olam food ingredients (ofi) used Artificial Intelligence to predict a greater fusion of Eastern and Western flavors in confectionery, bakery, beverages, and snacks.

The research used predictive analytics to scan online recipes, restaurant menus and e-commerce sites for budding trends before they hit the mainstream. Asian flavors like dragon fruit, sesame, yuzu, lychee and matcha are taking off in the US and Europe, while Western flavors like butterscotch, marshmallow, salted caramel and cookies & cream are becoming more popular in South Asian countries, including Indonesia and India. ofi’s ingredients innovation experts have turned these trends into cocoa pairings and dishes.

The top flavor trends, by geography, are:

• Europe: dragon fruit, sesame, chilli
• US: lychee, yuzu, miso
• Asia: marshmallow, black forest, cookies and cream

The findings combine the insights of its innovation experts in key regional markets and AI-powered research (AI Palette) to identify the next big cocoa flavor trends. ofi made an interactive flavor map available.

Photo: Pexels (karolina-grabowska)