TORONTO — This week, McCormick & Company, Inc. released its McCormick Flavour Forecast 2018 — a comprehensive annual report highlighting the latest ingredients, cooking techniques and culinary ideas driving food trends.
To celebrate the launch, the company invited media and food professionals to it first-ever launch party celebrating the report — treating guests to a taste of each of the 2018 Flavour Forecast trends. The event was held at The Chefs’ House at George Brown College and was hosted by the college’s Chef School director, chef John Higgins, along with special guest host Pay Chen.
“Every December we look forward to unveiling what [the new] trends are,” said Cheryl Radisa, VP of Marketing, McCormick Canada. “We’re so proud that we can share it all with you guys tonight and really give you a peek into what’s coming, because it really does set to stage in terms of what’s coming in restaurant innovations and what consumers are looking for.”
For 2018, the Flavour Forecast identified five key global trends:
• Handheld Flavour Fusion — street-food inspired fusion dishes, such as dessert bao buns and Chinese egg crepes (jianbing) with a variety of fillings.
• A Bite of East Africa — signature flavours from Tanzania and Ethiopia, including berbere spice blends and BBQ marinades and sauces.
• Japanese Izakaya Eats — casual tasting plates offering the flavours of Japan, such as onigiri (stuffed rice balls) and yakitori-glazed skewers.
• Drink to Your Wellness — purposeful beverages, in the form or breakfast boosts, snacking soups and elixirs, designed to rebalance and energize.
• Globetrot with Hot Pot — an East Asian favourite that can be easily changed to feature a variety of ethnic flavours.
Throughout the evening, chef Higgins and chef Juriaan Snellen, executive corporate chef at McCormick Canada, walked attendees through 2018 trends and their corresponding dishes, which included a selection of bite-sized Japanese izakaya dishes; a Jamaican-inspired spicy coconut and ox tail hot pot; a sampling of East African-spiced meats and stews served on injera (and Ethiopian flat bread); dessert arepas filled with banoffee and banana; and two after-meal tonics.
The complete McCormick Flavour Forecast 2018 is available at flavourforcast.ca.