The Rise of Flowery-Flavors
According to Innova Market Insights, floral flavors with modern twists will likely resonate with consumers in 2024.
The prediction stemmed from consumers' increased appetite for healthy and sustainable foods and beverages. Innova’s global survey revealed that nearly half of consumers perceive floral flavors as healthy, and two-thirds perceive floral flavors as sustainable.
And it looks like several major U.S. brands noticed:
- Baskin Robbins debuted a unique floral flavor for spring
- Starbucks added new lavender drinks
- Smirnoff Ice launched a lavender lemonade
While edible flowers are having their moment, some predict they may never become mainstream.
One of the biggest challenges when working with edible flowers for culinary purposes is their short shelf life—their “best by” date is around two days. Fragrant, beautiful, and tasty flowers are typically exclusive to high-end restaurants and for special occasions.
Therefore, it’s more likely that floral flavors will remain a seasonal item to spice up the menu rather than something mass-produced and sold in grocery stores, which tend to require longer shelf lives.