Global Travels Without Leaving Home.
With consumers sticking closer to home, global flavors offer culinary adventure in lieu of
traveling, especially from less-familiar countries and regions. "I'm seeing more prominence and
appreciation of regional ingredients from parts of the world often overlooked—specifically, an
interest in West African ingredients and cuisine," says Dawn Padmore, vice president of culinary
marketing and events, Karlitz and Company. Products and flavors from Scandinavia, Cambodia,
and Senegal are trending with ingredients like sea buckthorn; Cambodian chile pastes; fonio, an
ancient grain from Senegal that continues to gain attention; and spices that focus specifically
on herbs or plants native to regions such as West Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
Functional Ingredients.
The pandemic also has put health concerns
front and center and consumers will seek
functional ingredients and benefits in their
foods and beverages. Products that boost
immunity and manage stress will particularly be
in demand. Examples include functional ghees
to promote women's health, restful sleep, and
cardiovascular health; fermented honey sauce;
and prebiotic-laced snacks for digestive health
with reported immunity-boosting functionality.
"These have been huge for years, the difference
is the hot functional ingredients change every
couple of years. Right now mushroom powders
(reishi, lions mane, etc.) are still rising, turmeric
is already mainstream (golden lattes), CBD is
huge—and deserves its own category," says
Andrew Freeman, founder of af&co./co-founder
of Carbonate, and Leith Steel, account
strategist and trendwatcher, Carbonate.
3
4
Global Travels Without Leaving Home.
With consumers sticking closer to home, global flavors offer culinary adventure in lieu of
traveling, especially from less-familiar countries and regions. "I'm seeing more prominence and
appreciation of regional ingredients from parts of the world often overlooked—specifically, an
interest in West African ingredients and cuisine," says Dawn Padmore, vice president of culinary
marketing and events, Karlitz and Company. Products and flavors from Scandinavia, Cambodia,
Global Travels Without Leaving Home.
With consumers sticking closer to home, global flavors offer culinary adventure in lieu of
traveling, especially from less-familiar countries and regions. "I'm seeing more prominence and
appreciation of regional ingredients from parts of the world often overlooked—specifically, an
interest in West African ingredients and cuisine," says Dawn Padmore, vice president of culinary
marketing and events, Karlitz and Company. Products and flavors from Scandinavia, Cambodia,
and Senegal are trending with ingredients like sea buckthorn; Cambodian chile pastes; fonio, an
ancient grain from Senegal that continues to gain attention; and spices that focus specifically
on herbs or plants native to regions such as West Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
‰• SPECIALTY FOOD SPECIALTYFOOD.COM
TREND REPORT ‰—‰˜
