During the long hot days of summer, nothing beats pausing for a break and cooling down over a nice frozen dessert. For 2019, Whole Foods has predicted a trend of “trailblazing frozen treats”. This is perfect for those with a sweet tooth, especially if you have to endure sweltering warm weather without air-conditioning.
Going beyond the basics such as vanilla and chocolate ice cream, a proliferation of new flavours and techniques have been incorporated into artisanal frozen desserts. And these are getting consumers dizzy with excitement.
For the health-focused crowd
The creative use of wholesome ingredients such as avocado, coconut water, and tahini comes with the added health benefits of consuming more plant-based foods. Shifting away from the use of dairy, froyo popsicles made with Greek yoghurt, honey, and fresh fruits are ideal for young children as well as health-conscious adults. Gut-friendly probiotics-rich frozen treats are hitting the freezers in supermarkets. An exotic kefir ice cream will refresh your palate while improving your digestive health. What’s not to love?
For those watching their waistlines, a low-calorie yet high protein ice cream could be the ideal solution. Start-ups are aware of this demand. Several entrepreneurs in North America have already launched these healthy frozen treats and are receiving positive responses. Even big companies like Nestlé and Ben and Jerry’s have also jumped onto the bandwagon.
Sophisticated frozen delights
Image credit: Striped Spatula
For consumers seeking premium frozen treats, alcohol might be the answer. Liqueur such as rum and whiskey can give a boost to the run-of-the-mill ice-creams. From matcha to mango, internationally-inspired flavours are also appealing to consumers’ taste buds and will likely be used more by companies moving forward.
Image credit: Kirbie’s Cravings
Apart from ice creams, other kinds of frozen desserts have been popping up. Mochi, which is a Japanese rice dumpling filled with ice-cream, is gaining traction with foodies. Fun and ingenious mochi flavours are quickly being introduced, which could mean that mochi ceases to be merely a traditional Japanese food and eventually becomes a global favourite instead.
Image credit: The Honeycombers
Other international frozen fads that might start trending include chewy Turkish ice-creams infused with mastic, fluffy Taiwanese snow ice that reminds one of ice kachang in Singapore, as well as the hand-churned nieves de garrafa from Mexico.
Groovy novelty
As for the all-time beloved ice-cream, forget your usual raspberry swirl or mint chocolate chip. Companies want consumers to embrace exotic flavours and combinations that elevate the humble ice cream. Think strawberry with lime and basil, banana and peanut butter, yuzu and oolong, mascarpone and gorgonzola. Imagine frozen desserts that do not use refined sugar. Or ice creams made entirely from fruits. This would mean that people of all ages and various health conditions can indulge in some sweet treats without negative consequences.
Indeed dietary restrictions might just be the catalyst that inspires an assortment of new frozen desserts. From zero-sugar to lactose-free, gluten-free to nut-free, the demand for frozen sweet treats will only keep increasing.
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