The latest report from McCormick Heat Studies highlighted that majority of Thais and Indians love spicy food, with almost half of Thais saying they are Extreme Heat users (see Chart 1.0).
Whereas, in Indonesia, a country with a huge market of 270 million people, spicy products have seen an increase of 36% within the Indonesia Savory Category over the 3-year period from 2021 to 2023 (see Chart 2.0).
Asians, generally, have a ‘love relationship’ with spicy food products. In Korea, their spicy versions of kimchi and buldak noodles are renown globally whereas in Indonesia, the spicy sambal is regionally gaining ground with strong followers in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, all the way north to Japan.
AFBR recent interview with Betty Juliana Tan, Vice President, Flavour Solutions at McCormick & Company Inc found that McCormick, a global supplier of spices and condiments, can offer co-creation opportunities with food manufacturers to concoct products that cater to the specific demands of their consumer market. As such, consumers in different regions have differing level of spiciness as well as in terms of flavors to fit into their local preferences. According to Ms Tan, heat is not just generated from chilli but also from many other sources like ginger and pepper to create suitable product prototypes that capture a certain consumer market.
For instance, a prototype soup showcased during the FiAsia 2024 exhibition in Jakarta showcased the application of ginger in an Oriental chicken soup that does provide a mild ‘warming’ sensation appealing to Chinese consumers. Meanwhile, a Japanese Teppanyaki Cassava Chips prototype uses black pepper with lemongrass to create a medium heat sensation which could appeal to a wider consumer market. On the other end, is the spicy tamarind with capsicum and kimchi to give a higher heat sensation. Tamarind is popular in Southeast Asian and South American cuisines. Tamarind was McCormick Flavor of the Year 2024, which it predicted will become the next mainstream flavor attracting global acceptance. According to Future Market Insights, tamarind extract is expected to witness a CAGR of 5.8% from 2022 to 2032.
McCormick offers customers endless possibilities in new product innovations from mild, medium to high heat products. McCormick annual Flavour Forecast Report has successfully identified flavours 3-5 years prior to they becoming mainstream popular products. According to Betty, “We have identified flavors like Salted Egg and Truffles 5 years before they become popular or mainstream in the international market.”
As such, brand owners who want to bring future products successfully to the market place should consider building partnership with McCormick. McCormick strengths are in the snacks, instant noodles, sauces and processed meat categories like for example, sausages and marinated chicken.
