Following the release of our 2019 Summer Fancy Food Show Innovative Trends Report, we’re reviewing some of the emergent and mainstream flavors that took over the show floor. Some brands at Specialty Food’s summer show pushed flavor boundaries and while others stuck to the flavors we know and love—and Symrise Marketing got to enjoy it all.
Amongst emergent flavors we saw goldenberry, tusli, misugaru, calamansi, butterfly pea flower and black sesame while the mainstream flavors of beet, banana, kimchi and ginger proved to stand the test of time. Here is a deeper look into the flavors and the products we saw.
PART 1: Top 9 Summer Fancy Food Show Trends You Need To Know
EMERGENT FLAVORS: these are the interesting new flavors we anticipate to see grow over the next few years. Keep them on your radar!
Goldenberries are small yellowish berries that have achieved the perfect balance between sweet and tart. Originating in South America, goldenberries are classified as a nightshade, making them closely related to tomatoes and eggplants. This superfood is a packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and strong source of dietary fiber. At the Summer Fancy Food Show, Hu Kitchen introduced their Chocolate-covered Hunks of Sour Goldenberries, a delicious and guilt-free, paleo and vegan treat.
Tusli, nicknamed ‘holy basil,’ is a sacred Indian plant, often worshipped for its healing powers. This adaptogenic herb has been a focus of traditional Indian medicine for thousands of years and plays a role in practices like Ayurveda. Needless to say, the herb possesses many health benefits spanning oral care to relief from respiratory disorders, fever, asthma, heart disease and stress.
Traditionally used in tea form, tulsi is starting to emerge in the North American market. At the Summer Fancy Food Show, Organic India showcased a Tulsi Sweet Rose tea targeted at stress relief. With the rise of holistic health and food as medicine, tulsi is a herb that shows a lot of promise in the market place—so keep an eye out!
Misugaru (mee-soo-gah-roo) is a Korean superfood that made a grand debut at the Fancy Food Show. As a blend of different grains, misugaru is most commonly used in a powdered form to make ‘misu’ a Korean health drink. It’s strong source of protein, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals make it both filling and highly nutritious. Artisanal Ice Cream brand, Scoop, introduced the misugaru flavor to the ice cream category—delivering the same health benefits and nutrition in a sweet new form!
Calamansi is an Asian citrus hybrid (orange + kumquat) that’s commonly referred to as a golden lime. With a powerful sour punch, this fruit is rich in vitamin C and A, antioxidants, electrolytes, potassium and calcium and acknowledged for its many health benefits. At this year’s Fancy Food Show, Brooklyn Crafted expanded beyond its claim to fame carbonated ginger beers/ales with the launch of a calamansi-based drink line.
Butterfly Pea Flower is a vibrant ingredient that’s been brightening up cocktail menus and making a name for itself on our 2019 Flavor Trends Report. The Summer Fancy Food Show solidified this flavor trend with an abundance of brands capitalizing on the emergent flavor and its technicolor magic. Harney & Sons showcased their Butterfly Flower Lemonade Iced Tea an earthy and lively herbal fusion.
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Black Sesame is rapidly popularizing superfood – earning it a spot on our 2019 Flavor Trends Report. Its possess a nuttier flavor than its white counterpart and is best known for its many health and nutrition benefits including bone health, stress relief, vision and even cancer prevention! The seed proved itself as a flavor of focus at the Summer Fancy Food Show with the introduction of exciting new products.
MAINSTREAM FLAVORS: these are the flavors that have stood the test of time. After arising as key flavor trends over the past few years, these flavors have made it to the mainstream and remain important considerations for your brands.
Beet can’t be beat in the food and beverage game. Over the past few years the root vegetable has proven itself a versatile delight across categories. This year we spotted Peekaboo Organic Ice Cream’s Cotton Candy flavor made possible by incorporating beets as a hidden ingredient. Beyond sweet, Foraging Fox among other brands introduced natural beetroot ketchups and Munki featured a Sweet Beet Granola (a blend of walnut, coconut, beet, mango, and cranberry).
Banana goes way back. Our Bananarama trend from the 2017 Winter Fancy Food Show debuted the banana flavor to the mainstream market. This year the trend continues to grow whether banana is used as a flavor or a base. In flavor form, banana is featured in Munki’s Tropical Kale Granola and Adirondack Creamery’s Banana Chip Ice Cream. As a base we saw products like Mooala’s Bananamilk and Wild Joy Goods’ Ginger Teriyaki flavored Banana Jerky.
Kimchi introduced its strong ethnic influence at the 2013 StarChefs International Chefs Congress where chefs displayed inspiration from Asian street foods. Today it’s made its shift from a foreign ingredient to a mainstream flavor in the North American market. This year’s show featured exciting new products like Jongga’s Kimchi Pancake Mix and Seoul’s Kimchi Hot Sauce.
Ginger has made a permanent name for itself within food and beverage. We saw it make its mainstream introduction at the 2017 Summer Fancy Food Show and two years later it remains a flavor of focus. At this year’s show, ginger strongly coincided with the Trendy Tonics and Mixer Madness trend featuring an abundance of beverages elevating the spicy root. Beyond brews, ginger continues to grow in other categories including ice cream, snacks and savory dishes.
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