The future is floral

摘要

Q. What do you think is behind the increase in interest in flower-type flavours in dairy products? The culinary use of edible flowers is not a new custom, dating back thousands of years in many cultures. Over the years their use has gone in and out of fashion. Recently the growing popularity of edible flowers, as well as floral ingredients and flavours, has been labelled as a culinary trend to watch. The use of floral ingredients, as either flavours or extracts, in food and drink products is more popular than including whole edible flowers. The use of floral ingredients is mostly concentrated in teas, with jasmine, lavender and rose teas the most popular varieties - however floral flavours are starting to emerge in a greater range of beverages including RTD iced teas and beverage concentrates, and also cakes, pastries and sweet goods. Elderflower as a flavour in food and drink products is one of the on trend flavours, particularly in European product launches.