Perhaps Walt Disney World has had it right all along. It’s a small world after all. At Innova Market Insights, we are amazed at how small the world is today and how quickly food and flavor trends spread from one country or region to another.

Innova tracks lots new product launches and monitors dozens of food and beverage trends. We operate the biggest food and drink product database in the world that covers 21 categories and 198 subcategories in the food and drink markets and we pick up and record information on brands, ingredients, claims, packaging, patents and promotions in every one of 90 major markets in six global regions – including North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe, Middle East/Africa, and Australasia. If there’s an emerging food or beverage trend—particularly the adoption of global foods and flavors—we are positioned to spot it!

Our monitoring activities also include conducting surveys of consumers in 11 representative countries. Surveys help us put our finger on the pulse of consumer sentiment regarding a variety of different topics, including food, beverages, lifestyle, and health.

Flavor survey findings

Let’s start with a look at our 2022 Innova Flavor Survey, which explored consumer sentiments and behaviors related to food and beverage flavor selections. Survey results show that flavor exploration appeals to consumers of all ages, with approximately one-third of those surveyed saying that flavor has become more important to them during the prior 12 months.

The youngest cohort of adults (ages 18-25) is least likely to experiment with flavor in-home cooking—possibly because they have not yet developed extensive cooking skills. Nevertheless, they show their love of adventure and over-index for seeking flavor experiences from street food stands, restaurant delivery services, and online cooking box subscriptions.

Additionally, nearly half of Gen Z respondents look for flavors that they have never tried before in supermarkets, restaurants, and street stalls and they look forward to “seeing street food flavor-inspired products in supermarkets/online stores.” Innovative manufacturers can respond to these younger adult consumers with methods to make flavors appealing. These strategies could include mixing flavor profiles, using non-specific flavor names, and combining flavors from different food and beverage categories.

Consumers of all ages are most willing to try ethnic cuisines in their home cooking, at restaurants, and when traveling. They name Asian, European, and Latin American flavors as the most influential and Asian as the most familiar and inspirational. Preferences for specific ethnic cuisines, however, vary somewhat based on food and beverage category. Southeast Asian and East Asian foods top the list for soups, ready meals and side dishes; while Mediterranean cuisines are most preferred in savory snacks and sauces, seasonings, and toppings. Consumers also enjoy Latin American condiments. They also look for exotic and world flavors in soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, ready meals, and sauces.

Innovation mirrors consumer trends

It can be hard to determine who first sets the trend in packaged ethnic foods and beverages–whether it’s the consumer or manufacturer. Ideas often start with restaurant chefs who inspire patrons to seek that same experience in packaged foods. You also have immigrant populations who seek the cultural foods in their new home country, or those consumers who cross boundaries through global travel and/or social media. What we do know is that consumer preference aligns closely with new product innovation.

Data in our global food and beverage database show that three out of five recent product launches feature Asian flavors, followed by Mediterranean and Latin American. Drilling down to specific flavors associated with ethnic dishes, we see fastest growth in Italian lasagna and Korean kimchi, followed by Indian masala and specialty masalas, Korean flavors in general, and various Asian flavors.

Ethnic inspiration differs by category. Top categories tracked with Asian flavors include numerous savory foods. Italian is the top Mediterranean flavor in several categories. More than half of all Latin American flavors in sauces, ready meals, and meat substitutes are Mexican.  

We break down each category into the top five flavors for the year and the fastest growing flavors overall and by region. This is where we can tease out regional differences and here are examples by product category.

Soup: Chili, red tomato, vegetable, beef, and mushroom are top flavors for new soups. Meanwhile, chili also appears on the list of flavors growing on overall popularity list. Others gaining ground include Japanese miso, pumpkin, and onion.

We see regional differences emerging flavors, led by ham, garden pea, and curry in Europe; Korean kimchi, chili, pork, fish, and Japanese miso in Asia and the Pacific; black bean, clam, and chili in North America; pumpkin, carrot, and onion in Latin America; and Armenian tarhana (a fermented mixture of grain and yogurt), pumpkin, and yogurt in the Middle East and North Africa.

Pizza: Fast growing pizza toppings reflect differences in regional ingredients. Basil, carbonara sauce, and buffalo mozzarella are becoming more common in Europe, while pizzas in the Asia Pacific region increasingly are topped with onion, paneer cheese, or margherita pizza toppings. Chicken features in both the Middle East/North Africa and Latin America while mushroom is growing in both the Middle East/North Africa and North America.

