Tastes that transport: Flavor solutions inspired by culinary heirlooms address cravings for indulgent escapism

14 Jul 2022 --- Recipes ranging from the sweet desserts of the Balkans region to the sweltering kitchens of Southeast Asia provide a colorful backdrop to flavor innovation.

This year’s host of novel taste developments are equally innovative – imitating the umami of greasy meat drippings using only vegan ingredients, for instance – as they are reflective of a globalized F&B arena.

FoodIngredientsFirst was on the show floor of the recently concluded IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo, in Chicago, US, speaking to key flavor players about their trend-driven expansion in the realm of taste.

Authentic heritage flavors and botanical-sourced tonalities are holding traction among consumers when married with popular F&B themes, such as low-alcohol beverages and savory plant-based meat analogs.

Bell Flavors & Fragrances exhibited its range of authentic heritage flavors from across Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia.Savory vegan pan drippings
Bell Flavors & Fragrances’ exhibit featured an F&B pairings counter, equipped with a demo counter, sink and refrigerator, where its culinary team is serving up global cuisine-inspired flavors that address consumers’ search for escapism.

Similar to the food and beverage pairings counter, the tasting counter offers refreshing mocktail beverages that can be sipped at a soft, lounge-style seating area. The exhibit also comes equipped with a “flavor gamification counter” and a food and product display window with locking storage.

The company’s range of offerings comprises authentic heritage flavors from Eastern Europe to colorful recipes of Latin America and Malaysia.

“This year we’ve done a lot surrounding the plant-based topic. We’ve got a plant-based dumpling that incorporates some of our taste advancements, umami and kokumi enhancement technologies, as well as some of our vegan fat flavors – which includes a vegan pan dripping flavor,” explains David Banks, senior director of marketing at Bell Flavors & Fragrances.

On its flavor creation path, Bell took inspiration from the Balkans region, playing with taste profiles of cuisines from the Black Sea to the Carpathian Mountains. One item showcased is a bee-friendly baklava that is dairy-free, honey-free, butter-free and nut-free.

Paying tribute to Southeast Asia, Bell crafted its vegan pork dumplings with a sambal chili crisp oil and calamansi – a hybrid between kumquat and a citrus, known as the Philippine lime.

As a nod toward both the teetotaler trend and popularity of Japanese flavors, the supplier served up its umeboshi and rum-flavored mocktail. Umeboshi are pickled brined ume fruits that are usually served as a side dish for rice or eaten on rice balls – often without removing the pit – for breakfast and lunch in Japan.

Whispering to the Latin highlands, the taste specialist has created cherry-flavored dark chocolate covered peanuts, complemented by mesquite fruit-flavored milk chocolate covered coffee beans.

Heading for the coastal regions next, Bell introduced “nutritious, delicate and flavorful gifts from the sea” with its final tasting item, the hibiscus strawberry kombucha shrub refresher.

Ingredion showcased its prototypes including Cacio e Pepe chips inspired by the popular Italian pasta recipe made with Pecorino Romano and black pepper.Flavor deserves a crunch
Ingredion showcased a number of unique product prototypes featuring its portfolio of ingredients and which fit the company’s “360 Value” centered on meeting consumer demands for well-being and environmental sustainability.

The ingredient supplier’s latest creations include Cacio e Pepe chips, inspired by a simple Italian pasta recipe – flavored with Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper – which is currently trending after the viral release of a TikTok video of creator Gabby Eniclerico failing to correctly pronounce Trader Joe’s iteration of this sauce.

Other Ingredion prototypes include a blueberry ginger refresher, and “Swicy” (sweet and spicy) gelatin-free and sugar-free gummies. The crisps are a vegan “cheez” snack – without gluten-containing ingredients – designed to convey the authentic taste and texture of a cheesy chip.

The chip is a combination of Ingredion’s Vitessence Prista P 360 faba bean protein concentrate, Precisa 604 modified potato starch, National 7 modified tapioca starch, N-Creamer 2000 modified food starch and Ticaloid 620 ingredient system that creates firmness in the vegan cheez product.

This vegan cheez product is made with Ingredion’s Homecraft Prista P 101 pea flour, Precisa Crisp 151 modified food starch and Homecraft Create 390 tapioca flour, which leads to the desired crunchy texture.

In the beverages segment, Ingredion presented a blue ginger refresher that is made without sugar and is protein-fortified. Here, Ingredion utilizes its Purecircle Sigma B5 sweetener system to provide a clean sweetness without adding sugar, while Purecircle natural flavors enhance berry flavors and upfront sweetness. 

In Ingredion’s blue ginger refresher, Every’s animal-free soluble egg white protein provides a protein boost without contributing any flavor while the Kerr by Ingredion’s Blueberry Pressed NFC (not from concentrate) juice and essence delivers a premium on-trend flavor profile.

The “Swicy” gelatin-free and sugar-free gummies are sweet, spicy and soft in texture. Here, Ingredion utilizes the combination of Astraea liquid allulose, Maltisweet CM40 crystalline maltitol and Maltisweet B maltitol syrup to accomplish significant sugar reduction, while Tic Pretested Pectin 1400 is used to replace gelatin and creates a soft, flexible texture.

Florida Food Products featured a zero-proof hibiscus and elderflower fizzy gin.Botanical flavors trending 
Clean label food specialist Florida Food Products (FFP) crafted a menu inspired by botanical-based tastes that features a “berry fresh take on a traditional margarita”. The drink features FFP’s fermented beet juice that aligns with the consumer focus on gut health.

Addressing the alcohol reduction trend, the supplier has formulated a zero-proof hibiscus and elderflower fizzy gin, which offers up a “complex alcohol-like experience” without the actual alcohol. This beverage features FFP’s Real Brewed Hibiscus Extract to give it a “trending herbal profile” and appealing red-hued color.

Other beverage options included the pineapple strawberry hydration and energy drink mix – featuring natural fruit flavors and natural caffeine from green tea extract – as well as an indulgent salted caramel, plant-based latte, with rich coffee taste balanced by creamy caramel notes from FFP’s flash brewed coffee and caramel collection flavors.

In the savory arena, FFP offered samples of Za’atar flavored seasoned nuts, made using an herb mix that traditionally comprises za’atar, toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, salt, as well as other spices.

“Herby exotic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors meet in these savory, trend-forward seasoned nuts, with hints of woodsy, tangy and acidic notes, along with nutty, rich sesame flavor,” visualizes the company.

“Our company has really transformed since the last IFT, with investments that include the acquisition of companies such as Amelia Bay, Comax Flavors, T-Bev, and soon, Javo Beverages,” comments Christopher Naese, vice president business development and sustainability, FFP.

In other IFT FIRST coverage, FoodIngredientsFirst reported live from the show floor on the rising star of pulses in the plant-based recipes of key suppliers including Beneo, A&B Ingredients and ChickP.

By Benjamin Ferrer, with additional reporting from Gaynor Selby at IFT FIRST in Chicago