Although consumers’ preferences have been rapidly evolving over the past few years, one trend has remained perpetually popular: global foods and flavors. While the exact cuisines that are trending at any given time continually shift, products and dishes with international inspirational are always in demand. Indeed, adventurous and not-so-adventurous consumers alike have sought out global foods and flavors to shake up their diets, expand their horizons, and try the latest trending cuisines for themselves to see if they live up to the hype.
With a world of possibilities to serve as inspiration, we often get asked where brands should start when it comes to coming up with new products that capitalize on this trend. Our answer? Global condiments! Keep reading for our experts’ insights into why global condiments serve as the perfect source of inspiration for new flavors – and which global condiments are beginning to trend.
Why Go with Global Condiments?
Trying a sauce, dip, or spread requires less commitment than trying an entire dish. Condiments allow consumers to explore a new cuisine without pushing themselves too far outside of their comfort zones. Better yet, consumers who are especially risk averse can pair a global condiment with a familiar food that they know that they like to allow them to step just a little bit outside of their comfort zones.
Sriracha is an excellent case study in how a global condiment can take the food industry by storm and become a mainstay in consumers’ diets. Other
global condiments, like harissa and gochujang, have been following suit. Not only are these items perfect for introducing consumers to global cuisines, but their flavor profiles also translate to a number of other applications, like snacks and dairy, allowing brands in other categories to get in on this trend and capitalize off of the popularity of trending global condiments.
Trending Global Condiments
Right now, Asian cuisines are generating the most buzz in the food industry, so it is unsurprising that condiments from Japan, Korea, and Vietnam are all beginning to show growth. These condiments tend to be bold and feature sour, spicy, or sour and spicy flavor profiles, which are all trending right now. For example, yuzu kosho, a Japanese sauce featuring bright citrusy notes from yuzu and spicy notes from chili peppers, delivers exactly the type of complex spicy flavor profile that consumers are seeking out. Other Asian condiments to keep an eye on? Chili crisp, a versatile spicy oil with a unique texture hailing from China, nuoc cham, a tangy Vietnamese fish sauce, and ssamjang, a spicy Korean dipping sauce, are all beginning to trend.
Need more inspiration? Look no further than Latin America! Latin American cuisines tend to be perceived as less exotic than other global cuisines, making them more approachable and less intimidating to a broader consumer base. As such, authentic Latin American sauces and condiments, like guasacaca, an avocado-based sauce, and aji criollo, an Ecuadorian hot sauce, have been picking up steam and trending on social media.
Although exotic cuisines tend to generate the most buzz, don’t discount European cuisines. Ajvar, a vegetable-based Eastern European spread, for example, has been up-and-coming in
foodservice and is sure to appeal to consumers who are looking to try lesser known condiments.
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