Presentation Highlights Flavor Prospects
Candy and snack developers are always looking to the future, trying to predict and deliver the next big flavor consumers will crave. This is not an easy — or exact — task. Predicting what's next requires understanding what influences our overall flavor perception, as well as knowing what happens as ingredients transition from their original form to a stand-alone flavor profile.
What's the Buzz Today? What's Next?
When looking for the next pomegranate, the obvious place to start is with three flavor categories noteworthy in confections today — superfruits, exotic Asian fruits and exotic Latin American fruits. The current trends in superfruits include pomegranate, acai berry and acerola. Lychee, yuzu and dragon fruit are among the Exotic Asian fruits currently emerging. And Latin American fruit flavor trends include guava, papaya, passion fruit and prickly pear.
Many of these trends have moved quickly from their origins as ingredients. For example, acai, similar to pomegranate, was a supplement that is now surging as a flavor. Lychee quickly went from an exotic ingredient in high-end Asian cuisine to a curiously familiar exotic in teas and flavored water.
We have to look beyond today's buzz to see what might be the next big flavor in confections poised to shape the market like pomegranate. Here's a peek at some ingredients FONA has been examining.
Lulo
(Solanum quitoense)
- Also called the naranjilla meaning "little orange"
- Native to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
- Juice is slightly green
- Tangy citrus taste is like a combination of grapefruit, pineapple and lemon
Traditional Uses
- Consumed fresh
- Juice used in ice cream, sherbet and cold beverages
- Traditional sauces and wine
- Pies and other cooked desserts
- Jams and marmalades
- Commercially canned or frozen
Current Applications
- U.S. products include a premium beverage, specialty cooking sauce and fruit pulp
- South American introductions include confections, beverages and dried fruits
Outlook
Lulo has a lot of positives. It has a pleasant and easily pronounced name that's easy to imagine on cocktail menus. Lulo also fits well with the general trend of specialty and exotic citrus flavors. It's likely to take on the flavor personality of a tropical citrus and emerge on a similar path as yuzu in upscale beverages or as a new citrus in trendy dining.
Camu camu
(Myrciaria dubia)
- From the Amazonian jungles of Peru
- Small, purplish, berry-type fruit with a yellow pulp
- Extremely acidic
- Contains high concentrations of amino acids and is said to have more vitamin C than any other fruit in the world
- Been shown to have great antioxidant properties
- Immune and mood enhancement qualities
- Medical studies claim its effectiveness in treating depression, Attention Deficit Disorder and the herpes virus
- Known to have strengthening qualities for hair and skin
Traditional Uses
- Little is documented, but likely added in small amounts to traditional beverages and sweet goods
- Likely used in home remedies and homemade skin and hair care regimens
- Historically seen as a supplement
- Embraced in Japan as an ingredient for functional foods and beauty products
Current Applications
- In 2007, it was featured in a U.S. energy drink and organic juice
- Growing in U.S. supplements category and featured in a "tropical face lift" firming mask
- Popular in Japanese beverages
- Ingredient in Brazilian upscale hair care products
Outlook
Camu camu is likely to grow and maintain a position as a superfruit ingredient for a long time before it emerges as a flavor. However, it has many similarities in taste and health offering as acerola (Barbados cherry). Acerola is popular as both a flavor and ingredient in Europe and is recently emerging in the U.S. Perhaps camu camu will follow in its path, but it's much further out as a flavor consideration in confections. If and when it does make its way to the confection category, it will likely be as a non-descript sour flavor featured in products containing vitamin C.
