Leading flavors

Mintel, a global market research company with a specialty in food and menus, has pointed out six key flavors that are prominent, this year. The popular and exotic flavors, according to Mintel, include:

Cardamom:  This strong and distinctive spice will be an ingredient in more than just ethnic dishes. For example, McCormick, the spice marketer, recently developed a recipe for vanilla cardamom whoopie pies.

Sweet Potato:  A versatile vegetable, the sweet potato can be baked, boiled, candied, or fried. In addition to serving it as a delicious snack or side dish (such as sweet potato fries or mashed sweet potatoes) tje sweet potato is rich in dietary fiber, beta carotene and vitamins C and B6.

Hibiscus:  Once associated solely with tea, hibiscus is appearing in everything from energy drinks to vodka. This may, in part, be due to the USDA's findings that drinking hibiscus tea can lower blood pressure.

Cupuaçu:  Products containing superfruits are hotter than ever and cupuaçu is being called the next big superfruit. It contains more than 10 vitamins and antioxidants, as well as essential fatty acids and amino acids. For example, a key lime and cupuaçu-flavored apple sauce is now being produced by Musselmans, in its Healthy Picks line.

Rose water:  Commonly used as a fragrance, rose water could become a prevelant flavor in ethnic foods. You ,ay even notice it as an ingredient in desserts, such as cupcakes with rose water buttercream frosting (pictured at the right) or rose water cardamom truffle brownies.

Latin:  Latin spices, such as chile and cilantro, soon will be heating up our palates. Latin spices are appearing in prepared foods that can be bought in grocery stores, such as Whole Foods Market. Examples: Mayan ceviche and Icelandic Salsa Shrimp Cocktail, which features a spice packet loaded with cilantro.

See more food and entertaining trends: