Surprise and delight with every dish.

 

Bacon, ham, sausage and all pork categories have traditionally made for irresistible entrees.
But they can be used for virtually every part of the meal, including appetizers, sides and the
best part: enhancing desserts. Rethink your application and revitalize your menu.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Sweet and Savory:
the rise of the flavor twist.

Though savory and sweet flavor profiles are very on trend for 2023, the popularity of this pairing has been building for years – maybe decades. There is a general skew toward a more savory palate among American consumers with the proliferation of sour, bitter and umami flavors. The sweet/spicy trend started, perhaps intuitively, in the dessert and sweets category. This year, Mintel reports a +138% increase in spicy flavors on bakery menus. However, consumers are now embracing the flavor combination across all categories.¹

“These two sides have been coming together. Desserts are getting more seasoning. There’s more salt and spices happening—there really is no divide anymore.”

 

— Chef Grace Model

Carrots Dates Bacon Syrup

Sweets and Meats

Glazes and marinades are great examples of the sweet/ savory profile, with ingredients like honey, brown sugar and maple syrup being used to enhance ham, bacon, and other proteins.

There is increased interest in, and deeper exploration of, Internationally-and domestically-inspired barbecue sauces, which combine sweet and savory elements.

Meats are also being used in traditionally sweet formats, as seen with bacon jam, an increasingly popular sweet, smoky and salty condiment.¹

“The whole sweet to savory trend has really helped me elevate my pastries. It gets you thinking in different ways you wouldn’t normally. You start thinking more through these flavor profiles.”

 

— Chef Jessica Quiet

Gochujang Pork Belly BBQ

International
Flavor Complexity

Complex sauces, spice blends and condiments have been found in cuisines from around the world, including Japanese, Indian, and Middle Eastern, to name a few.

These flavors have found their way through various applications to elevate everything from drinks to desserts.

Korean BBQ sauces and Thai chile sauces are two examples of these now-mainstream flavors that inspire operators to create unique, craveable dishes.¹

Flavor combinations that have seen growth:

SWALTY
(sweet + salty)

SWICY
(sweet + spicy)

SWOKEY
(sweet + smokey)

SWOUR
(sweet + sour)

The benefit of these more complex sweet profiles is that they
transcend and move well beyond desserts and baked goods.¹

Tres leche Poundcake

Compound Flavors

The complexity of contrasting and unlikely flavors is key in creating a memorable dining experience. Examples are hot honey, salted caramel and smoked maple syrup. In Spoonshot’s Trends 2023 and Beyond report, consumer interest in “complex heat” that incorporates sweet as well as spicy grew by +21% in the past 12 months ending July 2022.

¹ Menu Matters, 2022 by Maeve Webster