Flavor trends often oscillate between two opposite characteristics, such as novelty and nostalgia. Indulgent foods, such as ice creams and baked goods, have long delivered on demand for both comfort-food classics and on-trend innovations.
As you consider what new menu items to introduce, how do you choose which side of this polarity to emphasize? Here’s how to identify trends and evaluate your customer base to choose an appropriate direction for your brand.
Novel flavors make for intriguing, on-trend treats
Novel flavors can be new and surprising, but they don’t come out of nowhere. Some of recent history’s most popular new flavors in the food industry at large—Sriracha, salted caramel, pumpkin pie spice—were not innovations created by an enterprising brand, but flavors that had a long history before they rose to prominence.
In determining which novelty flavors might be winners on your menu, consider evaluating overlooked but delicious flavors that can be applied in an innovative manner—a baked good incorporated into a milkshake or a breakfast food-inspired side dish. Critical in this task is understanding your customer base and its openness to novelty.
Likewise, some applications better lend themselves to novelty. In ice cream, for instance, flavor innovation often aligns with novelty: a bourbon base with cake pieces and a burnt caramel swirl or a dark chocolate base with brownie pieces and salted chocolate ganache.
Nostalgic menu items hold broad appeal
If you hope to create a flavor that taps nostalgic experiences, knowing your customers becomes even more critical. Academic researchers find that nostalgic comfort foods are associated with particular relationships, especially those with loved ones.
Traditional childhood foods such as cotton candy, apple pie, meatloaf or grilled cheese sandwiches call up memories of close, loving relationships. Researchers found that even the smell of these foods can evoke memories of holidays with family or special childhood experiences: A 2015 study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Southampton found that scents with autobiographical associations stirred strong nostalgic memories.
Nostalgia also has a notable presence in ice cream, beverages and baked goods, with flavors inspired by traditions. A nostalgic milkshake might draw inspiration from red velvet cake, featuring a sweet cream cheese drizzle, red velvet cake pieces, and red-chocolate base. Inspiration drawn from a classic apple pie could be achieved with a cinnamon base and pieces of roasted apples and pie crust, topped with a cinnamon sugar sprinkle.
Bringing sophisticated nostalgia to desserts
Ice cream has strong associations with childhood, making it an excellent candidate for creative, nostalgic flavors. Parker Products offers a range of intriguing ingredients, including our new line of baked inclusions, that pay homage to childhood favorites. These innovative ingredients allow you to add the traditional childhood flavors of brownies, cakes, cookies, and other desserts as a distinct piece within your ice cream or a delicious topping. Combine them with on-trend contemporary flavors for an updated classic.
This post is sponsored by Parker Products