Food: How crunch took over our taste buds

• Why it is the topic trending:

  • Emergence of a New Sensory Food Trend: The article identifies "crunch" as the next major food trend, replacing the recent popularity of "swicy" (sweet and spicy).

  • Shift in Consumer Preferences: It highlights a change in taste buds towards noisy flavors and gritty textures, indicating a desire for a more pronounced sensory experience in food.

  • Trend Identification by Food Experts: The trend is identified by food trend watchers and experts from Whole Foods Market and Tastewise, adding credibility to the analysis.

  • Examples Across Food Categories: The article provides examples of how the crunch trend is manifesting in various food categories, including snacks, beverages, desserts, and even seasonings.

  • Cultural Signal: The increased online discussion around "crunchy" foods signifies its growing resonance with consumers.

• Overview: The article discusses the rise of "crunch" as the latest major food trend for 2025, moving away from the recent focus on "swicy" flavors. Food trend experts from Whole Foods Market and Tastewise have identified a growing consumer craving for crispy foods, bold flavor mashups, and gritty textures. This trend is evident across various food categories, from crunchier snacks and toppings to beverages and even seasonings. The article highlights the increasing social media discussion around "crunchy" foods, suggesting a strong consumer appetite for this sensory experience, often associated with comfort and even vegan options.

• Detailed findings:

  • "Crunch" is identified as the top craving in food trends for 2025, succeeding "swicy."

  • Whole Foods Market identified "crunch" as the "texture of the moment," with consumers seeking it in all meals.

  • Examples of crunchy innovations include crunchier chili crisp, dehydrated fruits and vegetables (mushrooms, okra), crunchy chocolates, fermented nuts, roasted chickpeas, and mushroom chips.

  • Crunch is appearing in beverages (cinnamon sugar crystal toppings) and desserts (crème brûlée espresso martinis).

  • Subway introduced Doritos Footlong Nachos, and Taco Bell is adding more crunch to its Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupas.

  • Tastewise found a 13% increase in social media discussions involving "crunchy" foods in the past year.

  • Tastewise identified three consumer patterns defining the crunch trend: association with comfort food, increasing presence in vegan offerings, and growth in Peruvian cuisine featuring crunchy ingredients like chulpi.

  • 26% of US restaurants offer items described as "crunchy" on their menus.

  • Crunch is being paired with diverse ingredients like chocolate, pistachio, cinnamon sugar, blood orange, chicken, and caramel apple.

  • Whole Foods also highlighted the popularity of edible aquatic plants with crunchy textures, like seaweed and sea moss.

  • International snacks with unique and crunchy textures, such as Geem Korean seaweed chips and Ziba Afghan trail mix, are gaining popularity.

• Key takeaway: "Crunch" is emerging as a dominant food trend in 2025, driven by a consumer desire for satisfying textures and noisy flavor experiences across a wide range of food categories, often associated with comfort and extending to vegan and international cuisines.

• Main trend: The Dominance of Texture and Sensory Experience in Emerging Food Trends

• Description of the trend (please name it): The Texture Takeover. This trend describes the increasing importance of texture and overall sensory experience in driving emerging food trends. Moving beyond just flavor, consumers are now actively seeking out specific mouthfeels like "crunch," as well as other tactile sensations, indicating a heightened focus on the physical experience of eating and a desire for foods that offer a more engaging and multi-sensory consumption.

• What is consumer motivation: Consumers are increasingly seeking foods that offer a satisfying and engaging sensory experience. Texture plays a significant role in this, providing an additional layer of enjoyment beyond just taste. The craving for crunch specifically can be linked to satisfaction, excitement, and even comfort.

• What is driving trend:

  • Increased Food Awareness: Consumers are becoming more conscious of the different elements that contribute to their eating experience.

  • Social Media Influence: Visual and sensory aspects of food, including texture, often perform well on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, driving trends.

  • Desire for Novelty and Excitement: Textural contrasts and unique mouthfeels can provide a sense of novelty and excitement in food.

  • Comfort and Emotional Connection: Certain textures, like crunch, can be associated with comfort foods and evoke positive emotional responses.

• What is motivation beyond the trend: Some consumers might also be motivated by the health aspects associated with certain textures (e.g., the crispness of fresh vegetables).

• Description of consumers article is referring to (what is their age?, what is their gender? What is their income? What is their lifestyle): The article refers to a broad range of consumers in the US, particularly those who shop at Whole Foods and engage with food trends online, likely including Millennials and Gen Z who are active on platforms like TikTok. The trend appears to cut across gender lines, as the desire for satisfying food textures is generally universal. Income levels may vary, but the examples provided range from fast food to specialty items, suggesting appeal across different economic segments. Their lifestyle likely involves an interest in exploring new food trends and experiences.

• Conclusions: Texture, particularly crunch, is becoming a major driving force in food trends for 2025, indicating a shift towards a more holistic sensory approach to food consumption.

• Implications for brands:

  • Food Manufacturers: Should focus on incorporating satisfying textures into their product innovations across various categories.

  • Restaurants: Can leverage textural elements to enhance the dining experience and create signature dishes.

  • Marketing Teams: Should highlight the textural aspects of food in their campaigns, using descriptive language and visuals that emphasize mouthfeel.

• Implication for society: This trend reflects an evolving appreciation for the multi-sensory aspects of food and a move beyond solely focusing on flavor.

