Meat ‘doughnuts’ wrapped in streaky bacon are given an English twist with black pudding. The salt & black pepper marinade from Dutch Spices adds extra spiciness and an attractive gloss.
Seasonings under the microscope
What flavours must we watch out for in the coming summer season? What are the underlying trends? And how are seasonings actually developed? Where better to find the answers that at Epos, the company behind the Epos and Dutch Spices brands and a seasonings producer and supplier. We talked to Marketing Advisor Betty Groen and Product Developer Nienke Hartman.
You keep a close watch on food trends. How do today’s consumers decide what food they are going to eat and, therefore, their taste?
Betty: “A number of factors play a role, including their age, their purse, the culinary tradition in which they grew up, and the food-safety and nutritional value of the product. Naturally, they also have to enjoy the taste. Indulgent treats, for example a tasty snack, are becoming increasingly important. The younger generation likes to share these pampering moments on social media. ‘Limited editions’ of food items are also on the rise among that target group: Young people have a relatively short attention span and giving a product only limited availability keeps them interested.”
Which flavours do you think we will see back again this coming summer?
Betty: “Our research revealed several. Spicy flavours, such as chilli, chipotle, black pepper and garlic, remain very popular. As do lemon, ginger and chocolate. Chocolate comes in the ‘treat yourself’ category. Other flavour favourites are coconut and exotic fruit, such as mango and pineapple, in combination with savoury products. One surprising ‘newcomer’ is rhubarb. More and more rhubarb products are coming on the market. And ‘smoked’ is showing great promise among the trendsetters. I expect to see a lot of that again.”
Twice a year you publish a trend report. How do you put it together?
Betty: “We consult all kinds of sources. We visit B2B trade shows, such as ingredient fairs, as well as expos related to consumer products. We read trade magazines and the newsletters of relevant parties in the food sector. We are in contact with flavourings and seasonings companies. And we regularly dive into the database of Innova Market Insights – an international platform with information about consumer behaviour, food categories, products, ingredients, flavours and packaging. America, the UK and Ireland are countries we keep a really close eye on because whatever is happening on the food-front in those countries will sooner or later come our way. Our focus is actually far wider than just food trends. We also take social, economic, technological and political developments into consideration.”
And do you also consult your customers?
Nienke: “Of course. When it comes to trends and developments they are an increasingly important source of information. What do they see happening in the market? And what do they expect will happen in the near future? Broadly speaking their insights correspond with what we know from other sources, but sometimes customers have more specific information that is interesting to take into account, like the reduction of allergens. The allergen-free Dutch Spices brand dovetails perfectly with this.”
How do you translate these trends into new concepts?
Nienke: “That’s a very extensive process. First we look at the broad picture and from there we zoom in on the trends that are relevant for our industry. Think about specific flavours or health trends that play a major role. Next we take such a flavour component or ingredient to our development kitchen where it is used to create spice mixes, rubs, marinades and sauces. We keep working until we have created a flavoursome and visually attractive product that reflects the trends and meets the needs and wishes of our customers. Of course, having over 70 years of seasoning development experience helps us.” Betty adds: “Obviously we want to sell our products, but it’s equally important that customers see us as a pioneer and source of inspiration in the seasonings field and feel they can contact us if they want to gain more knowledge. We like to be ahead of the troops.”
How do you determine whether a new flavour actually works’?
Nienke: “We organise taste sessions in which the new flavours are tested in what we call ‘applications’, which means in combination with a variety of products – meat, fish, vegetables and potatoes etc. And then we go to our tasting panel, which includes people from every department in the company. This enables us to evaluate the product from different angles. Naturally we test the new products for taste and applications, but we also determine whether it still fits in with the trend that formed the basis for the product.” Betty: “During this phase we also go back to our customers with samples: what do they think of the new seasoning? Which products will they use it with? Equally important, which products won’t they use it with, and why not? Their feedback is very valuable and we apply it to our products.”
With which seasonings can specialists score well during the coming BBQ season?
Nienke, laughing: “Do you have a minute? We have developed a number of marinades, rubs, spice mixes, dipping sauces and coating sauces or glazes that dovetail perfectly with the trends and are suitable for BBQ products. We don’t only look at meat and fish, we also look at applications for vegan, potato, vegetable and bakery products. One of my favourites is Dutch Spices Tennessee style marinade: mildly spicy with a smoked flavour, garlic and a hint of nutmeg and cloves. Delicious with, for example, barbecued chicken and fish. Dutch Spices’ chipotle marinade also has the slightly spicy and smoked flavour that goes well with both these products. And there is a delicious BBQ sauce for both chicken and fish: the Dutch Spices pineapple jalapeño sauce is both sweet and mildly spicy. Bring on the summer!"
The Epos Food Family has developed the following seasonings especially for fish during the coming barbecue season:
Dutch Spices Jamaican coconut style marinade, with coconut, paprika, pineapple and a hint of whiskey. The marinade gives products an appetizing light gold colour and has an accessible taste that is loved by every generation.The same spice mix is also available in the form of a sauce – the Dutch Spices Jamaican coconut sauce. Both are delicious with white fish and prawns.
Dutch Spices Florence style seasoning is a spice mix that is really good with, for example, salmon. The rich flavour of herbs such as oregano and parsley gives this mix an Italian tint.
The Epos Food Family has developed the following seasonings especially for meat during the coming barbecue season:
Dutch Spices rendang seasoning, is a mildly spicy spice mix with ginger, coconut, sereh and onion. Delicious on hamburgers.Dutch Spices chocolate style chilli rub. This sweet and slightly spicy rub will raise beef steaks to a higher level.
Dutch Spices sweet rhubarb sauce: a coating sauce/glaze that is an excellent match with spare-ribs and has the on-trend taste of rhubarb with a hint of paprika and garlic.