What is the future of flavor in food?

by Sarah Phillips
Flavor in farmed food is diminishing due to climate change, and some innovative farmers are trying to put it back in. At the same time, consumers are increasingly prioritizing flavor as a key factor in their food choices and its enjoyment. The push for putting back flavor in food is coming from two very different directions – flavors created by farmers and those created by scientists in the lab.

Flavor is comprised of both aroma and taste; both provide the defining characteristic of how we experience food. (Often, the words flavor and taste are used interchangeably, as synonyms, and as a way to define each in terms of the other i.e., flavor is something that is perceived through taste and taste is what occurs when a flavor is perceived. Tasting flavor in food is surprisingly complicated and multidimensional; it also involves all of our senses, such as sight, sound, smell, and mouthfeel, influenced by beauty standards, culture, tradition, and social relations, to name a few. When we taste something, we’re reacting to specific chemical compounds in the food, which modern scientists have begun to isolate. The tongue is covered in receptors connected to the brain that recognize the five basic tastes: salty, sour, bitter, sweet and umami (savory) – and now, researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery, establishing ammonium chloride as a sixth basic taste sensation found in some Scandinavian candies.

The food we grow today, is essentially controlled by large multinational seed companies. Farmed food, in fact, has less flavor than it used to over the past 60 years – fruits, vegetables, and even meat. One researcher, Harry Klee, recently measured the flavor of 60 modern tomato varieties against 300 heirloom tomatoes, most of which date back to before World War II, and found across-the-board flavor diminishment. Tomatoes and other crops have been designed by corporate food labs for money-making traits such as perfection (beauty and look), yield and shelf life, all the while ignoring flavor. (I studied the science checklists used to create new food product, and flavor is not included. Natural flavors in produce is intricately tied to nutrition, by the way.)

When food is highly processed, most of its flavor and texture is destroyed, so colors, thickeners, emulsifiers and gelling agents are added to improve the flavour and mouthfeel. Food labs have added lots of artificial (and natural) flavorings to highly processed food because it plays critical role in its success in the marketplace. (We are aware that processed foods are high in added fat, sugar and salt – ingredients that heighten, carry, and enhance flavor – are highly palatable, with some being addictive, are associated with increased food consumption, hence rising worldwide obesity and health problems.)

As the climate changes, everything from temperature, soil conditions, and rainfall is messing with our favorite natural flavors. It affects the quantity and quality of the foods we eat, agro-ecosystems, and farmer livelihoods worldwide. But at the same time, consumers are increasingly demanding an exploration of bold and unconventional flavor combinations, many times with global influences and regional ingredients, with an emphasis on sustainability. Consumers also want more of an emphasis on wellness-oriented offerings that cater for diverse dietary needs. So is buying local along with what I call “what’s old is new again” – an emphasis on indigenous heirloom produce – or a way to increase sustainability, rekindle food memories or create new ones, increase nutrition and health, make links to lost cultures, promote grow-your-own, seed-saving as a way to make oneself independent from corporate control, and to bring about more of a sense of food security and community.

Examples of some of the 2024 trends include:

Crossovers of international cuisines are being seen in the U.S, such as blends of Filipino and American dishes.
Spice is being added to a range of foods.
Young consumers are craving bold and unusual flavor combinations, driven by social media’s influence and a desire for novelty.
Some familiar flavors, such as orange, are getting a new look, with varietal and floral twists.
Fruits such as Yuzu are gaining popularity across markets and applications, with recent launches including Yuzu Gose Beers in South Africa, Yuzu and Pepper Mayonnaise in China, and Yuzu Low ABV wines and alcoholic beverages in the U.S. and Australia.

Although today’s consumers look for healthier foods with less salt, sugar and fat, flavor is still more important than price or health benefits; if the product’s taste doesn’t appeal to the consumer, they won’t buy it a second time. So how is the creation of more and interesting flavor going to come about in the future of food?

On the farm, here are some examples of unique innovations taking place:

Row Seven: Co-founded by Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, with Michael Mazourek, whose mission is to change our agricultural system by breeding seeds for flavor. Its built by chefs, farmers, plant breeders, and plant eaters, who strive to make ingredients taste better. The seeds are produced and selected in organic systems, in partnership with seed growers across the U.S. Their mission is to introduce new plant varieties that bring unique culinary, nutritional and ecological value, with great yield in the field, to its consumers. Through its online marketplace, Row 7 sells seeds that are organic and unpatented. In 2022, Row 7 launched a line of branded organic vegetables for sale in grocery stores;
Heirloom Seeds: Victory Seed Company; The Roughwood Center for Heritage Seedways and VIDEO;
D’Artagnan: Green Circle™ chicken is available exclusively at D’Artagnan. This free-range chicken is certified humane by Humane Farm Animal Care, raised without antibiotics or hormones, and fed actual vegetables collected from commercial kitchens and farmers markets, along with grains. The diet and the care that is taken on the farm – plus the air-chilling – give these birds a unique, old-fashioned, real chicken flavor;
Rockefeller Foundation: New research provides insight into using underutilized indigenous and traditional seeds and crops as a means of strengthening food and nutrition security in Africa. They have identified nearly two dozen cereals, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, and roots that could provide stable and nutritious diets in the face of climate variability and extreme weather.