Kerry, a global leader in taste and nutrition, has launched its 2025 Taste Charts, a comprehensive resource on developing trends designed to guide food and beverage innovators worldwide. The charts are a must-have consumer insights tool, with every prediction grounded in market reality and projected innovation.
Taste is the ultimate non-negotiable for product development. In a rapidly evolving industry, challenges such as nutritional optimisation, sustainability and consumer demand must all be addressed without sacrificing taste. This year’s edition features a carefully curated selection of tastes and trends, blending global insights with the expertise of top flavourists and scientists to help brands anticipate market shifts and create impactful products. The 2025 Taste Charts provide the insights needed to meet consumer demands, empowering brands to lead with bold, sustainable innovation.
“The 2025 Taste Charts underscore the power of innovation in shaping the future of taste, with trends that are a testament to the dynamic preferences of consumers across Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa. The rise of premiumisation, reimagined heritage flavours, fusion fare, and innovative food formats highlight an industry thriving on creativity and connection. As consumers embrace diverse cultures and cuisines, brands have a remarkable opportunity to create unique, authentic taste experiences using our data-driven Taste Charts to meet changing consumer preferences. By blending global flavours with regional traditions, we can delight evolving palates and bring exciting products to market,” said Claire Sullivan, Vice President, Marketing, Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa.
A Roadmap to Flavour Innovation
Kerry Southwest Asia Taste Charts major flavours for 2025 are:
*Tradition Meets Innovation: Re-imagined classics and re-discovered hyperlocal tastes and cooking methods are capturing consumer tastebuds in Southwest Asia. Unique green tomato and coconut chutney, roasted chillies and caramelised ghee highlight increasing interest in hyperlocal ingredients and cooking traditions. Dishes like Mumbai vada pav, Lucknowi seekh and Dindigul biryani offer authentic tastes in new formats, while well-loved foods are being revitalised into authentic distinct tastes like Awadhi masala, Kathiyawadi masala, and Chettinad masala.
*Cheese It Up! While cheddar, mozzarella and plain creamy cheese are already popular across India, Kerry’s Taste Charts show that consumers in India are moving beyond these classic cheeses to newer variants like parmesan, and further pairing this with tastes like truffle, barbecue, chillies and chocolate.
*Cultural Heatwave: Consumers are developing a taste for distinct provenance-driven chillies like Bhut Jolokia, Bird’s Eye Chilli, Guntu Chilli, and Bydagi Chilli, each bringing distinct flavours to many savoury dishes and curries.
*Premiumisation: Previously novel and indulgent tastes and ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, lemongrass, and olives have been popularised by fine dining and are now being explored across more cuisine categories in Southwest Asia.
*Chocolate Delights: While milk, dark, and white chocolate are long-standing favourites, chocolate has become a perfect tapestry for unique flavours and trends with each passing year, from the heat of chillies, warmth of cardamom and cinnamon, nuttiness of pistachios, indulgence of liqueurs and spirits, to salty-savoury inclusions.
Soumya Nair, Global Consumer Research and Insights Director at Kerry, observed that consumers around the world are seeking a balance of adventurous taste profiles and wellness-driven goals. “We are seeing global trends influence local markets. Sichuan spices are transforming condiments in Europe, Indian masalas are enhancing snack foods worldwide, and Korean barbecue is inspiring ready-meal options in North America. Emerging trends like yuzu in reduced-sugar beverages demonstrate how flavours can be tailored to local preferences. Yuzu began as an Asian citrus note and has become an emerging citrus profile worldwide; you see yuzu-flavoured supplements to yuzu-based drinks in Japanese foodservice chains. This adaptability of flavours allows brands to meet both indulgent and wellness-focused demands while respecting unique market characteristics.”
