STiR coffee and tea magazine

44 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 3, 2017 (June/July) F By Anne-Marie Hardie Beverages That Do More lavors do much more than alter the taste, today's flavors are formulated to enhance the experience whether wellness, beauty, or indulgence. When flavoring tea, Dataessential Buzz Coffee and Tea consumer tracker reports that fruit flavors dominate. Customers report peach (26%), raspberry (25%), and peach and strawberry (18%) as their top choices. Tea is more accessible in the US, reports consumer marketing firm Euromonitor International. On-trade sales volume grew 3% in 2016, reaching 39,000 metric tons. Starbucks (Teavana), Argo Tea, and DAVIDsTEA have helped to mainstream spe- ciality teas. North American consumers now actively seek these premium loose leaf products. Black tea continues to dominate this segment, reports Euromonitor, exhib- iting 5% growth in 2016. The combination of all other teas: green, oolong, rooibos, accounts for 7% of total tea consumption. Chloe Simond, marketing assistant at Quebec-based Foodarom says customers want exotic, unusual ingredients, anything that reflects a luxurious experience. "So- phisticated flavors, like black tea with Mexican chocolate and mint, pink rose tea in Hong Kong and organic tea with vanilla orchid are examples of this trend," she says. Exotic spices and other ingredients are not just flavorful, they also bring health benefits and meet the desire for indulgence. This is one reason luxurious packaging is trending, she said. "We see a steady demand for spicier, "red hot type' cinnamon flavors for tea, and caramel and butterscotch are very popular for coffee," says Colleen Roberts, director of sales, Flavor Dynamics, in South Plainfield, New Jersey. Health and wellness con- tinues to draw interest leading brands to introduce turmeric and blends with ginger. Consumers are paying attention to inner beauty, what they ingest. They are looking towards functional plants, super fruits, and other benefits that can be incorporated into their beverages, explains Roberts. Consumers Seek Flavors that Enhance their Well-being Trending Flavors Republic of Tea Biodynamic Tumeric Cinnamon Choice Organic Tea Reishi Matcha Mushroom Honest Tea Unsweetened Peach Ginger Hamstead Tea Lavender & Valeria B Sweet Nitro Brew Matcha Tisane Teas Alkaline Rooibos Tea Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea Flavorists at Foodarom work together to develop the perfect flavor profiles

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