With a new year, comes new trends. Below are the food trends expected to take Canada by storm this year.
Specialty Seasonings: Custom seasoning blends can elevate the simplest of meals. As consumers spend more time cooking at home, they look for ways to upgrade their experience. At the top of this trend is specialty salts, with items like smoked salt, charcoal salt, and volcanic salt already rising in popularity.
Precision Nutrition: Consumers are focusing on the role diet plays in a healthy lifestyle, and this year, consumers are seeking out precision ingredients that promise specific benefits. Examples include seaweed, which touts various vitamins and minerals and high protein content; allulose as an alternative to processed sweeteners; foods enriched with vitamin D for bone health and immunity; and mycoprotein, a protein derived from fungi that is popular in savory plant-based products.
Flavour of the Year: The leading flavour for this year is ube! Ube, also known as a purple yam, has a flavour profile that is described as “nutty, sweet, and mild earthy.” Other popular flavours for 2024 include matcha, white truffle, lavender, and furikake.
Non-Dairy Desserts: Beverages is currently where plant-based ingredients continue to shine brightest (think plant-based milks, coffee creamers, etc) but plant-based desserts are also expected to be on the rise for 2024. Items like ice cream, cookies, brownies, and cakes, made with dairy-free ingredients, will make their way onto shelves and restaurant menus. “A key point to address is: “can you put the joy of eating into plant-forward foods? For example, presenting an item with ‘whipped coconut cream’ as opposed to a ‘dairy-free whip’ can shape guest perception of a dish” says Nourish Food Marketing president Jo-Ann McArthur.
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