Specialty Food Magazine

"As most peppers are of Asian or Latin origins, these offer a cultural alternative to what has become commonplace," says Trendspotter Stan Sagner. Tahini. Awareness of tahini as a flavor is a relatively fast-growing phenomenon. "It's been increasingly viewed and applied outside of the Middle Eastern specialty lens, and being married to foods and beverages that are served in a more mainstream or non-adjacent capacity," say Trendspotters Mikel Cirkus and Hanna Rogers. Noted examples are tahini milk shakes and coffees, cookies, and pastries featuring tahini popping up in metropolitan areas like New York, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Soup. Soup recipes on TikTok are so popular the segment has been dubbed SoupTok, spurred on by the pandemic-era rise of the soup girlie and viral line, "Gorgeous, gorgeous girls love soup." Unlike some TikTok food trends, soup has staying power. "Universal, warm, convenient. Never really goes out of style," says Trendspotter Jenn de la Vega. Expect to see more soups, broths, and soup starters and mixes on shelves and menus. Black sesame, ube, and milk tea. Three iconic Asian flavors will follow the path of matcha and continue to enter a more familiar sphere among makers and consumers. These flavors are cropping up in new and unexpected formats, such as the milk- tea–filled donut and ube hot chocolate from Blue Bear in the Penn District of NYC. "Ube's fantastic color gives a pop of intrigue for consumers," say Cirkus and Rogers. The milk tea flavor is lending itself well to baked goods but also salty and sweet snacks. "Black sesame is especially one to watch, as it plays in a space of offering novelty and deliciousness across formats," they add. Value. Consumers are watching their finances and value will be the name of the game. "Brands that will successfully engage them will show shoppers what their products bring to the table. This may be versatile uses, low-stress flavor building or longer shelf life (yes, longer shelf life!)," says Trendspotter Melanie Bartelme. These attributes can help show consumers that these products are "worth" the cost. CONTINUING TRENDS Global flavor exploration. Consumers are open to richer cultural experiences from food. "Small producers [around the globe] will continue to bring forth family recipes that are rich in flavors and stories that connect them to home and culture," says Trendspotter V. Sheree Williams. As people explore, they are becoming more deeply aware of more obscure regional ingredients and recipes. As for countries and regions in the forefront of U.S. consumer discovery? "Exploring African pantry items will also continue as brands educate the Western palate to African flavors and ingredients," says Trendspotter Chala June. Elevated convenience. Consumers will continue to look for ways to make the most of the flavor and quality of their food and drink while becoming more open to using shortcuts that can help them easily achieve this. "There will be a newfound appreciation for, and celebration of, mixes, sauces, starters and more that consumers once chose to hide from their family and friends," says Bartelme. Mushrooms are mushrooming. Mushrooms for taste, mushrooms for texture, mushrooms for health benefits. "People will discover mushrooms in every food and beverage category and product developers will find ways to weave in ancient wisdom into new craveable food formats," says Shelke. Upscaling the everyday. While inflationary pressures may have taken a bite out of restaurant dining, they continue to make the everyday at home a bit more special. Ingredients like high-end truffle salts, finishing oils, spice blends, and cultured butters elevate simple dinners at home to restaurant-style flavorful indulgences, says Trendspotter Jonathan Deutsch. Environmental impact. As important as food is its environmental impact. Sustainability, carbon footprint, and food waste concerns remain on the minds of a growing number of consumers. "Regenerative, upcycled, and sustainably packaged are not just buzzwords but keywords in consumers' quests to eat well while doing good," says Deutsch. Expect more focus on regenerative agriculture as those in food industries "focus on solutions to combat climate change," says Williams. PHOTO: MARK FERRI FOOD ST YLING: LESLIE ORLANDINI PROPS ST YLING: FRANCINE MATALON-DEGNI WINTER 2024 11 Denise Purcell is editor of Specialty Food. TRENDS & HAPPENINGS

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