Immunity-centric Spices, hot spices and the rise of the anchovies, the trends that will be popping up on your plate this season.
In 1950, the average home kitchen held 10 spices, seasonings and extracts. Today that number is over 40 per household, so it is no surprise that the demand for ready-to-use spice mixes and exotic-flavored pantry products is on the rise. This Seasoning and Spices mega-trend started in early 2019 and has evolved even further today, after eating and cooking at home for most of the past year. 2021 buyers are ready to expand their taste horizons with new flavors to spice up their home meals, and are showing interest in new exotic cuisines, so where do foods and flavors go from here?
Immunity-centric Spices
Growing health awareness among consumers is acting as a major growth-inducing factor. Spices and seasonings are rich in antioxidants, and many of them are considered to have medicinal properties, owing to which they are used for treating numerous diseases. The market for spices and seasonings has witnessed a rapid uptick with the onset of the coronavirus crisis. Spices and herbs meant to provide immunity, such as turmeric, ginger and garlic, have received tremendous response from consumers worldwide.
Interest in immune system-supportive ingredients in the past month alone is up 66%, and in 2021 we can forecast the trend to continue to rise. If you are interested in learning more about this trend, I recommend downloading this free report from tastewise.io.
Hot Right Now
The evolving foodservice industry has witnessed considerable growth in consuming hot spices. The cultural shifts of 2020 have made their way into consumer purchasing decisions in grocery shopping, raising consumers’ interest in a wide range of cuisines, such as Indian, Thai, Mexican and Vietnamese, which involve a wide variety of flavor adventures. Pinterest’s 2021 forecast reports a 155% increase in searches year-over-year for hot honey recipes in the US, and “Instacart 2021 Grocery Trends Report” indicates a growth of 725% in the sales of Piri Piri Sauce year-over-year.
Consumers are looking for quick and easy ways to spice up their home meals, and there is no other way to say it – 2021 is going to be hot!
On the Pantry Shelf: Anchovies!
Staying at home impacts another market that has been on the watch since 2019: Anchovies! This common pantry item that boosts the taste and texture of meals has been on the rise since 2019, and with staying at home for most of the past year – anchovies are gaining more value, easily refreshing our pantry with new flavors. Anchovy sales are up 85% year-over-year (Instacart report). Today (January 2021), orders are up 30% to “34,000 kilos per month,” said Orlando Salvatore, the Italian owner of Nettuno, one of a dozen companies in the sector. Since it is a relatively new trend, it is interesting to keep following this trend and see what other changes it will bring to consumers’ cooking choices and taste habits.
For more For more context around food industry leading trends, Read: Food Culture and Eating Trends in 2021-2023.