Packaged Facts recently released the latest edition in its Culinary Trend Tracking Series (CuTTS), Food and Beverage Flavor and Ingredient Trends, that analyses the market in America.

Packaged Facts recently released the latest edition in its Culinary Trend Tracking Series (CuTTS), Food and Beverage Flavor and Ingredient Trends.

“South American peppers, Mediterranean grains, Korean condiments, these are merely the tip of the exciting influences expanding the culinary landscape in America,” said David Sprinkle, research director.

In the report, Packaged Facts analyses the key trends exciting the food and beverage industry. More than 20 flavours and ingredients are discussed.

These featured flavours and ingredients include:

Aji Chiles - Growing interest in Latin food fuels the rise of this flavorful ingredient

Blood Orange - Inherent sweet and savory applications, in both food and beverages, makes the blood orange’s future very promising indeed

Buttermilk - Resurgent interest in old-fashioned down-home foods has put this useful ingredient back on the flavor radar

Chai as Flavor Profile - This spiced-milk Indian tea is beginning to make inroads in desserts and other sweets

Charring - Intentional charring is a great technique for introducing deep flavor as well as distinctive texture

Freekeh - At the intersection of healthy eating and global food trends lies this nutrient-rich ancient grain

Gochujang - This traditional thick, crimson paste from Korea is capturing the imagination of menu-makers and consumers alike

Green Goddess Dressing - This retro classic, with its creamy texture and herb-and-anchovy flavor profile, hits all the right buttons

Guajillo - As American diners become more interested in authentic regional Mexican cuisine, lesser-known chiles like the guajillo are moving into the public eye

Harissa - This spicy, garlicky chili paste is an all-purpose condiment in North Africa—and it could be the next Sriracha

Kabocha Squash - This Japanese variety of winter squash is poised to become the next “It” vegetable

Mustard Seed - Though stone-ground mustards have featured the seed for years, the spicy little beads have been showing up on their own in a variety of new ways

Nutella - The branded Italian spread is garnering ever-increasing interest, but the chocolate-hazelnut flavor profile (also known as gianduja) gives the trend a lot more room to grow beyond

Pimentón and Espelette - Though similar to the more familiar paprika, both pimentón and piment d’Espelette have broken away from spice-shelf obscurity

Ponzu - Think of ponzu as the Japanese equivalent of vinaigrette, an all-purpose dipping sauce, marinade and condiment

Preserved Lemon - This Moroccan specialty is just about ready to make the jump from restaurants to retail foods

Romesco - This traditional Catalan Spanish blend of nuts and sweet red pepper is flavorful, attractive and versatile

Salsa Verde - This flavorful sauce is versatile, healthy, widely appealing—and quite possibly the next pesto

Seaweed/Sea Vegetables - Broader interest in both sustainability and interesting new culinary ingredients has driven seaweed and sea vegetables into the public eye

Sorghum Syrup - The artisanal food movement is bringing back this iconic sweetener, which is made from the trendy-again cereal grass of the same name

Sweet and Savory Jams - These products are trending flavor-boosters that mix sweet and savory in intriguing and versatile ways

Togarashi - An exotic image belies the simplicity of this next-in-line Japanese hot-pepper condiment

Varietal Apples: Gala and Fuji - Varieties of apples beyond the usual Delicious and Granny Smiths are attracting attention, in applications both sweet and savory

Yuzu - The most popular citrus in Japan gets really interesting when it crosses Western borders to flavor vegetables, fish, desserts and cocktails

For each flavour and ingredient, Packaged Facts discusses trend summary, trend versions, menu sightings, momentum and diffusion, trend analogs, menu trend applications, retail trend applications and market opportunities.