2023/2024 Taste Trends: Decadent Desserts and Luscious Flavors
Prepare to satisfy your customers’ confectionery cravings with the latest dessert trends taking the industry by storm.
From pastries for your fur-babies to larger-than-life desserts that blend unexpected flavors, Tastesetters presents an exclusive curation of the most remarkable, visually captivating delicacies that would inspire sweet additions to your food business.
Get ready to indulge in sugary delights that are setting the #TasteTrend.
Korean Cake Wave
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Korean-inspired pastries that redefine cake design with its stunning array of trends that captivate the eye and palate alike.
From ethereal pastel hues that transport you to a whimsical dreamscape to intricate 2D designs that blur the line between confection and art, these innovative creations epitomize the harmonious fusion of aesthetics and culinary craftsmanship.
Let these designs whisk you away to a world where flavor meets style, creating an unforgettable impact on your taste buds and your keen eye for beauty.
TREND INSPIRATION:
INNOVATE THE TASTE
- Apply 2D and comic designs on other formats like donuts, éclair, muffins, and more.
- Use minimalist toppings for a dessert pizza. Flavors can be incorporated in the dough or sauce.
- Explore creative toppings for bibingka, sapin sapin, suman, and other Filipino favorites.
- Leverage on the pastel color trend applied to ice creams.
- Use the same formula for your own broas or lady finger recipes and get creative by forming new shapes.
SHAPE THE CULTURE
- Make use of the latest and most popular comic book characters that your target market is familiar with.
- Get inspiration from Korean drama series.
- Think of native delicacies and apply plating ideas that are subtle and comic.
- Execution can be achieved through plating. You can deconstruct and make it minimalist.
REDEFINE THE SEGMENT
- Café
- Hotels
- Bakeshop
- Commissary
- Specialty Store – Native Delicacies
Bite-sized and Supersized Desserts
Desserts can come in all shapes and sizes, but never at this scale!
Embark on a journey where the variation in pastry size can boggle the mind and tantalize the palate. Normal-sized cakes turn into bite-size treats, and donuts are as big as a full-sized cake that serves a whole party. It is a testament to the ingenuity of pastry artisans, who ensure that every morsel and each colossal bite delivers a divine sensation, displaying an unwavering dedication to taste and enjoyment.
TREND INSPIRATION:
INNOVATE THE TASTE
Here are some possible ways to play with different textures in desserts:
- Make a supersized bibingka, a traditional Filipino rice cake, that is as big as a 9-inch pie. Fill it with salted egg lava sauce that deliciously oozes out when you cut into it.
- Create bite-sized tarts with various flavors, such as cheesecake, savory pocket pies, or mini polvoron coated with chocolate. These are perfect for bakeshops with takeout nooks that cater to customers on the go.
- Combine two desserts into one, such as mini brazo de mercedes cups. These are cupcakes filled with custard and topped with meringue, inspired by the traditional Filipino dessert of rolled cake with the same ingredients. This makes it easier to make and serve than the original version.
- Reshape or use a different form for your desserts, such as turning smores into a giant cake or bite-sized brownie smores. This adds a twist to the classic campfire treat and makes it more fun to eat.
SHAPE THE CULTURE
- Re-create your existing best-sellers into different sizes. Make it smaller to serve ala carte or solo diners or you can make it family-size or for sharing.
- Important to note that, in reducing and increasing the size of the menu, the flavor-experience should remain the same – texture, mouthfeel, crunch, aroma etc. It should give a nostalgic experience as if eating the original concept.
REDEFINE THE SEGMENT
- Café
- Hotels
- Bakeshop
- Commissary
- Specialty Store – Native Delicacies
Paw-fect Pastries
Explore a realm of culinary inclusivity as the industry embraces the concept of desserts specifically crafted for our beloved animal companions.
With meticulous attention to their nutritional and dietary requirements, these pet-friendly delicacies blend wholesome ingredients with colorful designs to create delectable cakes that cater to the palates of our furry friends.
Embrace this emerging trend as a testament to the ever-evolving bond between humans and animals, where the appreciation for gastronomic pleasures extends beyond boundaries to celebrate the joy of sharing delightful moments with our cherished pets.
TREND INSPIRATION:
INNOVATE THE TASTE
- Create pastries with savory ingredients, such as ground liver, that look like cakes and cupcakes. These ingredients are pet-friendly
- Offer vegetarian treats made with plant-based ingredients for pets who prefer them
- Order or bake a birthday cake that resembles your customer’s pet’s appearance or personality.
- Prepare take away food that are pet friendly so that customers can bring home a treat for their pets when they dine in.
SHAPE THE CULTURE
- Offer alternatives to existing menu items, such as replacing whole milk for another non-dairy option.
- Add quality ingredients to your dish and emphasize its freshness.
- Incorporate activities for pets in your restaurant and add menu items that are specifically for pets.
REDEFINE THE SEGMENT
- Café
- Hotels
- Bakeshop
- Restaurants
- Commissary
- Specialty Shop – Pet center, pet hotel,
Guilt-free Desserts
Guilt-free desserts? Count us in!
Vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based desserts are becoming increasingly prominent in the culinary world as consumers become more conscious of sustainability and ethical consumption. By harnessing the power of nature’s bountiful ingredients, these conscientious creations not only satiate our cravings but also align with our values of health and environmental stewardship.
It’s time to emphasize the importance of incorporating plant-based ingredients, dairy-free products, and other alternatives into our gastronomic repertoire through a culinary journey that is both ethical and palate-pleasing.
TREND INSPIRATION:
INNOVATE THE TASTE
- Incorporate local ingredients like tablea, adlai, and local fruits are guilt-free and versatile for sauces, cakes, pastries, champorado, pudding, drinks, and savory dishes.
- Probiotic milk and its products are imported for drinks and desserts like smoothies, milktea, soaked oats, and chilled desserts.
- Dairy-free milk (e.g. oatmilk, almond milk, walnut milk) can be used for barista and vegetarian desserts.
- Environment friendly materials in restaurants can be part of this trend.
SHAPE THE CULTURE
- Highlight the low calories in the meal or emphasize the completeness of its nutritional value by showing a breakdown of its components like fiber, protein, good fats, and so on. You may also offer alternatives to existing menu items like replacing whole milk with other non-dairy products.
- Focus on the freshness of your ingredients when preparing your dish.
- Offer a variety of guilt-free desserts, as they are specialized for different forms of diet.
- Highlight the source of the ingredients used and how it was cultured – Single origin, mountain-grown, cage-free, stress- free etc. It can also be a product claim by a third-party group for more extensive processes like Halal, Vegan, Non-GMO etc.
REDEFINE THE SEGMENT
- Café
- Hotels
- Bakeshop
- Restaurant
- Commissary
Pinoy Nostalgia
Nothing beats being reminded of cherished childhood memories the moment you bite into nostalgic desserts or get a taste of nostalgic flavors.
We’ve spotted numerous desserts that incorporate much-loved flavors we associate with family recipes and childhood favorites. Embark on a delightful exploration of the rich tapestry of Filipino cuisine, as traditional ingredients are ingeniously integrated into a captivating array of desserts.
TREND INSPIRATION:
INNOVATE THE TASTE
- Ube is here to stay. It is continuously being fused with baked desserts. New ideas include Ube Japanese Cheesecake, Ube Pancake Souffle, Ube Champorado, Ube buko Pie, Ube Mochi Pancake
- Mango Graham Float is making a come back, and is now being served as a drink!
- Revisit the Halo-halo. Some stores are reviving the halo-halo since its a very Filipino dessert that is also eaten as a snack. Some restaurants have infused the flavor of halo halo in their pastries e.g. cake, turon, crepe, pie, ice cream, etc.
- Maja blanca comes in many flavors. Take the maja blanca as a blank canvass to explore possibilities of flavors.
SHAPE THE CULTURE
- Create an edgy look and flavor for a traditional recipe and make it relatable to the current market.
- Excite your customers by offering LTO from your basic nostalgic recipe flavor-of-the-month concept.
- Play with indigenous ingredient and highlight its nostalgic appeal.
- Leverage on childhood favorite flavors and recreate the experience in a different segment or category.
REDEFINE THE SEGMENT
- Café
- Hotels
- Bakeshop
- Beverage
- Commissary
- Specialty Store – Native Delicacies
MATCHA WORLD DOMINATION
Looking for the next big flavor? You’ve met your matcha.
Witness the emergence of matcha as the heralded headliner poised to captivate dessert enthusiasts worldwide, as its distinctively earthy and subtle bitter notes whisk their way into a diverse range of confectionery delights.
With its unique profile and inherent health benefits, matcha’s meteoric rise as the next big flavor in desserts signals a culinary revolution. Make some room for it in your own menu to get ahead of the trend.
TREND INSPIRATION:
INNOVATE THE TASTE
- Match the matcha flavor to Pinoy nostalgia.
- The famous choco peanut butter combo can be matcha and peanut butter.
- Match suman instead of the pinipig topping.
- Use it as a flavoring to puto or rice cakes.
SHAPE THE CULTURE
- Green color connotes healthiness. Add this to your line of guilt-free menu items.
- Think of an ingredient that would resembles the profile of this key ingredient like malungay powder to mimic and extend the matcha flavor.
REDEFINE THE SEGMENT
- Café
- Hotels
- Bakeshop
- Commissary
- Specialty Store – Native Delicacies
As the culinary world continues to evolve, desserts and its inventive flavors remain at the forefront of creativity, delighting our senses and pushing the boundaries of gastronomic exploration.
Embrace these exciting developments, savor the indulgent delights they offer, and eagerly anticipate the next wave of delectable innovations that will shape the future of desserts in the ever-evolving world of food.
Join our Facebook group WE ARE TASTESETTERS®, to be the first to find out about the latest trends and get new ideas from fellow culinary practitioners and enthusiasts. Stay tuned to more exciting articles and trends on our website https://tastesetters.ph/
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