Meat: Innovation in meat products is driven by German-inspired sausages (knackwurst, weisswurst, bratwurst), specific wood smoked versions, and spicy infusions with paprika, cumin, coriander, and/or cayenne. Wood smoked product launches are growing in Europe and North America; pepper and garlic are common to Asia and Europe; and herb-flavored options are expanding in North America and Latin America.

Soft Drinks: In soft drinks, what’s growing most are botanical flavors from flowers and spices.

Salty Snacks: Salty snacks offer opportunities for consumers to explore flavors in a more adventurous way. In Asia, salty snacks typically feature simple spice flavors—such as hot, spicy, pepper, garlic—along with fish- and meat-flavored products. Meanwhile, there’s continued growth worldwide in sweet-salty combinations. Regional and ethnic flavors—involving fish, shrimp, masala, South Asian and American influences—are seeing growth rates that exceed the snacks category average.

Dialing more into the US market, potato-based snacks were the leading subcategory in savory/salty snacks in 2022. Barbecue, cheese, chili, and sea salt are popular flavors for salty snacks. Meanwhile, honey, chocolate, and peanut butter are are becoming more widely used.

Sweet Packaged Goods & Confections: Fruit flavors are a key part of product development in many sweet packaged food categories, and suppliers are looking to complement existing fruit flavors more diverse choices, including mango, pineapple, passion fruit, and other tropical fruits.

In global chocolate confectionery, watch for different varieties of nuts, such as chestnut and pistachio. Sugar confectionery often reflects local Asian flavor preferences (cheese in China or soda in Japan), as well as fast growing flavors that include sesame, Indian masala, cheese, hawthorn, dulce de leche, and lychee. Local flavors such as taro and guava do well in regional sweet bakery products.

Cereals & Bars: The top five flavors for cereal and energy bars—including milk chocolate, almond, nuts, peanut, dark chocolate—are popular worldwide. Where we see regional diversity involves the fastest growing flavors, including sea salt, mango, and goji in Europe; cookie dough, cinnamon, and smores in North America; and various nuts in Latin America.

Condiments: Condiments present a low barrier for consumers to explore the flavors of ethnic cuisines. They are offered at affordable prices and allow consumers to experiment without the need to commit to cooking a full meal in an unfamiliar cuisine.

Asian sauces, including a solid percentage that are launched in Asia, clearly lead sauces from other cuisines. Top flavors include several chili variations, while fast growing sauces feature cranberry, jalapeño chili, red tomato, mango, and smoked. Each region has its own favorite flavors borrowed from other cuisines, including bacon and smoked in Latin America; jalapeño in Europe and the Middle East/North Africa; and wasabi in North America.

Sauces: We see a growing trend toward ingredient blending of a single flavor in combination with a regional flavor blend, for example, sweet chili, curry, or chili with Thai, chili with Korean, and honey with Japanese teriyaki. Japanese teriyaki is the most widely used and top growing flavor within Asian sauces, followed by Chinese sweet and sour, chili, general Japanese, and Chinese Szechuan.

Looking more closely at the subcategory of table sauces, we see a broad range in innovations, including festive-themed packaging, assorted flavor kits, ingredient provenance claims (such as “Sri Lankan cinnamon” and “Sicilian lime”). There also are alcohol-infused sauces as well as fusion foods, such as pickle flavor ketchup, a cola flavor BBQ sauce or a carrot hot sauce.

Spices & Seeds: Warm spices and spice blends that are popular in North America—such as cloves, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice—are gaining traction globally but continue to have a small market share. Spice blends are popular for their convenience, cost effectiveness, and authentic tastes. Widely used flavors such as chili, pepper and salt and vinegar continue to be popular. Watch for ethnic spice growth driven by Asian favorites, led by masala and accompanied by the Indonesian spice mixture balado, Thai chicken, Thai tom yum, and seaweed.

Ethnic cuisines and Innova’s Top 10 Trends

“Quick Quality,” one of our Top Ten Trends for 2023, recognizes the need to merge convenience with culinary creativity to accommodate busier routines. Exploration of ethnic cuisines in home cooking blossomed during the pandemic and is likely to expand in the coming years as travel returns and culinary curiosity continues.

Manufacturers can take their cues from restaurant menus, social media, travel shows, and other sources when looking for inspiration for the next big ethnic cuisine trend.

Lu Ann Williams is Global Insights Director at Innova Market Insights, provider of market research services including the Innova Database. With more than 25 years’ experience in the food industry, Lu Ann is a trend expert and frequent public speaker at events worldwide. She leads a team of analysts and works with global clients. Contact her at luann.williams@innovami.com.