Sweet treats are truly universal, with every culture having its own unique set of desserts, baked goods, and confections, steeped in tradition. As consumers are turning to sweet treats to deliver comfort and spark joy, they’re beginning to look beyond the familiar and seek out sweet specialties from across the globe to expand their horizons and add some excitement to their daily routines. While some signature sweets from global cuisines, like Mexican churros and Dutch stroopwafels, have hit the mainstream, there’s still plenty of room for innovation with this trend.
With consumers growing increasingly adventurous – and restless – global sweet treats are the perfect source of flavor inspiration for everything from snacks and dairy to baked goods and beverages. In this blog, our experts offer their insights into up-and-coming global desserts to get inspired by and perspectives on promising opportunities for innovating around this trend.
Mouthwatering Middle Eastern Sweets
The Dubai chocolate craze has taken social media by storm, giving rise to a wave of products and menu items featuring its signature pistachio cream filling with crispy phyllo dough. From its unique texture and indulgent flavor profile to its visual appeal and exotic global roots, this sweet treat hits all the right notes to appeal to adventurous consumers. As they have become completely enamored with all that Dubai chocolate has to offer, consumers have begun seeking out other Middle Eastern desserts to satisfy both their sweet tooth and their sense of adventure.
Desserts and baked goods that feature similar ingredients, flavor profiles, and textures as Dubai chocolate are beginning to pick up steam in foodservice. For example, the irresistible filling in Dubai chocolate is called knafeh, which is served as a dessert on its own across the Middle East. Especially popular in Egypt, knafeh is starting to show up on restaurant menus amidst the rise in interest in Middle Eastern desserts. Also trending
right now is baklava, a classic dessert hailing from the Mediterranean region that has textural similarities to Dubai chocolate and prominently features pistachios.
Get ahead of this trend by drawing inspiration from Middle Eastern desserts. While options with recognizable and trendy ingredients are a good place to start, brands shouldn’t be afraid to find lesser-known Middle Eastern specialties to introduce to consumers. Now more than ever, consumers are placing a high value on authenticity, so products inspired by exotic and unfamiliar Middle Eastern desserts will be well-received, as long as their flavors and ingredients stay true to their roots.
European Exploration
Consumers have been embracing the romanticism of European cuisines and cultures, falling for diverse and delicious desserts from France, Italy, Poland, and beyond. In fine dining, cookies, cakes, and pastries from all over Europe are witnessing growth, and many of these up-and-coming sweet treats have begun to generate buzz on social media.
Kolaczki, a Polish pastry filled with jam, for example, is gaining in popularity, thanks to its sweet flavor and aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Similarly, pignoli cookies, which hail from Italy, are winning over social media users and bakers alike with their nutty flavor profile and chewy texture.
When it comes to innovating around global sweet treats, dessert and baked good brands should consider bringing European delights to restaurant menus and grocery store shelves. The possibilities don’t stop there, though; brands operating in the snack, dairy, and beverage spaces should also consider innovating around the flavors of beloved sweet staples from European cuisines. Think black forest cake milkshakes, tiramisu popcorn, or apple strudel yogurt.
Culivision Insight: Sweet Specialties from Brazil
South American cuisine has also seen a surge in popularity recently, presenting another promising source of inspiration when it comes to dessert and sweet treat flavor inspiration. Our Culivision team in Brazil reports that new takes on nostalgic desserts are especially popular right now. Brigadeiro, a type of chocolate candy, and pudim, a creamy custard, are taking on new flavors, like coffee, salted caramel, and passion fruit. Brands should consider drawing inspiration from these modern twists on beloved Brazilian recipes.
Desserts in Brazil are also starting to take on Asian inspired flavors, like yuzu, ube, and matcha. When it comes to flavor innovation for desserts and
beyond, fusion is always an ideal option for appealing to adventurous consumers. Consider combining Asian ingredients with South American sweet specialties for fusion flavors that consumers won’t be able to resist.
Feeling inspired by international sweet treats? We’ve got you covered! Contact us today to see how Fuchs can help you make something special.