Sensient Flavors Predicts Re-invention Trend in Beverages for 2012

The list encompasses flavors inspired from multiple mega trends including Health & Wellness, Sensory, Comfort and Connections.

Jan 4 2012 --- Sensient Flavors, one of the world’s leading flavor companies, has announced its flavor trend predictions for 2012. The list was developed using Sensient’s proprietary predictive process that filters trends from the broad, macro level down to the flavors themselves. The list encompasses flavors inspired from multiple mega trends including Health & Wellness, Sensory, Comfort and Connections.

"As we researched these mega trends for the 2012 Sensient Flavor predictions, an underlying theme emerged which reflected a consumer desire for and interest in ‘discovery’,” said Jim Shepherd, Director of Beverage Solutions at Sensient Flavors. “That is, consumers today are increasingly open to – and even seek – new flavor profiles in both the food and beverages they purchase. Three subsets of the discovery theme emerged:  ‘new and novel,’‘re-invention’ and ‘combinations of flavors’.”  

Sensient Flavors flavor trend predictions for 2012 includes:
•    Aji Amarillo – Native to South America, the bright orange Aji Amarillo chile flavor offers a unique profile with medium heat and fruity notes.
•    Black Garlic - Popular in Asian cuisine, black garlic is fermented garlic that offers a sweet, syrupy flavor.
•    Coriander – The seed of the coriander plant, coriander is native to the Middle East, southern Europe and Asia. Used in a variety of cuisines and applications, coriander offers a fragrant profile with citrus and warm spice notes.
•    Honeycrisp Apple – Introduced in 1991 by the University of Minnesota breeders, the honeycrisp apple offers a complex apple flavor profile with sweet, tart and juicy notes.
•    Lucuma – Native to South America, the lucuma offers a uniquely sweet flavor profile with notes of maple, sweet potato and caramel.
•    Peach Rosemary – An adventurous flavor that combines the fresh and juicy profile of peach with the earthy, piney and aromatic notes of rosemary.
•    Pink Peppercorn – A dried berry from the Baies rose plant, the pink peppercorn offers a sweet, warm and spicy profile with earthy and citrus undertones.
•    Plum – Cultivated throughout the world, plum offers a sweet, tart and juicy profile.
•    Spicy Caramel – A twist on the classic caramel profile, spicy caramel offers subtle spice and heat notes in combination with the sweet brown profile of caramel.
•    Varietal Vanilla – Sourced from the three main vanilla plant varieties used for extraction, vanilla profiles from different growing regions such as Madagascar, Mexico, Indonesia, India and Tahiti offer subtle nuances on the classic vanilla profile.

 “In the beverage category, the ‘re-invention’ theme comes into play with the re-assessment of heirloom varieties of plum, while vanilla becomes more interesting – re-invented, if you will – through varietal taste profiles, while the combination of peach and rosemary flavors speak to emerging flavor combinations that excite the palate,” said Jim Shepherd, Director of Beverage Solutions at Sensient Flavors.

“Consumer interest in ‘what’s next’ also influences the flavor creation of both savory and sweet foods,” said Emil Shemer, Director of Food Solutions at Sensient Flavors.  “This year’s flavor predictions of lucuma and aji amarillo, for example, are for the most part new and novel to stateside consumers, while spicy caramel offers an unexpected, and even surprising, flavor combination.  Likewise, whereas U.S. consumers are very familiar with garlic, black garlic popular in Asian cuisine ‘re-invents’ a familiar favorite into a new, craveable taste sensation for a broadened consumer base.”