McCormick’s flavor forecast evolves into podcasts, videos

McCormick & Co. is changing its format for predicting flavor trends, announcing that it’s discontinuing its annual Flavor Forecast report in favor of online podcasts and videos to be updated quarterly.

The Hunt Valley spice maker has been publishing a report on flavor trends for 20 years, highlighting up-and-coming ingredients, cooking techniques and culinary ideas.

The new, all-digital format, with a website as the hub, will use podcasts, a YouTube video series, a dedicated Flavor Forecast Instagram and Pinterest to show views and recipes from experts, chefs and others on global food trends at restaurants, stores and home kitchens. Flavor prediction content will be updated quarterly, while the Instagram channel will be updated weekly.

“Our new, curated global platform is the place to discover what flavors are on the horizon, what everyone will be talking about, what you should be experimenting with and what flavors we dare you to try now,” Kevan Vetter , McCormick’s execu- tive chef, said in an announcement.

For 2019, McCormick expects trends such as “The Need for Seed,” experimenting with familiar and less common seeds in new ways, such as using basil seeds in juice drinks, shakes and smoothies, salad dressings and dips. The spice maker offers recipe ideas such as coconut guava basil seed pudding, Cajun puffed lotus seed snack mix and gomasio, a Japanese black and white sesame seed seasoning blend.

“Seeds are food, fuel and flavor, and they give us texture, taste and wholesome goodness that makes both sweet and savory dishes pop,” McCormick’s website says.

McCormick also said it is teaming up with “thought leaders” in food and culture who will travel to destinations around the world to report on new flavors.

McCormick released its last annual report on flavor in December 2017, highlighting street fare served on bread and crepes from carts, trucks and food halls, Asian hot pot meals, and seasonings and sauces from Tanzania and Ethiopia.