Sweet and salty has a sophisticated sibling. “Craveable” might be the best word to describe the phenomenon that sparks taste buds when sweet and umami tastes are combined in the same dish. While typical sweet and salty pairings tend to be more straightforward—such as apple pie and cheddar cheese, chicken and waffles, or the caramel and cheese popcorn mix popularized in Chicago—sweet and umami pairings tend to be more complex and well-rounded, leaning in to the savory element more than the saccharine. These flavor combinations are popping up in dishes like sesame-chocolate cookies made with bittersweet chocolate chips and nutty sesame oil, but consumers can also satisfy sweet and umami cravings with certain sauces and condiments, such as endlessly versatile hoisin sauce, which is made with sweet potato and fermented soy beans.

For restaurants, 2020 has been a year of constant adaptation. As the pandemic brought dine-in service to a crashing halt in most of the country, operators have turned to takeout, drive-thru and delivery to stay open and safely serve customers, whose main concerns are safety and quality. Operators have revamped how they package items, giving customers peace of mind and a better end product with tamper-proof packaging that also maintains the integrity of food in transport. Portion control servings—like sriracha, hoisin or soy sauce packets—are an easy way to add flavor, value and safety to takeout meals. Menus have changed, too. Some restaurants have limited the number of SKUs to streamline back-of-house operations, and all are looking for cross-functional products that allow them to do more with less. When staff is stretched thin, flavorful ready-to-use sauces can do the heavy lifting by functioning as everything from a salad dressing component, soup base or marinade to a zesty dip for appetizers.

Some like it hot! Spicy food continues to surge around the globe, but the driving force behind consumption varies depending on the consumer. In the U.S., operators and manufacturers have responded to mainstream demand for Scoville units with extra-hot items like Nashville-style hot chicken and ghost-pepper-flavored everything (e.g. chips, donuts and tacos). And while some diners seek out blazingly hot foods to consume as a badge of honor, others are more intrigued by nuanced flavors. Consumers are getting more familiar with region-specific spice profiles on the menu, seeking out offerings made with mouth-numbing Sichuan-style chili sauce, sweet and spicy Indonesian-style sambal oelek, and fiery Chiu Chow-style chili oil. Flavors and spice levels can vary greatly depending on the pepper, meaning there’s something for everyone willing to explore the world of chilies. And those who do may enjoy purported health benefits—chilies contain vitamins and minerals, carotenoids, which have antioxidant properties, and capsaicin, which may lower blood pressure and boost metabolism.

Diners are spinning the globe to satisfy their cravings for flavor and convenience. Stuck at home more than usual, some consumers are gravitating toward cuisines they might not be able to easily reproduce in their own kitchens, such as Chinese, Mexican, Korean or Japanese. And with the boom of food-focused TV shows that can instantly transport viewers to far-flung destinations, diners are taking it a step further and looking for authentic region-specific foods, such as Hunan and Sichuan cuisines from China or the tempting street foods of Seoul and Bangkok. We'll continue to see more exciting global dishes and mashups at independents and chains, likely driven in part by the adventurous palates of Millennials and Gen Zers. Operators can easily add global flair to their menu by pairing authentic sauces with familiar formats.