Supermarket Perimeter - September 2022 - 69

R&D
Caribbean, Nordic, Greek,
Ukrainian, Japanese and Korean
are among the international
cuisine trends to keep an eye on
going forward, Badaracco said.
Within the United States,
meanwhile, regional cuisines are
still very much in play. In stressful
times, Badaracco said, regional
foods and dishes give consumers
a sense of control.
" They're grounding and they
increase the feeling of safety
and calm. "
Low country, Cajun, creole and
Gullah are among the regional
trends that should continue to
stay hot in 2023, she said.
More than two-and-a-half
years in, COVID continues to
impact flavor trends.
" COVID is affecting travel
destination, which in turn
affects which cities, regions that
consumers travel to, which then
shuttles in cuisines from those
regions, " Badaracco said. " For
the next year, travel will be more
focused on the US due to cost
and COVID. "
And COVID isn't the only
outside force impacting what
foods and flavors people are
buying and craving. Inflation
is having just as big, if not a
bigger, impact.
" It causes consumer's desire to
experiment to stall temporarily
at hybrids and stuffed food, safe
experimentation - nothing too
extreme, " Badaracco said.
That said, it hasn't translated
into increased demand for
comfort food, which consumers
are still stepping away from after
the initial COVID-related surge in
demand for it.
Consumers are also dialing
back on the cost of ingredients
and on eating out - " doing
more with less, " as
Badaracco said. Stockpiling
has also made a comeback,
she said.
supermarketperimeter.com
SEPTEMBER 2022 - 69
Perennial drivers like health
also continue to influence flavor
and food trends. But unlike in the
past, " health " now also includes
mental health increasingly,
Badaracco said.
" Cognitive function is a main
focus for consumers due to stress
and inflation. They're seeking
foods that help with focus, sleep,
stress, depression. "
Obesity concerns have also
returned to the forefront, she
added. As consumers adjust to a
new higher level of fear in their
lives, their focus widens beyond
just immune function and
cognitive function.
Morning momentum
One of Webster's favorite
trends is the expansion of
breakfast inspiration beyond
traditional American or Mexican
flavors. The US is seeing a real
growth in Asian flavors, she
said - specifically Japanese and
Vietnamese, and Asian has been
so incredibly influential in nonbreakfast
dayparts that it makes
sense it's finally impacting the
morning.
" But the flavors are so different
from how US consumers have
approached breakfast that I
think it's going to really open up
innovation possibilities in this
daypart. "
Regionalism continues to
play a big role in flavor and
food trends, Webster said.
People continue to travel more
domestically than internationally,
and when they visit other parts of
the US, they increasingly want to
try truly local cuisines.
" That includes increased
interest in Native American
cuisine and what that can mean
to how we consider American
food, and how that cuisine has
helped shape regional offerings, "
Webster said. " The same is true
for Black Foodways, which really
exploded during the unrest
in 2020 but have maintained
interest as the influence here is
significant, particularly in specific
regions. "
Another factor influencing
which flavors and cuisines
will be hot going forward is
the phenomenon of " revenge
spending, " which has been
particularly influential in travel
trends, Webster said.
Revenge spenders are those
who are consciously spending
more than they traditionally
would in order to make up for
lost time and lost vacations over
the past two years.
" The same is true for food, "
Webster said. " And it's largely
why this idea of extreme sensory
experiences is part of what
we're seeing with food trends.
After two years of largely eating
the same thing over and over,
consumers are demanding
foods that make them feel
alive, that make up for lost food
experiences, and remind them of
what they love about food. "
NOW
TRENDING
Korean bbq
International bread
arepas
Regional sausage
chorizo, andouille
Seaweed
Grilled anything
cheese, fruit, meats,
root vegetables
Regional desserts
Japanese cheesecake,
Caribbean
hummingbird cake,
French joconde cake
Spicy combinations
with sweet & citrus
Salty combinations
also with sweet & citrus
Source: Culinary Tides
Asian foods and
anything BBQ
remain hot, perfect
conditions for Korean
BBQ to show up
on more and more
plates.
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Supermarket Perimeter - September 2022

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