McCormick & Co: "Flavor Forecast"

[Gifted Gourmet]

article here

Anise, the licorice-like flavor that is prevalent in Mediterranean dishes, Indian, European, Latin American and African cuisine ...

Caraway is a little sweet, a little sharp, and tastes something like a blend ...

Chai is a blend of spices including cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and white pepper...

Marjoram is very Mediterranean...

Paprika, especially smoked paprika is a key component of Spanish, Portuguese, European and Southwestern dishes...

Saffron also is a keystone of foods from Spain — which McCormick calls "the new France" as a hotbed for trendy food...

Sesame has gone beyond the bun and is used as a flavor ...

Supporting flavor: pomegranate is “widely touted for its antioxidants and perceived ...

Are you using more of any of these currently in your cooking?

Which is(are) your favorite(s)?

Are you using variations of any of these, i.e. the smoked paprika?

Are these flavors really "trendy" or just the same staples upon which we have always relied?

[Jensen]

Some of these are staples in my kitchen: caraway, sesame, paprika, and majoram are regular visitors to my table.

I doubt the anise or the chai flavours will make an appearance though, as I don't like the taste of anise or cinnamon as a savoury.

[gus_tatory]

i use quite a bit of star anise in soupe tonkinoise (pho), but also when slow-frying strips of cooked pork roast to make a shortcut char siu (bbq pork). but i find, like coriander, that it is a polarizing taste, i.e., you like it or you don't.

paprika i love in so many things: i get eastern european paprika and use it in chili, tomato coulis, seafood soups...

as for the 'trendiness' factor, it's cute that every industry (in this case, spices and McCormick's) releases a little newsletter each year with the happy side effect of selling product. i can deal with it as long as it's 99% informational and not advertising passing itself off as editorial...

[Swisskaese]

I use only Hungarian sweet and hot paprika.

Marjoram

Pomegranate syrup, juice and seeds.

Saffron

Sesame oil, tehina and seeds

Edited January 4, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

So, it would appear, that most of these flavors are being used consistently over time and not so very new at all .. am I misreading the article?

[Swisskaese]

This article is obviously geared to the average American audience. I don't think anyone on eGullet is average and some of us are not American or are ex-pats. So, in my case, I have been using all of these ingredients, with the exception of pomegranate syrup for almost 20 years.

[cdh]

Publicity for new* and different spices and flavors is a good thing. Getting anybody anywhere to broaden their palate, whether out of curiousity or out of some trend-chasing one-upsmanship broadens the market for interesting stuff.

Getting people to try new things is tough sometimes. Marketing pressure to do it might crack a few defenses and get somebody out there to try (and enjoy) something outside of their range of experiences.

*Newness is in that palate of the beholder. If I've never seen a star anise in my life, despite the fact that millions cook with it daily in other parts of the world, it is new to me.

Edited January 4, 2006 by cdh (log)

[BarbaraY]

I use them all except the smoked Paprika which I haven't tried yet.

[jsolomon]

Try baking some chicken with just salt and smoked paprika. Delicious!

I just finished reading the article, and I was very disappointed that they didn't offer much guidance with pomegranate. I'd certainly try to use it, but I'm not very certain how it would fit into my cooking. Most everything else on the list, I already use.

It's funny how learning to cook curry from some Indians and Malaysians helps out your spice usage.

[cdh]

Guidance with spice usage would be a great marketing boost for the spice companies. McCormick and the others don't seem to use the back-of-the-box-recipe trick that so many other food companies do. I wonder why.

There must be signature dishes that highlight the flavor of each spice... if a spice merchant collected them and back-of-the-bottled them, it might do wonders boosting sales of stuff that people looked at previously wondering "what would I ever do with that?"

I guess the fungibility of spices is a deterrant from investing in that sort of research, insofar as customers don't have to go back and buy more from the same purveyor once they bought it once and got the recipe.

A fun amateur project (perfect for eG) might be to compile a set of recipes that really highlight the nature and capacities of each spice. I'd bet somebody would publish it once its done too.

Edited January 4, 2006 by cdh (log)

[lcdm]

I have used all except chai. Come to think of it my mom’s spice rack (from many moons ago) contained bottles of marjoram, paprika, and caraway. I’m sure every household has a bottle/tin of paprika if not only to decorate deviled eggs. I guess they are not very new (except chai and pomegranate) but maybe the companies will introduce new ways to use them or for people to rediscover them.

I know there was a lengthy discussion about paprika, during the summer.

eGullet Paprika Thread

[scottie]

I've been using more pomegranate syrup, mostly in salad dressing. One day I'll make a sauce with it for duck or lamb.

I've always enjoyed finding and trying "new" products from various ethnic grocery stores. I brought home a bottle of pomegranate syrup for the first time a few years ago, and my husband and I only used it as a beverage! I discovered its versatility through reading cooking magazines and restaurant menus.

Just got some smoked paprika, but haven't used it yet.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Just got some smoked paprika, but haven't used it yet.

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I am thinking about buying some of that, scottie .. please give us your impressions ....

[Radio7]

I like sesame and pomegranate. The rest on the list doesn't move me. Anise flavour is particularly distasteful to my palate.

[tejon]

"Chai" flavor and anise don't appeal to me. Now, I love masala tea with the same spices listed, but not the horribly strong, in-your-face "chai" I find everywhere now. Give me enough flavor to comfort, to entice, to warm, and I'm there.

[Zucchini Mama]

A fun amateur project (perfect for eG) might be to compile a set of recipes that really highlight the nature and capacities of each spice.  I'd bet somebody would publish it once its done too.

←

That is a great idea. I use all the spices mentioned above and this year for my amateur family cookbook I think I will focus on each of these and come up with some recipes. I'm really interested in how different cultures use the same ingredient, i.e. sesame. I love tahini and I love gomashio, so yesterday I had chicken raviolini tossed with tahini (mixed with grated ginger and soya sauce) and liberally sprinkled it with gomashio. So there you have it: Italian/Middle Eastern/Japanese fusion! It may sound wierd, but it's good comfort food. I was just craving that nutty umami sesame flavor.

I haven't tried the smoked paprika, but it sounds great. I love paprika on sautéd mushrooms.

I love star anise in chicken biryani, and I put it in my chai as well. Some days I just open the jar and inhale-fewer calories that way!

[cdh]

I recently got some of the smoked paprika and it is great. Its smoke flavor is powerful like bacon... Really adds a deep smoky richness. Yum.

And I'd take 5 spice over chai flavor any day.

And I'd love to see spice-centric recipes... but maybe that project deserves a thread of its own... or maybe each spice deserves a thread of its own...

[ronnie_suburban]

... or maybe each spice deserves a thread of its own...

←

Great idea!

Here are a couple:

Saffron

Paprika

=R=