Kerry releases 2024 Taste Charts - A World of Future Tastes

Kerry, a world leader in taste and nutrition, has released its 2024 Taste Charts, A World of Future Tastes.  This is a culmination of Kerry’s year-long research is a series of incisive, interactive charts created separately for 13 individual regional markets, including 30 countries in Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA).

The charts list mainstream, key, up-and-coming and emerging tastes across five food and beverage categories, provide an in-depth analysis of the flavours, ingredients and trends that will shape innovation in the food and beverage sector in the year ahead, and inspire product and menu developers worldwide.

Gochujang chicken; beef brisket with coffee rub; negroni cocktail (Source: Kerry)

To illustrate today’s incredible pace of innovation, Kerry researchers conducted a deep dive into the lifecycles of two long-popular flavours — orange and chocolate — and examined how these mainstream ingredients are evolving into all manner of inventive tasty product offerings around the world. These two case studies demonstrate how popular and traditional tastes worldwide are fusing into new, innovative applications as brands source, combine and recombine flavours and ingredients from other places.

Commenting on the 2024 Asia Pacific (APAC) Taste Charts, Avinash Lal, Market Research & Consumer Insights Director, Kerry APMEA, said: “The APAC flavour scene is a vibrant tapestry, constantly evolving and influenced by diverse cultural traditions, emerging trends, and evolving consumer preferences. Consumers are rediscovering the magic of their own culinary heritage, seeking out unique regional ingredients and flavour profiles. Think Sichuan peppercorn ice cream in China, Calamansi-infused yogurt in the Philippines, or black sesame latte in Japan.”

Other top insights for 2024 flavour innovation in APAC:

Traditional spices and cooking techniques are getting a modern twist, leading to innovative dishes like charcoal-grilled skewers with fermented chilli paste in Thailand and turmeric latte macarons in India.

Young consumers are craving bold and unusual flavour combinations, driven by social media's influence and a desire for novelty. This opens opportunities for sweet-savoury pairings like bacon milkshakes, coffee infused with black garlic, and chocolate bars with wasabi.

The plant-based revolution is taking off, leading to new demand for creative flavour solutions in meat and dairy alternatives, such as jackfruit rendang in Indonesia, mushroom jerky in Australia, or chickpea falafel with a Middle Eastern twist.

Passionfruit: considered a niche fruit, this cold beverage flavour appeared in all 13 different global regions as analysed by the charts. It’s a mainstream ingredient in New Zealand but still only an early-stage emerging flavour in the Middle East.

Fruits such as Yuzu are gaining popularity across multiple markets and applications, with recent launches including Yuzu Gose beers in South Africa, Yuzu and pepper mayonnaise in China, and Yuzu low ABV wines and alcoholic beverages in Australia.

Soumya Nair, Global Consumer Research and Insights Director at Kerry, observed: “Consumers want tasty new innovations or flavours they may have experienced while travelling. We are seeing many unique flavour intersections in foods and beverages. Although rapidly changing times can present great challenges, they also provide an unparalleled opportunity for brands to catch a trend on the rise. The Kerry 2024 Taste Charts are a valuable tool for the food and beverage industry to navigate the new taste environment for products.”

To access the 2024 Kerry Taste Charts for the region of your choice, please click here.