The document identifies several food and beverage flavor trends anticipated to grow beyond 2020 based on extensive research conducted by Symrise Flavor North America. The trends include natural goodness, healthy lifestyle, premium indulgence, emotional discoveries, spice and salt meets sweet, salted citrus, wasabi sweet, tropical classic cocktails, next wave Asian, and global horizons featuring Levantine and West African cuisines. Specific ingredients noted to be trending include amba, chintestle, yuzu, calamansi, bamboo, ube, turmeric, and tiger nut.

1. Trends may be the single most important driver in the food and beverage
industry and the Symrise Flavor North America team takes pride in identifying and
analyzing the most compelling information available. Through months of extensive
research including interviews with trendsetting chefs and bartenders around the
world, among other immersive food and beverage explorations, we’ve identified
the top flavors anticipated to grow beyond 2020. Here is a sneak peak into some
of the flavor trends included in our 2020 report and the facts backing them up.
Symrise Flavor North America
Top Trends for 2020 and Beyond
TRENDSCOPE®
Natural Goodness
Healthy Lifestyle
Premium Indulgence
Emotional Discoveries
Spice & Salt Meets Sweet
We’ve seen unique savory-meets-sweet pairings like black pepper or sesame
ice cream and truffle macarons in the past, but this year, the trend enhances
further, with new, unique flavor combinations.
Salted Citrus
Wasabi
+
Sweet
Trending Baked Good Ingredients
(YOY Item Incidence Change)
Popcorn Bacon Sea Salt Pretzel
+23% +10% +8%
Trending Dessert Ingredients
(YOY Item Incidence Change)
+100%
Wasabi Yuzu Tamarind Quince
+33% +30% +14% +11%
Incredible Spreadables
Spread the news—with chefs’ continued commitment to making everything
in-house, condiments are getting a global infusion this year. On the top
of the list—Levantine cuisine.
Amba Chintestle
Prime ClassicsWe are seeing a demand for creativity for non-alcoholic and lower-ABV
beverages, those who are indulging are focused on fun and functionality, wellness
being key. The classic cocktail staples on universal menus get a taste of the
tropics this year with fruit and fermentation.
Tropical
Classic
Cocktails
White Soy &
White Ponzu
Trending Specialty Drink Ingredients for Tropical Classic Cocktails
(YOY Item Incidence Change)
Key Lime Coconut Water Guava Kiwi
+36% +15% +13%+43%
Banana Yuzu
+11% +4%
Next Wave Asian
Over the past few years, consumers have been fascinated with Asian cuisine.
As the hype continued, taste buds evolved, allowing more Asian ingredients
to be introduced and become mainstream.
Beijing Yogurt
Global Horizons 2020Levantine cuisine—including Israeli, Turkish and Lebanese—looks to be
the most influential style for menus in 2020. But don’t count out dishes
from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indian, and West African.
FilipinX West African
Are now heavily trending in product launches in the West globally
Ingredients from the East
Yuzu
Bamboo
Ube
Turmeric
Tiger Nut
White soy and ponzu is being used to add flavor while keeping clean and instagramable.
Calamansi
Cannabidiol
Ube
Mushroom
Pea
Watermelon
Tiger Nut
Probiotics
Yuzu
Bamboo
Turmeric
INGREDIENT MARKET APPEAL
NA;EU
NA;EU
Global
Global
Global
NA;EU;APAC
Global
NA;EU
Global
Global
Amba is a tangy mango pickle condiment of Iraqi origin which contains one of the
hottest ingredients of the last few years, turmeric.
Chintestle is a Oaxacan smoked mole paste that often features chile and garlic.
It’s typically spread on hot tostadas or blended with roasted tomatillos and garlic to
make a table sauce.
Yuzu was a 2019 trend that continues to grow in 2020 and this year’s citrus is Calamansi.
“Beijing Yogurt is one of the best things to work with right now. You get a nice balance
of great texture and healthy ingredients.” - Mixologist Chris Amirault.
Source: Ignite menu data (Q4 2019—Q4 2018), Technomic, Inc.
Source: Ignite menu data (Q4 2019—Q4 2018), Technomic, Inc.
Source: Global Data
West African cuisine including countries like Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon,
Cape Verde, and Ivory Coast to name a few.
To get the full 2020 Top Flavor Trends Report or to learn more about Symrise and our initiatives, please reach out to your
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Interested in learning more?
Awarded Chef Eric Adjepong is a first-generation Ghanaian-American born and raised
in NYC, Eric sources the flavors and influences in his cooking from many of the
West African dishes he grew up eating.