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2025 will be sweet like sugar.
The Food and Beverage Trends Report has declared that brown sugar will be the flavor of the year for 2025.
In the report, published annually for several decades by T. Hasegawa, the flavor development company describes brown sugar as a “culinary staple” that adds “a hint of nostalgia” to dishes.
Since brown sugar is not refined to remove all of its molasses content, it retains a natural sweetness with a deep taste and moist texture — unlike white sugar.
With origins as a cooking and culinary ingredient, brown sugar has become a popular ingredient in everything from baked goods, to sauces, beverages and more.
Brown sugar — known for its warm color and molasses flavor — has also become a favorite in coffee shops as well, with brown sugar lattes becoming increasingly trendy.
The ingredient is also gaining momentum among mixologists in cocktails like Old Fashioneds and dark rum-based drinks due to the deep flavor it adds.
“Consumer preferences are continually evolving in food and drink categories, and the flavor industry is on the frontline of these trends,” Mark Webster, vice president of sales and marketing at T. Hasegawa USA, said in a statement.
“By working with many of the world’s top food and beverage brands, our R&D team have direct insight to the ingredients, culinary trends and consumer demands that will influence restaurant menus and CPG products well into the future.”
Flavor of the year isn’t the only trend T. Hasegawa’s 2025 report predicts. The company expects ingredients for mental health, such as nootropics and adaptogens to have a boost, as well as ingredients that benefit digestive health, such as fiber, prebiotics and post-biotics in non-traditional categories.
Consumers are also craving foods and beverages that evoke childhood memories, leading to nostalgic and fun flavors. Also bringing fun flavors is the predicted trend of “flavor escapism,” with flavors like “unicorn” or “rainbow” providing an escape from reality through food and beverage.
Functional mushrooms are also expected to have a moment in 2025, with consumers looking for the health benefits they bring such as improved energy, focus and stress relief.
Of course, Ozempic comes into play as well. The report predicts there will be a focus on nutrition with the rise of GLP-1, looking at how sugar reduction and protein-enriched foods balance flavor with weight loss.
