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Nostalgic flavours, visual appeal, health and a desire for world cuisines drive consumer tastes
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Thursday, 03 June, 2021, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Harsh Koshti & Vikram Vangale
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The Indian subcontinent today has a relatively young market – the average age of consumers is 27 years and under, and they are aspirational and diverse.
The flavours shaping the region can be classified into three key buckets:
Mainstream and Key Tastes: The region’s top 20 tastes over the last five years include mango, mixed fruit, strawberry, lemon, chili/ masala tonalities, milk chocolate and vanilla caramel, sour cream onion, sweet orange, pomegranate, guava and green mango.
Up & Coming Tastes which cover the 20 fastest growing flavours in the last three years, include cranberry, lychee, cheese, malt, barbecue (smoke/grill) and Indian biryani.
Emerging Tastes are the top 20 fastest growing tastes in the last one year. Among them are kiwi, peanut, hazelnut, raspberry and turmeric.
A variety of factors or trends are influencing the choices consumers make. In these challenging times, consumers are increasingly nostalgic for the past, seeking familiar flavours from childhood, hence the popularity of the flavours of childhood drinks like banta or shikanji. Like a big mental hug, comfort food transports people back to simpler, happier times.
Visually appealing foods are also a big draw, driven largely by an Instagram culture where images are everything. And with the ongoing pandemic, curiosity to explore flavours from other cultures and explore tastes from past travels have placed sriracha sauce, cajun and peri peri masala in the taste spotlight. Add to that, more than ever, consumers want products with healthier ingredients - think haldi or turmeric milk, ginger-honey-lemon tea.
Increasingly, food and beverages will carry more regional and local flavours. McDonald’s in India has added the flavour of India's favourite street food, chaat, to its McAloo Tikki burger. Similarly with health, we see more consumers reaching for their favourite beverages but with added functional ingredients like turmeric for health benefits. This desire for new or combination of familiar tastes and flavours cuts across all categories, from juices and juice-based beverages, dairy drinks, to bakery, snacks, noodles, meat and confectionery.
Taste preferences have evolved in very interesting ways in the region. Thirty years ago, instant noodles was virtually non-existent, today it is a $ 1.5bn Industry. Similarly, two decades ago one would be hard pressed to find pizza on the menu, but pizza has become mainstream and is one of the most indulgent comfort foods enjoyed among friends and family. While these foods are imports, what’s key is ensuring that the tastes and flavours created are relevant to the market, especially for today’s young consumers who are curious to try new food tastes and experiences.
The big challenge faced by F&B brands and manufacturers is delivering on authentic local taste. Tens of thousands of products are launched in the region today - for the majority of these to be successful, they need to satisfy fast changing consumer taste demands.
Over the next few years, the taste landscape will continue to evolve in line with changing consumer behaviour. More people are now assessing labelling claims. Health will be top of mind. Origin of ingredients will be scrutinised and ‘ethical’, ‘sustainably-sourced’ will continue to be buzzwords among consumers. While these factors will play an important role, it is taste that will be the single largest driver for purchase.
To keep pace, future-focused innovation insights driven by AI will be crucial to smart innovation in helping brands launch food and beverages that are affordable (cost optimisation), acceptable (from nutrition to regulation), and above all, authentic in taste.
(Koshti is strategic marketing director, Taste. Vangale is business development director, Taste -- Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa)
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