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As consumers increasingly prioritize healthy food choices that don’t strain their finances, premium yet affordable products and meals made at home with robust flavors and taste profiles will drive trends in 2025, according to a report by Tastewise.
Tastewise leveraged generative artificial intelligence to mine data from 7.14 million consumers, 45 million social media posts, 6.3 million recipes, and 168 million dishes across 1.1 million restaurants to discover consumer trends.
The AI-powered report points out that inflation “added an average of 6.8% to living costs globally in the last year alone.” But the research also found that consumers are still very invested in taste appeal.
Here are some of their predictions for 2025:
Versatile Ingredients
Tastewise’s research predicts the two biggest spice trends for 2025 will be black lime and Hawaij. The latter — a Yemeni spice mix that can include ginger, cardamom, turmeric, black pepper, cloves, fenugreek, cinnamon and nutmeg — offers a warm earthy flavor to the popular pumpkin spice, without the overpowering sweetness. “Black lime’s tangy, smoky profile makes it ideal for savory dishes, stews, and marinades,” Tastewise CEO Alon Chen said.
Black limes are a key ingredient in Middle Eastern and North African cooking. They are made by blanching limes in salt and then drying them until they are shriveled, brittle, and black. The process concentrates the fruit’s flavors for everything from stews, soups to chutneys.
Sustainability
A focus on protecting the planet also weighs heavily on consumers. Brands thatlean into sustainable water management, regenerative agriculture, and shrink their carbon footprints will benefit from this trend.
Hyper-personalized nutrition
When it comes to nutrition, one size definitely does not fit all. The boom in demand for GLP-1 drugs indicates consumers are more obsessed than ever with “functional, wellness-driven choices” that not only aid in weight loss, but help with regulating hormone levels and optimizing overall health.
Global cuisine comes to Main Street
American consumers are getting more adventurous. Along with Middle Eastern flavors, Filipino cuisine and Asian street foods are pushing burgers and fries to the side.
Hydration
According to Chen, interest in functional hydration beverages and foods has grown by 12.8% in the last year, with food companies looking to new ingredients like Celtic salt and pomegranate juice to meet consumer demand.
Chen cites an increase in consumer awareness as one of the drivers.
“We’ve seen significant growth in the association of hydration with various health topics, including hormone balance (+162% YoY), menopause (+96%), muscle function (+95%), and stress relief (+73%),” Chen said.
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