#Trendspotting: Hispanic Flavors & Fusions

Posted: February 27, 2018
In: Trends

Your source for the most up-to-date information on emerging beverage trends.

Hispanic Flavors & Fusions

Hispanic consumers make up the largest minority group in the U.S. (just under 20%) and their expenditures on dining out increased 28% since 2012, reaching $70.9 billion in 2017. Flavor profiles common in Latin American & Hispanic cuisine have become mainstream in products and dishes and are helping to inspire some of the most on-trend beverages.

Horchata-frenzy
Agua Frescas
Make it Spicy
Google Says

Horchata-frenzy

This cinnamon classic often incorporates almonds, tigernuts and rice. Notable products include: Starbucks Horchata Frappuccino, Koia’s Cinnamon Horchata, Barrilitos (Coca cola) horchata agua fresca, and Taco Cabana’s horchata margarita LTO.

Agua Frescas

These fruit-flower-seed combos are gaining popularity as non-soda and non-alcoholic alternatives.

Native Foods Café has had a watermelon fresca as a staple on their menu for years.

Blaze Pizza rolled out two new aguas fresca flavors – matcha and blueberry hibiscus at the end of 2017.

Panera launched a prickly pear hibiscus fresca in 2017.

Make it Spicy

Sales of seasonings and spices (including those more common in Latin American cuisine, such as habanero peppers) increased 7% YoY, according to market research firm NPD.

Google Says

“Traveling through Taste” was identified as one of the main trends in the 2016 Google Food Trends Report. Top searches influenced by Latin American cuisine included: Mexican candy, taquitos, empanada, queso fresco, cotija cheese, chamoy, adobo seasoning, elotes, pastelitos, Mexican chips and tostados.

Check out more on #TRENDSPOTTING. Visit our blog here.

agua fresca, alcoholic beverages, beverage, Beverage Industry, beverage trends, coffee, consumers, customization, flavor, functional beverages, functional ingredients, hispanic flavor, horchata, imbibe, latin flavor, michelada, Product Development, RTD, spicy, Water

Keep Reading:

Clear Protein Is Booming. Is Your Portfolio Keeping Up?

Considerations like format, processing, shelf life, and label constraints all influence how a solution performs in the final product. What works in one system may not translate directly to another.

The Case for Sweet Heat and Layered Flavor

Hot honey, one of the clearest examples of a sweet base carrying real heat, has grown 197% on U.S. restaurant menus over the past four years. Consumers are not choosing between bold and balanced. They are asking for both.

A First Look at What’s on Deck at SupplySide 2026 Booth 2045

SupplySide Global will be here before you know it, and we're putting the finishing touches on what you'll get to taste, see, and dig into at Booth 2045.