Dive Brief:
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Rosemary, once seen as nothing but an accompaniment to lamb, is showing up in more and more places — including more than 1,400 new products in the past couple of years, more than 10,000 recipes on a single web site, and close to 1,300 menu mentions in a single recent year, according to a Flavor Trend Insight Report from FONA.
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On social media last month, there were more than 5,000 posts mentioning "rosemary" and "recipe."
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The 271 new products featuring rosemary between 2009 and 2015 in North America alone spanned categories ranging from crackers to bread to seasonings to nuts.
Dive Insight:
This aromatic leafy herb is showing up in all kinds of new products globally — both in dried and fresh forms.
Why rosemary and why now? It's been growing in popularity among consumers, listed as a component of 10,155 recipes on Food.com. Aside from its flavoring potential, the herb has received a lot of attention for its perceived health benefits, including a recent New York Times article about a strain in Italy believed to promote longevity, and segments on "Today" about cooking with the superfood in order to live to 100.
For both consumers and manufacturers, rosemary appears to offer limitless potential for savory, flavorful and healthy foods.