Brands are launching foods made with chai for health benefits and flavors
Trend - CPG brands and restaurants are launching foods made with chai ingredients. Chai is popular in drinks for its strong, spicy, floral flavor, and its health benefits. This is now being made available to non-tea-drinkers in the form of snacks, breakfast bars, bakery items, and packaged goods.
Insight - The modern consumer in North America has countless flavors from international locations available to them for snacks, drinks, and foods. These consumers are willing to try new flavors, pairings, or interpretations of recipes, to find a new flavor, with priority given to functional foods. Some of the most popular flavors for drinks, such as chai tea or blue curacao in alcohol, are often only found in beverages, making it difficult for certain customers to ever try these flavors.
Insight - The modern consumer in North America has countless flavors from international locations available to them for snacks, drinks, and foods. These consumers are willing to try new flavors, pairings, or interpretations of recipes, to find a new flavor, with priority given to functional foods. Some of the most popular flavors for drinks, such as chai tea or blue curacao in alcohol, are often only found in beverages, making it difficult for certain customers to ever try these flavors.
Workshop Question - How could your brand transform traditional or cultural flavors into new products and offerings for the modern consumer?
Trend Themes
1. Functional Foods - The popularity of functional foods is driving the launch of chai-infused snacks, breakfast bars, and packaged goods, providing consumers with both flavor and health benefits.
2. International Flavor Exploration - Consumers in North America are increasingly willing to try new flavors and interpretations of recipes from around the world, creating opportunities for brands to introduce chai-inspired products to non-tea-drinkers.
3. Mushroom Infused Products - Health-conscious consumers are turning to mushroom-infused food and beverage products, like mushroom protein bars, for stress relief, clarity of thought, and overall physical and immune health.
Industry Implications
1. CPG - CPG brands are launching chai-infused snacks and packaged goods, tapping into the trend of functional foods and international flavor exploration.
2. Restaurant - Restaurants are incorporating chai ingredients into their menus, offering non-tea-drinkers the opportunity to try the popular flavor in different forms.
3. Health and Wellness - Health and wellness brands are introducing mushroom-infused products, like protein bars, to cater to consumers seeking stress relief, clarity of thought, and overall physical and immune health.
