McCormick Releases Flavor Forecast and 2024 Flavor of the Year

HUNT VALLEY, Md. — McCormick announced the Flavor Forecast 24^th Edition, the annual report reporting the latest culinary trends shaping the way people prepare and enjoy food worldwide. With this year's report, McCormick announced its 2024 Flavor of the Year: tamarind.

Tamarind, a spice native to Africa, India and the Middle East, has lent its acidic, tangy-sweet flavor to Latin, Caribbean and Mexican cuisines for centuries.

Consumers can experience the flavor in action with the new Tamarind & Pasilla Chile Seasoning, available online. The flavor of the year will also be featured in several limited-edition, tamarind-infused menu items at Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer locations nationwide in February 2024.

Other flavor predictions and trends identified in the brand's flavor forecast include:

• Sour Power. From tamarind to coconut vinegar, acidic agents are stepping into the spotlight to open our senses, boost craveability, and even help “cook” without heat.
• Thoughtfully Borrowed. Authenticity encompasses background, heritage and experiences, and with it comes a reinvention of regional-traditional cooking. These conscious cultural combinations pay homage and respect to both roots and backgrounds, creating a celebration of flavor, experience and cuisine.
• Indulgence Redefined. A source of pleasure, ritual and community, indulgence comes in all shapes and forms. From time of day to season, flavor sensations link to emotions, memories and lived experiences. From a crisp, light ceviche to an over-the-top breakfast poutine, it's about how we treat ourselves through flavor, texture and ingredients that make us happy. Two ways this trend comes to life are through “newstalgic” and food maximalism. Newstaglic: What's old is new again, with restaurants re-introducing childhood favorites with a gourmet twist. Food maximalism: By layering flavors and textures in creative, fun and thoughtful ways, you can experience flavor to the max.

“For nearly 25 years, McCormick has forecasted global flavor trends through our Flavor Forecast report,” said Tabata Gomez, chief marketing officer at McCormick. “After all this time, there is still no shortage of trends to uncover, which allows us to continue to shake up the way people cook, flavor, and eat.”

“This year, we're thrilled for people to experience the taste, versatility and tang of tamarind,” said Hadar Cohen Aviram, executive chef and senior manager, culinary development, U.S. consumer at McCormick. “It is the perfect ingredient to incorporate in savory and sweet dishes, which is evident through the creative, flavorful, limited-time dishes we are proudly co-developing with Black Tap.”

Stephen Parker, corporate executive chef at Black Tap, added, “Given Black Tap's global footprint, we try to be truly thoughtful in leveraging global recipes, spices and techniques to ensure we continually bring innovation to our craft each and every day. We love to tap different regional influences for our recipes. Tamarind inspired us to borrow flavors from Southeast Asia, the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America for this exciting collaboration.”

Black Tap menu items will include a chicken burger, fries and milkshake that infuse the seasoning.