Six months into a global pandemic and safe-at-home quarantine orders, most Americans have dropped travel plans and dramatically reduced away-from-home dining. However, their culinary wanderlust is stronger than ever, judging by regional and global flavors that are still taking off on restaurant menus.

With flavor being the product of a complicated, multilayered collection of ingredients and chemical compounds that interact as aromas and individual flavor notes in synchronicity, the task of masking one specific flavor note can be difficult. A greater challenge for today’s processors is that the technique applied must be low-cost, allergen-free, and naturally derived (clean-label), and the result must survive processing.

Plant-based milk alternatives have been around for many decades. Primarily, they’ve come in the form of soy and almond milks and have been mostly consumed by a “crunchy” crowd of consumers. In the past few years, however, retailers and restaurants alike have seen a swift rise in nut milks, coconut milk and most recently, oat milk. These growing options are all tied into greater consumer demand for plant-based alternatives.

Prepared Foods talks plant-based seafood trends, tastes and technology with Chad Sarno, co-founder and chief culinary officer at Good Catch Foods, part of Gathered Foods, New York, N.Y. A 44-year food industry veteran, Sarno describes himself as a “plant pushing chef, restaurant and food service consultant, culinary innovator, creative resource, brand builder, plant-based product developer, cookbook author and co-founder of Wicked Healthy, LLC.” Sarno co-founded Good Catch Foods in 2017.

While several factors have been driving interest in plant-based analogs of meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy, the phenomenal explosion in such options that the market is experiencing today came from a perfect convergence of two indispensable factors, technology and demand.

Recent events have not only driven consumers to seek ways of staying healthy but pulled the mental health side of mind-body wellness to the forefront. The stress of having lives and routines (and incomes) disrupted, illnesses threatening or even invading the family, and social isolation has led to an unprecedented 40% of US adults reporting that they’re struggling with mental health problems.

Today’s consumer recognizes that Asian Cuisine is made of a complex web of interrelated relationships of molecular compounds, ingredients, cooking methods and techniques within cultural contexts that are at the same time unique and similar in resulting flavor experiences.

Prepared cooking sauces remain popular for consumers and represent a $190 million category; up +6% versus prior year (Nielsen: Total U.S. x AOC 52 Weeks Ending 4/25/20). With exception of 2020’s shelter-in-place, Americans are spending less time preparing meals at home and cooking sauces represent a convenient alternative to creating recipes from scratch.

Consumer palates are becoming more adventurous and sophisticated. The holistic health and wellness movement has been a key driver in evolving flavor preferences because consumers are more willing to try ingredients with inherently functional benefits. To create a health halo around products, brands are incorporating fresh fruit flavors, botanicals and superfoods into beverages.