There are tastes that we recognize almost without thinking. A creamy vanilla, a freshly baked cookie, a ripe banana or a sweet strawberry can take us back in a matter of seconds to a time, a person or a specific moment in our lives. It is not just a matter of taste: the aroma, the texture, the appearance and the context also form part of that memory.

The link between food and memory has a sensory and emotional basis. Taste and smell work together as we eat or drink, while our brain integrates those signals with information from previous experiences. In particular, olfactory stimuli have a close relationship with autobiographical memory and can evoke especially vivid recollections.

That is where part of the appeal of nostalgia comes from in the development of flavors for food and beverages. But returning to the past does not necessarily mean repeating a recipe; a point of reference can take another form. A vanilla can become more toasted, a cookie profile can emphasize different baking notes and a fruit can be taken towards a more ripe, intense or sweet expression.

An interesting opportunity arises for those who develop products. Familiar flavors have a recognizable starting point, but they can also open up space for new combinations, formats and categories. The key is to identify what makes a profile familiar and work from there to create a new expression.

At Cramer, we explore precisely those possibilities: flavors that activate memories for the consumer and that can continue to tell new stories in current products.

Because some flavors never go out of style. They just find new ways to stay with us.

 

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