Three trending ingredients from around the world

1 Seaweed
Recognized as a sustainable superfood, it’s no surprise that seaweed is rapidly becoming a popular snack and ingredient. Sold in numerous forms — from a replacement for fish in vegan options to crisps —it’s become a must-have flavour in many households. Researchers say that growing seaweed can absorb carbon in the atmosphere, so as countries try to work together to combat climate change, seaweed farming can help these efforts. According to Thomas Thulesen, founder of Wavy Wonders, “It’s a growing market that feeds into mega trends of environmentally conscious eating, coupled with the ongoing health focus.”

2 Hot honey
According to Flavorchem’s 2023 Flavor & Trend Forecast report, hot honey is set to take over this year. “Complex taste profiles featuring honey will experience an upswing in menu and retail innovation as heat meets sweet,” the company predicts. “Hot honey has grown +53% in consumer interest in the past year and +216% on menus since 2018, indicating the star ingredient’s potential to accelerate future culinary trends.” The trend comes from consumer desire to experience complex flavour pairings and dual taste experiences. It is also an extension of the sriracha hype and combines the popularity of the spicy sauce with the functional properties of honey.

3 Mushrooms
Mushrooms are set for a big year in 2023. In particular, there is huge potential as functional ingredients across the many species of edible mushrooms. Lion’s mane mushrooms, for example, have been shown to have neuroprotective effects as well as having an abundance of the heart-friendly fibre beta-glucan; meanwhile, more common varieties like button and shiitake mushrooms can be utilised for their anti-inflammatory properties. Mushrooms are already making their way into plenty of functional food formulations, but expect to see them front and centre in 2023.