CHICAGO — Months into the pandemic, Americans started struggling with cooking fatigue; most wanted options featuring new and interesting flavors they could enjoy at home. Flavorful condiments, cooking sauces and marinades were the remedy that gave new life to many traditional center-of-the-plate options.

Unique flavors and textures provide an appealing twist to staple foods, said Anne-Marie Roerink, a principal in the consultancy 210 Analytics, Houston.

“This is something quick-service restaurants latched onto as a way to appeal to different consumer tastes,” she said. “This has fueled innovation among condiment, cooking sauce and marinade formulators. These products provide home cooks with an easy way to serve a novel version of a classic dish.”

Trending flavors

Flavor profiles relying on spice and heat, from sriracha to curry to peri-peri, are among the flavors capturing consumers’ attention. Consumers aren’t afraid of heat when they can control its addition to a dish. They increasingly are adding spice and heat, sometimes with a touch of sweet, also known as “swicy,” at all day parts.

“The big trend in the sauces, dressings and marinades space is that they are appearing everywhere, in breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks,” said Jill Houk, director of culinary, OFI, Chicago. “They are one of the easiest ways to switch up the flavor of a meal and are a super easy way for consumers to ensure that their entire family likes what they’re eating.

“We’re often sitting down as a multi-generational family with a variety of different taste preferences and spice level affinity, so sauces help make sure everyone is getting the specific experience they want.”

Itzel Rincon, sales and new product innovation director, Chaucer Foods, Hull, United Kingdom, said, “Shoppers are scanning for condiments that bring new spices and flavors into their lives. It’s a simple way to test new taste experiences. Consumers love when exotic fruits, vegetables and spices are mixed in, but they also love condiments because you can control how much or how little you add to your food. Whether they want to dip or pour on the product, flavors like mango-habanero avocado spread or curry ketchup awaken the senses and give the customer the ability to create the perfect taste.”

Honey also is a trending ingredient in condiments due to the popularity of hot honey being drizzled on pizza. The versatile sweet-heat flavor profile of hot honey provides a quick, low-cost thrill that takes taste buds to a new level, said Doug Resh, director — commercial marketing, T. Hasegawa USA, Cerritos, Calif.

Kelchner Food Products, Allentown, Pa., recently rolled out its own twist on hot honey with a smoky maple chipotle marinade and sauce. The hot honey from Howell’s Standard LLC, Marlboro, Md., is honey infused with pepper and a hint of vinegar. The company also has a new mango hot honey. For those who don’t want the heat, Howell’s has a lavender honey described as “a delicate floral infusion for those seeking a touch of elegance and sophistication in their culinary endeavors.”

Splurging on restaurant quality

The layers of flavors found in condiments, cooking sauces and marinades are challenging for the everyday home cook to prepare from scratch. That’s what makes the products an affordable indulgence.

Food always will be consumers’ priority in tough and good economic times, whether eaten at or away from home, said David Portalatin, food and foodservice industry adviser, Circana, Chicago. Some of the declines in discretionary retail spending this past year were made in order to fund higher spending on food and beverage.

“Price will always be important, but consumers define value differently,” Mr. Portalatin said. “For example, consumers who visit a restaurant aren’t necessarily looking for the cheapest meal. They’re looking for the menu items they crave or foodservice outlets that offer quality and variety and enable them to treat themselves.”

The same holds true with condiments, cooking sauces and marinades. Quality and variety matter.

“We believe ‘homemade’ doesn’t have to mean spending all day in the kitchen,” said Megan Frank, senior vice president — marketing, Mizkan America Inc., Mount Prospect, Ill., the maker of Ragu. “New Ragu Kettle Cooked sauces offer a smart shortcut with a rich and savory homemade taste that makes mealtime even easier.”

The jarred sauces come in marinara, roasted garlic and tomato basil flavors. They are said to be made by a slow-simmering process that produces an elevated taste experience to provide an Italian bistro experience at home.

Rao’s Homemade also has two new pasta sauces — caramelized onion and vodka arrabbiata — and one new pizza sauce — pizza arrabbiata — to assist home cooks with serving authentic Italian dishes.

Italian food remains a favorite for Americans, but there is a growing desire to explore other global flavors. A May 2023 study of 2,000 adults conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Fresh Express, Orlando, Fla., found over a third of Americans claim Mexican is their favorite international flavor profile, followed by Italian and Chinese flavors. Nearly half of respondents said they feel like a professional chef when using international ingredients in their cooking. The survey also found that 69% of Americans would be more likely to prepare international or international-inspired dishes, like enchiladas, if they were easier to make.

Enter Twisted Caesar Enchilada, which combines the popular Caesar salad with an unexpected flavor twist delivered through toppings and a green enchilada Caesar dressing.

“By keeping our finger on the pulse of consumer trends and culinary preferences, we can continue bringing unique products to market, featuring the flavors and premium ingredients consumers crave, with our fresh salad greens at the heart of every recipe,” said Fabian Pereira, vice president of marketing and innovation with Fresh Express, a Chiquita Brands International subsidiary. “For example, according to Datassential, French food appears on more than 25% of US restaurant menus and brioche is on 17% of restaurant menus. This is projected to keep growing.”

