Fresh, creative, extraordinary: With the help of young chefs and bartenders, Symrise has gained new perspectives on the queen of spices – vanilla. Together with six taste experts and influencers from the millennial generation, the global supplier of fragrances and flavors developed ideas on how these new perspectives could be used in modern cuisine.
The millennial experts were recruited from all over the world. They included the head patissier from the Michelin Guide-recommended Chiltern Firehouse in London, a tea sommelier from Italy and a multi-award winning bartender from Australia.
The experts are representative of the generation born between 1980 and 1998. About 118 million millennials live in the European Union and there are roughly two billion of them worldwide. This generation is considered the first to be truly global. Modern technology connects them across borders and affordable travel opens the world to them – and also provides them with diverse taste horizons.
Addressing All the Senses
Working with the taste experts from Europe, Asia and Australia allows Symrise to better understand millennials and what motivates them. The group is open to new flavors and tastes and enjoys experimenting with them. They like to eat and drink exceptional creations: things that appeal to all of the senses – in terms of their shape, color and texture.
New trends, which primarily spread via social media, have an enormous impact on today’s 19 to 37-year-olds. A growing focus for these culinary delights is an emphasis on healthy nutrition. The experts cooperating with Symrise have developed attractive and tasty vanilla product ideas for their generation and the cuisine of the future.
Combined with Spices
The young specialists thought it was time to rediscover vanilla as a spice. The goal is to realize the full taste potential of the other ingredients – giving them real depth and unexpected complexity. Because vanilla brings both an earthy as well as a flowery basic note. It may thus replace black pepper in the kitchen and goes very well with salt. Spices and salt together, pronounce a delicate sweetness in fish – for instance – or stimulate the sense of taste for umami if sprinkled over tomatoes. Salty vanilla also has a delicious impact on sweet dishes. For instance, it serves as ideal counterpart to the tangy taste of chocolate. Its flowery notes complement the flavor of fruits, creams and puddings.
“This collaboration has underscored the diversity of vanilla for us,” said Yannick Leen, himself a millennial and also the Competency Director for Vanilla at Symrise. “We want to develop new, innovative, attractive and tasteful solutions from their ideas and offer corresponding extracts and aromas. We and our customers are so enthusiastic about the ideas that we will certainly continue this collaboration. Discovering new horizons, redefining and combining tastes, and creating inspiration – those are core competencies at Symrise.”
