Prepared Foods logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Prepared Foods logo
  • TRENDS
    • Prepared Foods The Year Ahead
    • Innovation Month
    • *Sustainability*
  • PRODUCTS
    • Bakery
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast, Cereals & Bars
    • Candy
    • Cannabis
    • Dairy
    • Meals & Sides
    • Meat, Poultry & Seafood
    • Sauces & Marinades
    • Snacks & Appetizers
    • Soups
  • INGREDIENTS
    • Antioxidants & Nutritionals
    • Colorings
    • Dietary Fiber
    • Emulsifiers, Fat & Oils
    • Flavors, Seasonings, Spices
    • Flours, Grains, & Pasta
    • Fruits, Vegetables and Nuts
    • Gums & Starches
    • Phosphates & Acidulants
    • *Proteins*
    • Sweeteners
  • FORMULATION
    • Allergens & Intolerance
    • Authentic & Ethnic
    • Cost Reduction
    • Fat Reduction
    • Gluten Free
    • *Immunity*
    • *Natural / Organic*
    • *Plant Based & Vegetarian*
    • R&D Lab Tech / QA-QC / Food Safety
    • Shelf Stability
    • *Sugar Reduction*
  • BETTER FOR YOU
    • Functional New Products
    • Functional Ingredients
    • Functional Benefits
  • FOOD MASTER
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Infographics
    • Play With Your Food Game
    • Webinars
  • EVENTS
    • Spirit of Innovation Awards
    • Industry Events
  • MORE
    • Favorite Products Poll
    • First Person Q&A
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Breaking NewsIngredients2023 Food and Beverage TrendsFlavors & Seasonings & Spices

McCormick: Flavor Forecast

McCormick shares 24th Flavor Forecast and 2024 “Flavor of the Year”

By Prepared Foods Editorial Staff
McCormick Forecast 2024 Sour Tamarind Dishes

PHOTO COURTESY OF: McCormick Flavor Solutions

December 7, 2023

McCormick Flavor Solutions announced the Flavor Forecast 24th Edition, the annual report illuminating the latest trends shaping the way people enjoy flavors worldwide to inspire future product innovations. With this year’s report, McCormick also shared 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. Today, this plump, pod-like fruit is jet-setting across the world, feeding a global curiosity for what’s next in food, drink, and flavor.

Other flavor predictions and trends identified in the Flavor Forecast 24th Edition 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. Sour is proving it’s not “just another ingredient;” it’s revolutionizing menus, delivering layer on layer of exciting flavor.

• Thoughtfully Borrowed: Authenticity encompasses background, heritage, and experiences - with it comes a reinvention of regional-traditional cooking. Starting with a dash of something that’s “you,” 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 all 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.” Newstalgic says that what’s old is new again—with restaurants re-introducing childhood favorites with a gourmet twist. Food maximalism is the belief that by layering flavors and textures in creative, fun, and always thoughtful ways, consumers can experience flavor to the max.

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

About the Flavor Forecast 
Since 2000, the McCormick® Flavor Forecast® has identified top trends and ingredients to discover the tastes of tomorrow. For over 130 years, McCormick & Company has been guided by a passion for flavor. This passion drives our constant pursuit of what's next in flavor. Created by a global team of McCormick experts — including chefs, culinary professionals, trend trackers and food technologists — the Flavor Forecast inspires culinary exploration and innovation around the world. www.flavorforecast.com

About McCormick 
McCormick & Company, Incorporated is a global leader in flavor. With over $6 billion in annual sales across 170 countries and territories, we manufacture, market and distribute spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry including e-commerce channels, grocery, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses. Our most popular brands include McCormick, French's, Frank's RedHot, Stubb's, OLD BAY, Lawry's, Zatarain's, Ducros, Vahiné, Cholula, Schwartz, Kamis, DaQiao, Club House, Aeroplane and Gourmet Garden. Every day, no matter where or what you eat or drink, you can enjoy food flavored by McCormick.

KEYWORDS: indulgence sour tamarind

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Women in beverge isle

    Ingredient Demonization May Not Drive Consumer Behavior

    While tracking cultural conversations around demonized...
    Breaking News
    By: Prepared Foods Editorial Staff
  • Bubs Candy Packages

    Sweden’s Viral Candy Brand BUBS Lands in US Retail Nationwide

    TikTok videos of BUB's unique chewy-meets-marshmallow...
    Candy
    By: Prepared Foods Editorial Staff
  • Innovation Month Logo Orange

    Introducing Innovation Month: A Deep Dive into the Future of Food & Beverage

    The next wave of food innovation is here. Dive into the...
    2025 Food and Beverage Trends
    By: Prepared Foods Editorial Staff
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Newsletters
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Prepared Foods audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Prepared Foods or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  •  A close-up of a fruit branch on a cherry tree.
    Sponsored byU.S. Tart Cherries

    When Provenance Meets Performance: The Case for U.S.-Grown Montmorency Tart Cherries

Popular Stories

Overhead view of Asian-inspired rice bowls, bao buns, shrimp, chicken, fresh vegetables, and chopsticks arranged on a dark wooden table.

UPFs: The Culinary Science View

Buckwalter OceanSpray CEO

Ocean Spray Names Abigail Buckwalter CEO

A column chart made of sugar cubes with a blue background.

Sugar, Salt Reduction Drives New Formulation Strategies

PF Webinar sponsored by FoodChain: Signals to Shelf: Turning Consumer Insight into Executable Innovation

Events

June 18, 2025

Master the Art of Plant-Based Dairy

ON DEMAND: Whether you're in R&D, formulation, or innovation, this session will provide enzyme-driven insights to improve your plant-based dairy portfolio.

July 22, 2025

Boost Flavour and Functionality in Plant-Based Beverages With Bio-Based Solutions

ON DEMAND: Demand for plant-based beverages is rising, driven by health, environmental, and dietary trends. Yet, challenges around taste, texture, stability, and nutrition remain.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

CHECK OUT OUR NEW POWER TRENDS

Immunity Logo
Natural & Organic Logo
Plant Based Logo
Protein Logo
Sugar Reduction Logo Sustainability Logo

Related Articles

  • McCormickFlavor2020_900

    McCormick Flavor Forecast: 20 Years of Top Flavor Trends

    See More
  • McCormick Flavor Forecast 2016

    See More
  • McCormick_FlavorForecast_900

    Latest in Flavor Trends: McCormick Flavor Forecast

    See More

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • November 19, 2025

    Reformulate With Confidence: Natural Solutions for Sodium Reduction and Savory Flavor Enhancement

    ON DEMAND: Whether you’re reformulating a classic or developing a new product line, this webinar offers real-world examples, technical guidance, and expert perspectives to help you meet evolving consumer demands for healthier, flavor-forward foods.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Unlock the Future of Food and Beverage Innovation

Are you a leader in research & development? Stay ahead of the curve with Prepared Foods, the premier source of information and insights for today's trend leaders and taste-makers in food and beverage manufacturing.

JOIN TODAY
  • Resources
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Join
  • Sign Up Today
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • Newsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • Services
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • Stay Connected
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media, Inc. and BNP Media II, LLC.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing