Flavors Go Floral

It all started with beverages. Floral ingredients started popping up in teas, cocktails, and flavored waters. Highlighting hibiscus, lavender, and even rose, these products proved to be popular with younger consumers and even older female consumers. Naturally, this trend has been taking root in other categories, showing slow, but steady growth. Let’s take a look at what’s behind this trend and how to translate it into new products.

Floral Flavor Trend Drivers

There are several factors driving this trend, including a general desire for new and interesting flavor profiles. Adding floral flavors to beverages made these products seem both more exotic and more upscale. Millennial women, in particular, have been seeking out products that offer some sense of sophistication, making floral flavors popular with this demographic.

Younger consumers are also more interested in foods and flavors derived from and inspired by nature. They have been seeking out products that find innovative ways to incorporate florals and botanicals, as they value sustainability and repurposing otherwise looked over items and ingredients. Given how important nature and the environment is to Millennials and Gen Zers, it’s no surprise that they’ve taken particular interest in floral and botanical inspired flavors.

Bringing Florals to New Categories

Although floral flavors got their start in beverages, they are perfectly suited for desserts, bakery, dairy, and more. Given the current demand for stress relief related products, lavender has been seeing major growth in recent months. Capitalize on this trend by combining lavender with fruit and other sweet ingredients for a product that will let consumers relax and indulge at the same time. Think lavender blackberry ice cream, strawberry lavender shortcake, and lemon lavender blueberry muffins.

With tropical flavors from around the world trending, hibiscus is a natural choice for taking these flavors to a whole new level. This demonstrated success in beverages, but would also translate well to snacks, bakery and more. A hibiscus pineapple lemonade snack seasoning for cashews, for example, leans into both the tropical and floral trends for a delightfully delicious flavor.

And now that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, we should remember that roses aren’t just for vases. Rose flavors have made gains in cocktails, and the possibilities don’t stop there. Offer rose flavors in desserts and dairy for a product that is sure to appeal to consumers looking for unique sophistication. Think rose-infused panna cotta, raspberry rose yogurt, coconut rose cheesecake, and pistachio rose white chocolate truffles.

Floral Flavor Inspiration

There are numerous possibilities for incorporating floral flavors into products that consumers will totally love. Contact us today to see how Fuchs can help you create something special.