The insights led Fresh Express to develop two French-inspired salad kits. The French Bistro Chopped Salad Kit is a blend of iceberg and green leaf lettuce, shredded carrots and red cabbage, crunchy garlic brioche croutons, shaved Romano cheese and honey Dijon dressing made with honey. The French Blue Cheese Salad Kit is baby spinach, spring mix, red cabbage and carrots with aromatic blue cheese, crunchy garlic brioche croutons and a savory French blue cheese dressing.

Although international flavors continue to generate interest, 35% of Americans show the most love for the flavors of their home country, according to the OnePoll study. When asked which ingredients they would add to make a dish taste better, 39% said bacon and more than a quarter said barbecue sauce. Both may be found in the new Fresh Express Smokehouse Chopped Kit, which includes a smoked bacon dressing.

Taste technology advancements

While condiments, cooking sauces and marinades exist for the primary purpose of providing flavor, there are many ingredients included in formulations for their non-characterizing flavors. They provide behind the scenes layers that are not always identifiable by the taste buds but are the secret behind the brand.

“The majority of trends we’re tracking can be divided into two categories that absolutely overlap: clean label and flavor,” Ms. Rincon said. “Whether it is barbecue sauce, a citrus chicken marinade or a hearty salad dressing, people are looking for ways to flavor their foods with minimal ingredients and only with the ingredients they recognize. Nobody wants to consume an additive they can’t pronounce.”

Chaucer Foods uses freeze-drying technology to produce a range of fruit and vegetable ingredients that are the source of flavor, as well as color, in condiments. They come in a range of forms, from pieces to powders for blending into either solid or liquid applications. Prior to application, they are shelf-stable ingredients that may be shipped and warehoused at ambient temperature.

“The drying process makes them more nutrient dense than fresh ingredients,” Ms. Rincon said. “The health and taste benefits of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables enhance the overall product without the need for extra chemicals or fillers. There’s nothing more natural and delicious than the sweetness provided by real fruits and vegetables. When freeze-dried, these ingredients retain all of their flavor, color and sweetness. For example, instead of sweetening a dressing with fresh raspberries or undesirable added sugars, formulators can use freeze-dried raspberries to create a delicious and healthier version of the ever-so popular raspberry vinaigrette.”

Ms. Houk said, “Taste is king, and that’s where a lot of our focus goes during development. A great example of our taste technology in action is how we use onion and garlic powder as a base for plating on different flavors.

“When we were developing a dairy-free alfredo sauce, we used onion powder that had been plated with a roux flavoring to give that long-cooked flavor. When flavors are plated onto onion and garlic powders, we can save our customers the step of going out and buying additional, and sometimes artificial, flavors. The sky’s the limit when plating flavors to our garlic and onion powders. We’ve also created spicy variants and an umami powder that has onion, garlic and mushroom.”

Prune ingredients perform behind-the-scenes roles as flavor enhancers and texture improvers. Their natural brown flavor enhances brown color, which often is associated with umami, eliminating the need for caramel coloring.

“When fresh prune plums are dried, they develop a tangy caramel richness,” said Kate Leahy, spokesperson, Sunsweet Ingredients, Yuba City, Calif. “Prune ingredients impart a slight sweetness due to their inherent sorbitol content. And they work with natural non-nutritive sweeteners, such as stevia and monk fruit, to round out flavors to make low-sugar condiments and marinades taste balanced.

“Prunes also have acidity, which boosts flavor in the same way a few drops of lemon juice can liven up a product,” Ms. Leahy said. “This may allow for a reduction in use of pricey herbs and spices, as well as sodium.”

Condiments, cooking sauces and marinades have a reputation for being high in sodium, with the former providing the flavor kick consumers are seeking while the latter contributes to viscosity and a rounding of flavors. Prune ingredients, everything from concentrates and purees to powders and bits, assist with reducing, or even eliminating, added sugars.

Prune bits are made by dicing a paste made of prunes. They are free-flowing, low in water content and easy to mix into viscous systems.

“Hydrated prune bits can be used to make no-added-sugar barbecue and teriyaki sauces with the texture of dipping sauces,” Ms. Leahy said. “Our prune puree is a dark purple paste that has a tangy flavor similar to molasses or tamarind. When used in sauces, it adds body, tart sweetness and depth. It is especially good in barbecue sauces, as well as Asian sauces like hoisin.”

Ms. Houk said, “One of my favorite tricks is aiding sweetness perception with a hint of cinnamon or vanilla. These may not even be noticeable in a formulation, but I find that many people associate these flavors with sweetness, even without the sugar. Another way to work with sugar reduction can be leaning into bitter chocolate and coffee notes. For example, if you were looking for a barbecue sauce, one of the things that we like to do is put in a little highly roasted cocoa powder and coffee to create a unique taste experience that keeps consumers interested.”

Sugar and other liquid caloric sweeteners do much more than sweeten. They are responsible for building viscosity and binding water.

“What I love about our onion and garlic purees is how they help add back the volume lost if you’re pulling out sugar or water,” Ms. Houk said. “In an alfredo sauce, for example, you could use the purees to replace some of the sugar and fat, gaining a lovely flavor.”