Look out for Teriyaki, gochujang and Yuzu this year, says the team at Kerry, a world leader in taste and nutrition.
Kerry has released its 2024 Taste Charts, A World of Future Tastes, to the global food and beverage community. The culmination of Kerry’s year-long research is a series of incisive charts created separately for 13 individual regional markets, including 30 countries in Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA).
The charts list mainstream, key, up-and-coming and emerging tastes across five food and beverage categories, provide an in-depth analysis of the flavours, ingredients and trends that will shape innovation in the food and beverage sector in the year ahead, and inspire product and menu developers worldwide.
Kerry researchers conducted a deep dive into the lifecycles of two long-popular flavours — orange and chocolate — and examined how these mainstream ingredients are evolving into all manner of inventive tasty product offerings around the world. These two case studies demonstrate how popular and traditional tastes worldwide are fusing into new, innovative applications as brands source, combine and recombine flavours and ingredients from other places.
Across Australia and New Zealand, international cuisine flavours are influencing the market. Teriyaki has shifted from ‘Up & Coming’ to ‘Key’ under Savoury. Meanwhile, matcha on the Australian Sweet chart and gochujang across the Australia and New Zealand Savoury charts have gone from ‘Emerging’ to ‘Up and Coming’.
Top insights for 2024 flavour innovation in Australia and New Zealand:
- Yuzu is gaining traction as an emerging flavour in both Australia and New Zealand across multiple categories, from Savoury and Salty Snacks to Hot and Cold Beverages such as Yuzu low ABV wines and alcoholic beverages.
- In Savoury and Salty Snacks, various cheese flavours are becoming more popular like aged vintage cheddar and blue cheese, while premium Savoury flavours like Truffle and Black Garlic are emerging.
- Smoke & Grill profiles continue to be mainstream in the Savoury and Salty Snacks space, while specific smokes including Mesquite, Applewood and Hickory BBQ smoke are gaining attention.
- Citrus and fruit flavours continue to trend. Raspberry is more mainstream while cherry is rising in popularity. Among citrus flavours, lime continues to be a favourite, and blood orange, calamansi and tangerine have appeared in the ‘Up & Coming’ or ‘Emerging’ space.
Across wider Asia Pacific, the flavour scene remains vibrant. Commenting on the 2024 Asia Pacific (APAC) Taste Charts, Avinash Lal, Market Research & Consumer Insights Director, Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, said: “APAC is a colourful flavour tapestry, constantly evolving and influenced by diverse cultural traditions, emerging trends, and evolving consumer preferences. Consumers are also rediscovering the magic of their own culinary heritage, seeking out unique regional ingredients and flavour profiles. Think calamansi-infused yogurt in the Philippines, or black sesame latte in Japan.”
Lal added: “Young consumers are craving bold and unusual flavour combinations, driven by social media’s influence and a desire for novelty. This opens opportunities for sweet-savoury pairings like bacon milkshakes, coffee infused with black garlic, and chocolate bars with wasabi. The plant-based revolution is also taking off, leading to new demand for creative flavour solutions in meat and dairy alternatives, such as mushroom jerky in Australia and jackfruit rendang in Indonesia.”
Soumya Nair, Global Consumer Research and Insights Director at Kerry, observed: “Consumers want tasty new innovations or flavours they may have experienced while travelling. We are seeing many unique flavour intersections in foods and beverages. Although rapidly changing times can present great challenges, they also provide an unparalleled opportunity for brands to catch a trend on the rise. The Kerry 2024 Taste Charts are a valuable tool for the food and beverage industry to navigate the new taste environment for products.”
