Matcha the trend, says McCormick

Matcha, or ground green tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies, is set to be one of the flavour trends of 2016 likely to land in dairy, according to McCormick’s Flavor Forecast this year. Other ingredients surging are seeds such as a chia, and turmeric, which is an antioxidant. Another feature is traditional ingredients in modern preparations, such as a lavender or rosemary gin cocktail.

The US producer of dried spices also predicts that Americans will be looking for spicy, tangy dishes, with citrus of vinegars being used to balance out the heat. Sambal sauce, a Malaysian and Indonesian mix of chillis, rice vinegar, sugar and garlic, will be a highlight, and other flavours from that area, such as pinoy barbecue, a Filipino grilled pork with a banana ketchup sauce, will be proving popular.