insights and Latin flavors and seasonings.
CLICK HERE to VIEW a PHOTO RECAP of Sabor in America: Minneapolis-St. Paul
