Dive Summary:
- A Food Network vice president and other culinary professionals say that Americans' tastes for more intense sour foods are on the rise.
- Pickles, kombucha and Greek yogurt, which held just a 1% market share in 2007 and is now poised to take one-third of the yogurt market, are among the most popular sour foods, and their current demand is leading food giants like Lay's and Pringles to developed new sour snacks like XTRA Screamin' Dill Pickle chips.
- Food consultancy Technomic's director of product innovation, Mary Chapman, says that America's desire for big and bold flavors is responsible for the recent growth of sour flavors, which is a natural extension of the demand for spicy foods and flavors in the 1990s.
- The current trend of fermentation as a DIY pastime has also influenced the growth of sour.
From the article:
... Alford spears a few pickled carrot slices and cauliflower florets out of Ball Mason jars for me; their tartness is bright and crisp. Years ago, Food Network’s pickle recipes used more sugar to mitigate sourness, but the vinegar flavor in these vegetables is unbridled. She then whisks up a lemon vinaigrette for a kale salad, explaining that the current recipe uses more lemon juice than past versions. These days, her audience isn’t afraid to pucker. “They're looking for a much more intense sour flavor, whether it's from lemon or vinegar,” Alford says. ...
