In its 2025 Food and Beverage Flavor Trends Report, California-based flavor manufacturer T. Hasegawa USA has crowned brown sugar as its Flavor of the Year. This culinary staple, as versatile as it is nostalgic, features a rich, complex flavor profile that makes it popular in a wide array of products and foodservice menu items ranging from baked goods to sweet and savory sauces, beverages and more. It’s increasingly being featured by coffee shops in “brown sugar lattes,” and is gaining momentum among mixologists for the deep flavor notes it adds to craft beverages and cocktails like Old Fashioneds or dark rum-based drinks.

Since brown sugar is not refined to remove all of its molasses content, it retains an intense caramel-like richness and a warm color that makes it popular among foodies and culinary influencers on social media.

T. Hasegawa has developed custom flavors for the world’s top food and beverage brands for more than a century. Globally recognized for its innovation and expertise in flavor development and proprietary flavor enhancing technologies, the company remains at the forefront of consumer trends and shares these developments and research findings throughout the food and beverage industry.

“Consumer preferences are continually evolving in food and drink categories, and the flavor industry is on the frontline of these trends,” says Mark Webster, vice president of sales and marketing at T. Hasegawa USA. “By working with many of the world’s top food and beverage brands, our R&D team have direct insight to the ingredients, culinary trends and consumer demands that will influence restaurant menus and CPG products well into the future.”

In addition to unveiling the Flavor of the Year, T. Hasegawa’s 2025 report predicts other up-and-coming ingredients, flavor trends and consumer patterns that will shape the world of foods and beverages over the next year, including:

• Ingredients for Mental Health – Consumer demand will rise for functional ingredients like nootropics and adaptogens, which benefit holistic and mental health.
• Gut Health Revolution – There is a rising demand for ingredients that benefit digestive health, such as fiber, prebiotics and post-biotics in non-traditional categories.
• Retro Revival – Consumers are craving foods and beverages that evoke cherished childhood memories – leading to fun, nostalgic flavor combinations.
• Focus on nutrition with the rise of GLP-1 – Sugar reduction and protein-enriched foods are balancing flavor and nutrition with the popularity of weight-loss medications.
• Flavor Escapism – Foods and beverages can provide an escape from reality, with fun fantasy flavors like “rainbow” or “unicorn.”
• Mindful Mushrooms – Functional mushrooms will continue to grow in 2025 as consumers look for health benefits such as improved energy, focus and stress-relief.

These trends and more can be found in T. Hasegawa’s 2025 Food and Beverage Flavor Trends Report, available for free download at its website.