Firmenich 2014 Flavor of the Year? Blackberry.

Firmenich (Princeton, New Jersey) has declared blackberry the flavor of 2014, driven in part by the fruit's antioxidant and nutritive contents and its complex flavor notes, including:

• Ripe
• Sweet
• Acidic
• Juicy
• Seedy
• Jammy
• Spicy
• Floral (at low levels)

The company expects to see the trend manifested in dairy, blackberry ginger tea, sweet goods, cereal flavors paired with ancient grains, cereal bars, salad dressings and glazes.

“Blackberry is such a fun flavor to work with,” says master flavorist Robin Trumm. “It pairs well with many other flavors including black pepper, apricot, champagne, citrus, plums, Port, and ginger, just to a name a few.”

“Consumers are becoming highly discerning in their preferences, opting for more and more complexity in flavor profiles," says Hidemi Tashiro, a master flavorist at Firmenich. "This has caused a natural evolution toward profiles such as blackberry.”