• Implications for consumers: Consumers can expect to see a wider variety of foods with interesting and satisfying textures, particularly the prominent texture of crunch.

• Implication for Future: "The Texture Takeover" suggests that texture will continue to be a key differentiator and driver of innovation in the food industry, with perhaps other unique mouthfeels emerging as dominant trends in the future.

• Consumer Trend (name, detailed description): The Sensory Explorer (Food). This trend describes consumers who actively seek out and prioritize the sensory aspects of food, including not just taste but also texture, aroma, and visual appeal, in their food choices and experiences.

• Consumer Sub Trend (name, detailed description): The Crunch Craver: A segment of the Sensory Explorer focused specifically on the desire for foods with a satisfying crunchy texture.

• Big Social Trend (name, detailed description): The Heightened Awareness of the Eating Experience: There is a growing cultural focus on the overall experience of eating, with greater attention paid to all sensory elements.

• Worldwide Social Trend (name, detailed description): The importance of texture in food enjoyment is a universal aspect of culinary traditions across the globe.

• Social Drive (name, detailed description): The Desire for Satisfaction, Engagement, and Comfort Through Food: Consumers seek food that not only tastes good but also provides a satisfying and sometimes emotionally comforting sensory experience.

• Learnings for brands to use in 2025 (bullets, detailed description):

  • Texture, especially crunch, is a key element driving food trends.

  • Highlight the textural aspects of your products in marketing.

  • Experiment with different textures in product development.

• Strategy Recommendations for brands to follow in 2025 (bullets, detail description):

  • Food manufacturers should innovate to create products with satisfying and appealing textures, with a particular focus on crunch.

  • Restaurants should consider incorporating more dishes with prominent and interesting textures on their menus.

• Final sentence (key concept) describing main trend from article: "The Texture Takeover" is evident in the rise of "crunch" as a dominant food trend, showcasing the growing consumer emphasis on the sensory experience of eating.

• What brands & companies should do in 2025 to benefit from trend and how to do it: In 2025, food manufacturers and restaurants should capitalize on "The Texture Takeover" trend by:

  • Innovating product lines to include a variety of textures, with a strong focus on incorporating satisfying crunch into snacks, meals, and even beverages and desserts.

  • Highlighting the textural elements of their food offerings in marketing and product descriptions, using terms that evoke the desired mouthfeel (e.g., crispy, crunchy, chewy, smooth).

  • Experimenting with global cuisines and ingredients known for their unique and appealing textures, as international snacking and Peruvian cuisine are noted for their crunch.

• Final note:

  • Core Trend: The Texture Takeover: Dominance of texture and sensory experience in emerging food trends.

  • Core Strategy: Innovate with Texture, Especially Crunch, and Highlight Sensory Experience in Marketing: Catering to evolving consumer preferences.

  • Core Industry Trend: The Growing Focus on the Multi-Sensory Experience of Food: Moving beyond just flavor to encompass texture and other sensations.

  • Core Consumer Motivation: Desire for Satisfaction, Engagement, and Comfort Through Food's Sensory Qualities: Seeking a more holistic eating experience.

  • Final Conclusion: The emergence of "crunch" as the leading food trend for 2025 signifies a broader consumer shift towards valuing the tactile and auditory aspects of eating, presenting a significant opportunity for food brands and restaurants to innovate and connect with consumers on a deeper sensory level.

Core Trend Detailed: The Texture Takeover

• Description: The Texture Takeover trend describes the increasing importance of texture and overall sensory experience in driving emerging food trends. Moving beyond just flavor, consumers are now actively seeking out specific mouthfeels like "crunch," as well as other tactile sensations, indicating a heightened focus on the physical experience of eating and a desire for foods that offer a more engaging and multi-sensory consumption.

• Key Characteristics of the Trend (summary): Consumers are increasingly prioritizing texture, particularly "crunch," and other sensory aspects in their food choices, going beyond just flavor.

• Market and Cultural Signals Supporting the Trend (summary): Whole Foods Market identifying "crunch" as the "texture of the moment," the significant increase in online discussions about "crunchy" foods reported by Tastewise, and the introduction of crunchy elements in various food categories by brands like Subway and Taco Bell all signal this trend.

• How the Trend Is Changing Consumer Behavior (summary): Consumers are now actively seeking out foods with specific textures like crunch, influencing their purchasing decisions and driving innovation in food products to meet this demand for a more engaging sensory experience.

• Implications Across the Ecosystem (For Brands and CPGs, For Retailers, For Consumers, summary):

  • For Brands and CPGs: Food manufacturers should focus on incorporating satisfying textures into product innovation and highlight these aspects in marketing.

  • For Retailers: Grocery stores and restaurants should consider featuring and promoting foods with prominent and appealing textures.

  • For Consumers: Consumers can expect to see a wider variety of food products that offer diverse and satisfying textures, enhancing their overall eating experience.

• Strategic Forecast: "The Texture Takeover" suggests that texture will continue to be a key differentiator and driver of innovation in the food industry, with perhaps other unique mouthfeels emerging as dominant trends in the future.

• Final Thought: "The Texture Takeover" is evident in the rise of "crunch" as a dominant food trend, showcasing the growing consumer emphasis on the sensory experience of eating.

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91317583/how-crunch-took-over-our-taste-buds