McCormick's Latest Flavor Forecast Introduces The Brand's First Flavor Of The Year

This is the time of year, we're inundated with food-related predictions for the coming year. Everyone's talking about what's hot, what's not, what's fading, and what's 100% yesterday's news. If you like food with au courant flavor, one forecast that's always worth checking out is the annual Flavor Forecast from spice maker and flavor foreteller McCormick & Company. McCormick has been researching and sharing trends in food since its first report way back in 2000. For 2023, the company has shaken things up by introducing its first Flavor of the Year. Say hello to a dynamic duo packed in one bottle: Vietnamese x Cajun Style Seasoning.

This doubly interesting mashup of culinary influences combines integral elements of French and Cajun cuisine in a powder form to shake-shake-shake on everything. As per a company press release, the seasoning includes punchy ingredients that aren't known for being bashful in food, including the black pepper, lemongrass, and garlic commonly used in Vietnamese cooking, along with flavor-forward components of Cajun cuisine, like paprika and cayenne.

McCormick hopes consumers will play with the new mix and use it to turn up the heat (a bit) to take their food in a global direction at home.

You might be tempted to think a report with a title like "Flavor Forecast 23rd Edition” is a boring file full of facts, figures, footnotes, and statistics. Well, you can check that attitude at the door. McCormick works with chefs, food prognosticators and technologists, and members of its team to stay ahead of the curve on trends like smoky chipotle, the rise of turmeric, and pumpkin spice everything. The team also seeks to predict what's up and coming in the world of flavor enhancement.

The Flavor Forecast focuses on three distinct themes: Full-Flavored Fats, Everyday French, and Beyond Heat. The dual-personality Flavor of the Year, Vietnamese x Cajun Style Seasoning, walks the walk to fulfill each of those themes (per McCormick). The forecast also spotlights two chefs already working within the realm of Vietnamese-Cajun fusion cuisine: Trong Nguyen of Crawfish and Noodles in Houston, and Cesar Zapata of Phuc Yea in Miami.

If you're in New York City on December 7, stop by the Smashburger outpost in Chelsea for a taste of foods made with Vietnamese x Cajun Style Seasoning, including tater tots, chicken wings, and milkshakes. Just beware that you'll be limited to one sample per person, from 5 to 8 p.m.