Do you have a specific flavor or taste that immediately takes you back to a memory? For me, it’s cranberry juice. It was the only juice my grandmother kept in her house when I was growing up, and she had a glass every morning with breakfast, without fail. Now whenever I pour myself a glass, I’m taken back to those summer mornings between school years.
I understand why people feel nostalgic for classic flavors. They want to be reminded of simpler times, maybe a time when they didn’t have as many worries or responsibilities. And who doesn’t want a little escapism every once in a while? But if we keep looking back and hoping to relive those memories, we miss what’s right in front of us (I could go on about the paradox of nostalgia forever. Midnight in Paris is one of my all-time favorite films).
The flavor industry is perfectly riding the line between nostalgia and new innovations. We can take a flavor reminiscent of childhood and put it in a new format that feels fresh and exciting. Take Canada Dry’s Fruit Splash cherry ginger ale as an example. This beverage evokes memories of Shirley Temples at fancy restaurants as a child, getting to drink something in a fancy glass like the grown-ups. Now I can enjoy this familiar flavor with only five calories and even a zero-sugar option.
Reading this month’s flavor Leaders & Newsmakers issue, several companies mentioned this concept of nostalgia and making familiar flavors new again. There are so many areas of innovation within the flavor industry, from the use of artificial intelligence to functional ingredients to new sensory technologies. This industry is constantly reinventing its own wheel, finding new ways to make flavorful and nutritious products that consumers will love.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading our Leaders & Newsmakers issues as much as I have. I can’t wait to hear from these experts again next year!
