I hardly know what to make of a story about market research on the top ten flavors predicted for 2008. For one thing, I have no idea what some of these flavors are. I had to Google several. But what do I know?
The top sweet flavor, according to Bell Flavors and Fragrances, isn't that exotic: mango. But here's the rest of the "sweet" list: acai, lychee, pomegranate, mint, blueberry, verbena, goji [aka wolfberry], noni and guarana. I linked to a couple Wikipedia descriptions. Particularly intriguing is noni, "Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as Great morinda, Indian mulberry, Beach mulberry, Tahitian Noni, or since recently: Noni (from Hawaiian), Nono (in Tahitian), Mengkudu (from indonesia), Nonu (in Tongan), and Ach (in Hindi), is a shrub or small tree in the family Rubiaceae." The most interesting thing about the wikipedia description, however, is this:
The plant flowers and fruits all year round and produces a small white flower. The fruit is a multiple fruit that has a pungent odor when ripening, and is hence also known as cheese fruit or even vomit fruit. It is oval and reaches 4-7 cm in size. At first green, the fruit turns yellow then almost white as it ripens. It contains many seeds. It is sometimes called starvation fruit. Despite its strong smell and bitter taste, the fruit is nevertheless eaten as a famine food . . .
That's great. A fruit that is eaten by people who are starving to death and called vomit fruit is slated to be number nine most popular new flavor to be added to drinks, candies, bakery and dairy products.
I wonder what they'll call it at Starbucks: a vomit grande?
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Actually, you can already find acai juice in your local megamart. It tastes rather like pomegranate.
Starvation fruit? Somehow, I don't think it will give Dunkin' a run for its money.
If the biggies start buying all this 'starvation fruit' up to add it to their drinks, pastries, and candy, what are the starving people going to eat? I'm very concerned.
Sometimes, I think all of us, world wide, have too much time on our hands. Can hardly wait to get my hands on some of that vomit fruit!
I guessed before I opened the article (I saw the linked-to title). I nailed mango... it's the hottest thing in South Texas at the moment. Guarana is gooo-ood. They already make sodas and candy out of its flavor in South America. Blueberry? Oh, come now. Blueberry is so three years ago. Noni? Noni is absolutely beyond disgusting, replacing poke sallet as "the very last thing I would eat before I starved to death." In its place I would like to suggest the luscious purple prickly pear cactus fruit. If you've ever had one, you know what I mean.
How do they predict this stuff? I'm guessing at least of it probably follows health food trends - high anti-oxidant content or other "medicinal" properties (wasn't pomegranite the it juice last year?)
Take goji/wolfberry for example. It's quackery of the first order. My guess is it's not a predicted best seller based on taste, but because so many people are buying the hype.
Afaik, all flavors in food and drinks (and cosmetics, cleaning products) are artificial, made in labs by cos. like Firmenich. No real fruit or flowers or other are picked for that purpose. (There are some exceptions, some products from poor countries, some natural products, like vanilla, I believe, some natural essences used in perfumes, and of course the "home made" range.. But I am no expert, so..) Anway the flavor cos. have to keep coming up with new products to entice their clients. The choice settles on new and on flavors that are easy/cheap to produce half way convincingly. Some are hard to imitate, like strawberry - this always tastes and particularly smells ersatz. (Compare with lemon.) Also, sometimes the flavors (or olfactory punches) do better in one or another product, for all kinds of complicated reasons. So you get mango shampoo and mango drinks but no mango cakes.
Funny, I do product testing. I was just asked the other day if I would use Lychee yogurt shampoo or noni green tea body wash. I am cleaning myself- not having dinner or going to the grocery store.
Noni is a famine food for good reason-it is truly nasty tasting and smelling. You would need a really compelling reason to put it in your mouth.
As for the goji berries, I did see some interesting studies in a fast and dirty 5 minute scholar search. Looks like the Chinese are investing some serious time and money in the ethnobotanical. This one may grow on us. A little more time and money and, for those of us in the West, some studies done by Westerners and you may be stocking up on the dried fruit to add to your morning nine-grain cereal.
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It's not important whether the flavor comes from real wolfberries, or whether it tastes or smells like actual wolfberries. It's all about the name of the flavor and the color of the flavor.
The "pomegranate mango" body wash that one of my college kids left in my shower is a lovely wine red color, but it smells just like grapefruit. It's just plain old sodium laureth sulphate gussied up.
I don't have a problem with new flavors. Many of us do travel and try the local cuisine. Look at the success of sushi, cilantro, and curry powder. It wasn't that long ago I saw my first star fruit in an upscale market. Why not bring home the taste of the tropics from your local market? Granted, there will be some who will only use this as a marketing tool but, others will genuinely use the real thing. And if it is only a marketing tool, again so what? What for heavens sake is Frankenberry (registered trademark) cereal? Body parts mixed with blueberries? What is the alternative? We limit new flavors and only allow the old standbys? Maybe we get to try something downright tasty. I'll try any new food once. Never tried the acai or the wolfberry but, I will given the opportunity. Life is short why not spice it up with a new taste. I'll continue to pass on the noni, however.
False claims and bait and switch are an entirely different kettle of fish. Regulators can and will catch up to these scofflaws. I'd rather we see more funding go to testing and law enforcement then worrying about some new flavor of toothpaste or soda.
Shannon,
I'm not sure if your comment was directed at me. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for new flavours and new things. I'd probably try a noni-flavoured drink (or noni itself) just to see how vomit-like it really is. I was merely trying to suggest a reason for why these particular flavours are predicted to be 'hot'.
Looking at the list, it struck me that many of those plants are prized for anti-oxidant or other alleged medicinal properties. It's not unreasonable that marketers would jump on and follow a current health-food craze. I can't think of a better reason that something that supposedly tastes like vomit would have such an anticipated demand. (Novelty, I suppose, but then we're talking more about creating demand than predicting it).
I'm not worried about a new flavour of toothpaste or soda. I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm just suggesting that the demand might not be driven by flavour per se but rather other ideas attached to these plants.
Kamet, not aimed at any person in particular. No, the reason was after thinking about the original post by Revere, I just couldn't see why we might reject a new taste. Other than noni which I have tasted. But, I might end up eating my words. You wouldn't dream of applying whale vomit to your earlobes but some of us do. It turns out to be a terrific fixative. Maybe in dilute quantities even noni would taste good. *shudder*
And I agree with you about the purported but bogus health claims.
All of this reminds me of the Harry Potter branded jelly bellies that featured such flavours as earwax, dirt, sardine and vomit. I could just picture some poor guy at the factory taste testing: "No, not quite vomit-y enough."
I was also surprised at how familiar I was with the taste of dirt.
Mmm-mmm! First it's Turd-o-Rama, now it's Puke-a-Cola. Tasty subjects tonight.
Let's not forget that the "cola" flavour first came to us as a "tonic," i.e. early 20th century version of today's "smart drinks" and stimulant drinks and nutriceutical drinks. Frankly to my palate the stuff still tastes like medicine.
As for fruity sweets, I'll stick with the old standards, grape, orange, lime, cherry, and lemon. When I duck into the 7-11 looking for a Slurpee to slurp on a hot summer day (in moderation: maybe once a month if that), that's what I'm looking for. Not some kind of wild & crazy stuff with an "adventurous" taste and a colour that never existed in nature. I just don't like "surprises" in my mouth. Right.
Ahh but there are always Smarties, Skittles, and SweeTarts.
Ah, but what a great way to keep other people out of one's flu preps. "Well, let's see. I have vomit spagehetti sauce or fecal meat loaf. Sure, you can join us. Which would you like?" AnnieRN