East takes on West in the fight for future food flavours

Chinese and Japanese cooking now rank among the top five global favourite cuisines across all age groups, for example, while for younger demographics, Korean and Mexican flavours are increasing in demand. And US chefs have been exploring “simplified ways” to create favourites like tacos, burritos, spring rolls, dumplings, bao buns, and Korean corn dogs.

This brings increased opportunities and sales for new sauces, condiments, and dressings, Chen explained. In the US, UFS has been testing a new range of Spicy Mayo, Chili Lime with Tajin, and Chipotle-flavoured products that align with the findings.

Fermentation is part of the foods for the future

The report includes a chapter on fermentation, billed as the transformation of simple ingredients into “culinary masterpieces that burst with flavours you haven’t experienced before”. Fermentation “allows us to experiment and channel our inner child as it can be very personalised and creative”, said Unilever research and development director Sarah Lieder.

There is not one simple recipe for fermenting, though key ingredients
tend to include water, salt, yeast, and sugars, which help create an environment for the key element to “evolve”. Beyond these conditions, the most important component of fermentation is time, according to the report.

Precision fermentation is attracting a lot of interest – and investment. Final products include proteins and fats that are “a solid alternative to animal products” and change “the way people look at ingredients and questions the impact of food on both the individual and their community”, said UFS.

UFS has access to a Chinese centre specialising in fermentation. The launch of Knorr Soy Sauce in China, the first soy sauce designed specifically for professional chefs and foodservice applications, is an example of how this process is being used to both expand product lines to suit different consumers and customers.

“The feedback we were getting from chefs was that retail soy sauces often lacked the needed intensity of umami flavour or was too high in salts,” Chen said. “So, we made a special one exclusively for chefs.”

The personal touch works for gen Z

Customisation is already giving way to personalisation in what UFS describes as the “diner designed” menu trend.

The report highlighted a 55% increase in search results for “grill it yourself” Korean BBQ, for example, with gen Z consumers particularly seeking out “curated choices and social media worthy moments”. Ice cream is the next one to watch in this space, according to the report.

Key ingredients for this trend include nuts, beetroot, chocolate, lemon, saffron, mustard, BBQ meats, and gelatin, as chefs offer everything from “topping stations” and flavour profiles to build-your-own options.

“Gen Z diners seek meals that reflect their personal tastes and dietary needs,” said Eric Chua, UFS executive chef in Singapore.

The street food trend also plays to the needs of gen Z consumers, as they seek affordable and authentic options. By blending ingredients and techniques from various cultures chefs have been creating different flavours in dishes like loaded fries, Indian chaat (street food snacks), and shawarma (wraps).

The flow of flavours from foodservice to FMCG

And trends that start in professional kitchens do not stay there.

“Culinary trends, top dishes and new flavours move from restaurants and professional kitchens to supermarkets, eventually making their way into home kitchens,” said Chen.

Indeed, the food trends being witnessed on the world’s menus today will shape the supermarket shelves of tomorrow. Korean cuisines – or K-food – are, like K-pop, K-films, and K-drama, increasingly popular and expected to have a greater presence in Western supermarket aisles.

The popularity of Korean food will open the door for other East and Southeast Asian cuisines too. In fact, experts suggest that Burmese and Filipino cuisines – from the Southeast Asian countries of Myanmar and the Philippines – may emerge as new players in the global food space.

East Asian and Southeast Asian countries have certainly begun to embrace
food as a form of “soft power”, focusing on increasing awareness of their traditional cuisine as a way to expand the cultural capital of their nation. Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cambodia have all funded government-backed culinary diplomacy programmes, for example.

The West’s domination (think haute cuisine from France and Italy’s trifecta of pizza, pasta, and ice cream) is undoubtedly under threat from the East.

“[T]he status quo is beginning to change,” UFS explained. “Increasingly, consumers are looking towards the rich food cultures of East and Southeast Asia.”