IFF: Desserts and guilt management, the return of lemon, and using herbs without scaring customers
IFF senior food technologist, bakery, Vincent Tursi, says dessert trends are all about "guilt-management strategies".
Consumers are watching their weight, but they don't want to compromise, so they would rather indulge with a small portion of a full fat, full-flavor dessert than seek out reduced fat options, says Tursi, so look out for more mini-desserts...
As for flavors, hispanic trends - mango, papaya and guava - are gaining in popularity, while all-American blueberries are also inspiring a lot of dishes, he says. Lemon is staging a comeback, while fine-dining inspired desserts combining fruits and herbs are starting to hit the mainstream, he says.
"Mango works really well with rosemary, basil with lemon, thyme and pineapple. You have to be careful not to scare people off, but if you don't use too much of the herb, these combinations can taste incredible."
But what about so-called superfruits such as goji berries and acai?
"These things often follow a bell curve", says Tursi. "They hit really hard but can drop really fast."
