We often talk about using “characterizing flavours” to help differentiate a product from others in the market.
These flavours are the stars of a product’s profile; their names, like Sour Cream & Onion, Ranch, or French Vanilla, are prominently placed on the front of the pack.
Yet, even products sharing the same profile name aren’t usually carbon copies of one another.
This leads to the question, how exactly do we define character?
Much like people, identifying and understanding the character of a specific flavour can’t be boiled down to a simple list of attributes.
Yes, in the same way, we might describe someone as funny, caring, and intelligent, we can describe flavours as creamy, earthy, and indulgent, which will no doubt tell us a lot about them.
This may be incredibly important for our understanding of someone or something, but it’s not necessarily enough to define their character.
Doing so requires knowledge of said attributes filtered through the context of our experiences with them.
What might be hilarious to one person might be offensive to another. Likewise, what is seen as a pleasant, enjoyable, or desirable profile to some might be, for lack of a better phrase, straight-up nasty to others. Think of a strongly ripened Blue Cheese, like Roquefort. Though prized by many, others can’t stand the overwhelming Ketonic notes, even though they love a Blue Cheese dressing on their salads.
Not to mention, the varying combinations and degrees of these characteristics will lead to very different perceptions and interpretations.
While I am not saying we need to psychoanalyze flavour profiles, defining character to create flavours that help you stand out in the market requires balancing both the scientific and the societal characteristics of taste.
The Science of Character
When talking about people, you might use an expression like, “Character is finding out what you’re made of.”
Building character with flavours works much the same way. It starts by figuring out what a desired profile is made of, literally and chemically.
Understanding the compounds responsible for driving a profile is a great place to start. For example, a Cheddar will have strong Butyric acid notes; a Parmesan will be dominated by Lipolytic acid, and a cultured dairy product like Kefir will have a heavy Lactic acid concentration.
Although this may be a great jumping-off point, it’s far from enough to build the authenticity consumers seek and the depth of character your product deserves.
In his recent article “Udderly” Complex – The Challenges of Creating the Authentic Taste of Dairy, Peter Kern—Junior Flavorist at Edlong, posed the question, “What if I told you that we’ve identified over 800 aroma compounds that contribute to what we know and associate with the taste of butter?”
Through the use of technology like GCMS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) mapping, Edlong’s scientists are able to identify each of these compounds to paint a clear picture of what makes an Irish butter different from a Sweet Cream butter, a Cultured butter, and so on.
Still, crafting a characterizing flavour isn’t as simple as printing out a list of molecules and their concentrations.
As Kern explains, “After factoring in each of the variables, it could take thirty to forty of those previously mentioned aroma compounds to create a profile that makes you feel like you’re eating the real thing.”
Knowing what to choose requires experience and expertise; at Edlong, we have over a century of precisely that.
We also know that just like in people, defining and building that character of winning flavours is a balance of nature and nurture.
Cultural Characteristics
How you interpret a specific taste can’t be separated from your personal and cultural experience of it.
The taste of a beverage like root beer, beloved by Americans, might remind people from other countries of the taste of traditional medicines. Not exactly refreshing.
Then, there is the understanding of application and occasion.
When I think of Brie, it brings to mind sweaters, holiday parties, and a gooey Baked Brie. In France, every day is an occasion for Brie to be on the menu.
We see this a lot in the culinary cross-pollination between East and West.
Focusing on occasion, an American breakfast staple like pancakes is (perhaps correctly) viewed as a decadent dessert in Japan.
We also have to consider the applications of ingredients. Where Western developers are looking to put miso, kimchi, and seasonings like curry and chilis on just about everything, Asian markets are doing the same with dairy, especially cheese.
Brie, Camembert, Gouda, and Emmental are perfectly at home on a cheeseboard, but in places like Korea and Japan, they aren’t afraid to use them to take the meaning of “cheese” cake to a whole new level.
Why stop at cake when you can add them to ice cream as well?
Depending on your cultural connection to these foods and ingredients, the above applications could be enough to make your skin crawl or your mouth water.
However, even within a single culture, taste experiences can vary by generation.
Making it Like They Used to
“Newstalgia” might not be a fresh trend, but it is here to stay.
Creating a successful product in this category isn’t as easy as it sounds. It not only has to be good enough to scratch the nostalgic itch of previous generations but also fresh enough to tackle current trends and appeal to the evolving tastes of younger demographics.
Too new, and you’ll disappoint the target generation, too much like the original, and it might seem stale and dated for the TikTok crowd.
Whether cultural, generational, or a combination of both, creating a characterizing profile that resonates means finding the balance between experience, expectation, and inherent attributes.
As a global leader in the taste of dairy, our international team deeply understands what this looks and tastes like in practice.
Find out more about how we can help you define character for your product’s profile so it can be the star of its supermarket shelf
About the Author: Emily Sheehan, Applications Manager, EMEA
Hi! I’m Emily Sheehan. I’m the Applications Manager, EMEA at Edlong, and my job is rooted in creating exciting new possibilities for our people and processes. It’s inspiring to reflect on how much Edlong has achieved and even more amazing to be involved in such thoughtful innovation. We enjoy pushing boundaries in food and flavour, and we welcome everyone in the food industry to join us. If you’re in need of expertise or inspiration, I’d love to collaborate and help you design flavour solutions that resonate with consumers!
Topics: Characterizing Flavors
Resource Type: Article
Resource Region: EUUS
