2023 “Flavor of the Year” Selections Highlight Adventurous and Global Trends
Beck Flavors announces flavor forecast – consumer preferences centered around adventure, self-care and versatility.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. (November 8, 2022) – Entering 2023, people are more connected than ever before. Social media has brought widespread exposure to worldly cultures through community pages, hashtags, and videos, making the internet a more diverse and inclusive place. These shifts in consumer trends are reflected through the 2023 Flavor of the Year announcement by Beck Flavors.
Beck’s marketing and research and development teams joined forces to forecast the emerging flavors of 2023 by analyzing preferences, mega trends, and buyer behaviors in 2022. After an extensive audit of flavor trends, winners were chosen in the fruit, botanical, indulgent and innovation categories.
Taste of Adventure
The innovative flavor is often the most exciting and unexpected of the flavors because it helps consumers become familiar with the unfamiliar. According to Beck’s research, 31% of US adults aged 18-25 ‘tend to stick to food they know they will like’, vs 40% of Millennials and 52% of Baby Boomers.
This year’s innovative flavor is Spicy Tamarind, a bold and intrepid fruit that incorporates a global, unique flavor, while pairing nicely with sweet flavors to create dynamic profiles. The flavor of the tamarind fruit ranges from sweet and sour to tangy and tart, and can be tastefully combined with sweet flavors like pineapple or caramel. With a touch of heat from chili peppers, the flavors will transform into a taste that’s unforgettable.
Health and Self-Care
With much of the population practicing budget-conscious shopping, it’s become more apparent that when shoppers treat themselves, they want something worth-while. 41% of US consumers have been eating indulgent foods regularly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (vs 34% prior). While indulgence is often viewed negatively, the self-care benefits of occasional indulgence are significant.
Making an indulgent choice can improve emotional and mental well-being, and it can also create an important social connection with others. With sweetness, citrus and self-care taken into consideration, the team at Beck Flavors chose Orange Glazed Cinnamon Roll as the indulgent flavor of 2023.
While self-care can manifest through forms of indulgence, it can also come to fruition by means of health consciousness, mental wellness and immune system care. The flavor of the year in the botanical category goes to Garden Mint, a fresh and rejuvenating flavor centered around mindfulness. Strong botanical aromas offer benefits like decreased anxiety and improved sleep, while giving consumers a jolt of freshness. Mint provides a unique freshness that’s difficult to replicate, and a brightness that stimulates the senses. Aroma, as a sensory attribute, holds strong potential in new food and drink launches.
Transportation between time and space
The sentiment of nostalgia is a powerful one. A certain flavor or aroma can take consumers back to a treasured childhood memory or feeling of the past. On the other hand, there are some flavors that explode with exuberance, taking them to places far off and magical. Very few flavors can capture both feelings, leading to the selection for fruit flavor of the year, Carnival Grape. A burst of sweet carnival-appropriate flavor, with plenty of that classic grape flavor. With many unique grape varieties offering up a sweet treat to the health-conscious consumer, there is sure a variety to WOW your taste buds.
Grape is at the forefront of a resurgence of gums, sports drinks and sparkling waters. Research indicates a 36% increase in grape-flavored gums in the United States since November 2021. Although grape is a familiar flavor, it lays a unique groundwork for other complex “flavor scape” experiences. Some brands are even using grape flavor as a part of abstract flavors like “springtime” and even a “journey to space”.