The McCormick Flavor Forecast® identifies top trends and ingredients shaping the future of flavor. This year features a global spin on breakfast, the sizzling tastes of Plancha grilling, egg yolks infused with savory flavor, the new Mediterranean cuisine for the 21st century and the next wave of spicy flavor. We invite you to Taste it Forward – discover, experience and share the flavors of 2017.
No more excuses for the same boring breakfast! Think outside the box and try a bowl brimming with new ingredients and captivating flavors to help you power through the day. From exciting ancient grains and rice varieties, to a Middle Eastern-inspired breakfast hash topped with a spicy sauce, these are the global tastes worth getting out of bed for.
Explore the sweeter side of congee. Traditionally served savory, the Far East's creamy rice porridge gets an unexpected upgrade with exotic rice varieties, warm spices and fruit juices. Top with mango, coconut, a balsamic drizzle and more.
Discover the possibilities of the “new cereal.” This gluten-free, ancient whole grain native to Africa is mildly nutty in taste with a hearty texture. Pair it with plant-based milks and aromatic cinnamon and ginger.
Cozy up to a warm and satisfying breakfast hash loaded with Middle Eastern spices and ingredients like ground meat, chickpeas, roasted veggies and spoonfuls of skhug hot sauce. Skhug sauce, also spelled schug or zhug, contains cumin, cardamom, coriander, Thai bird chilies, garlic, parsley, cilantro, olive oil & lemon juice.
Skhug, a popular Middle Eastern condiment, brings spice to the table in hot sauce form. Traditional ingredients like cumin and cardamom combine with Thai bird chilies, chopped herbs, olive oil and tangy lemon juice to create a versatile topping for savory breakfast bowls and a whole lot more.
Create a sizzling, smoky sear and flavor crust while grilling on the plancha, a thick, flat slab of cast iron delivering intense heat. Marry it with bold sauces, rubs and glazes and it’s no wonder why the plancha is a way of life in Spain, France’s Basque region as well as Mexico.
France's Espelette pepper is distinctively smoky, sweet and mildly hot - perfect as the lead flavor in a zesty rub with Mediterranean herbs to enhance grilled meats and seafood.
Mojo Verde: Vibrant Spanish green sauce with cumin, cilantro, parsley and green chilies.
Adobo Negro: Hybrid Mexican sauce that borrows from spicy adobo and complexly flavored mole negro sauces - made with stout beer, black sesame and chile pepper.
Romesco: Mildly spicy, nutty Spanish sauce made with roasted red pepper, smoked paprika and almonds.
As a glaze or drizzle, these Spanish ingredients add a sensational zing to seared foods.
Originating from the Basque region of France, the Espelette pepper is distinctively smoky, sweet, and mildly hot. It brings stand-out flavor and vibrant color to this zesty, Mediterranean-herbed rub. Use it to enhance the taste of grilled meats, burgers, vegetables, seafood, and poultry.
Egg yolks leave breakfast behind! These golden gems add richness and indulgence in a surprising fashion to a wide range of lunch and dinner menus. Taking on the different tastes and styles of each dish, yolks add excitement, protein and exceptional flavor.
Egg yolks simmered in a tomato sauce infused with savory Middle Eastern spices like smoked paprika, cumin, pepper, cayenne, turmeric & caraway. A rustic supper - just add bread to dip.
A fried or poached egg rests atop flavorful ingredients combined with hearty stock - Kimchi Crispy Rice Broth Bowl, Tomato Fennel Bowl with Zucchini Noodles and Bonito Udon Broth Bowl.
Packed in salt and spices to cure for several days, these yolks are a buried treasure of umami taste. The result is firm enough to shave over pasta, salads and more.
Sunny-side-up egg yolks are simmered in a tomato and vegetable sauce, infused with a savory Middle Eastern spice blend of smoked paprika, cumin, pepper, cayenne, turmeric, and caraway. Grab a large spoon, a hunk of bread (to soak up all the savory sauce) and dig into this rustic comfort meal.
Discover the new Mediterranean cuisine of the 21st century. Melding Eastern Mediterranean ingredients with Western European classics, cooks can create homey dishes with a fresh take.
Eastern Mediterranean meets Italy in this warm, comforting meal. Hailing from Persia, Ash-e reshteh is a thick, hearty soup made with beans, herbs, and flat noodles. Combine this flavor profile with minestrone, bringing distinct flavor traditions together in a celebration of the best of both worlds.
A prized tart ingredient in Persian cooking, use this small, red dried fruit to liven up both sweet and savory dishes.
Pasta is the foundation for inspired, new culinary traditions: Persian Ash-e reshteh merges with Italian minestrone. Eastern Mediterranean salt-cured swordfish joins German spaetzle. Turkish manti cozies up with Italian bolognese.
Each region puts their unique stamp on baharat seasoning, an indispensable, fragrant blend for Eastern Mediterranean cooking - typically contains black pepper, cumin, cardamom, cloves, coriander, nutmeg and paprika.
Pepper’s tongue-tingling, bold edge is tempered by naturally sweet ingredients like syrups and exotic fruits. After hiding in plain sight for so many years, pepper is finally capturing the spotlight. Its up-front bite and lingering sensation offer the next wave of spicy flavor.
Pepper’s cedar note is complemented with the sweet-brown and earthy taste of date syrup. Other natural sweeteners pair just as nicely: brown rice syrup, sorghum syrup, barley malt syrup, yacon syrup, coconut nectar and piloncillo.
Exotic, tropical fruits like dragon fruit, mangosteen, green mango and jackfruit accent the citrus notes of pepper, delivering the perfect sweet heat combination. Dragon fruit is crunchy with a mildly sweet flavor- bright pink on the outside with a red or white inner fruit and black seeds.
Pepper’s tongue-tingling boldness is tempered by naturally sweet dragon fruit in this creative take on poke. Serve fresh strawberry and diced dragon fruit salad (mock poke) atop a dollop of peppered whipped cream and crispy wonton triangles. Drizzle with a balsamic-pepper syrup for an assertive spice sensation that’s here to stay