McCormick For Chefs has unveiled the 22nd Edition of the Flavor Forecast, the brand’s yearly report on the latest trends influencing the way we cook, flavor, and eat. 

After an extensive, year-long research process involving flavor experts across five worldwide regions, McCormick has uncovered three themes in the 22nd Flavor Forecast:

• Food Stories recognizes both a flavor and the story behind it. From professional chefs and restaurant operators to the grandmothers passing down recipes to keep generational techniques alive, this year’s food story celebrates the power of women in food and flavor in a contemporary way.
• Plus Sweet looks at how sweetness finds new dimensions through subtle and unexpected flavor combinations. Consumers are moving away from overly sweet tastes and incorporating a symphony of other flavors to achieve surprisingly balanced results.  
• Time as a Luxury Ingredient highlights time as an irreplicable and precious ingredient, after periods of isolation and reflection have put the value of time into perspective. Many are rethinking the ways they use time in food, whether investing it to build flavor or finding smart shortcuts to spend quality time outside the kitchen. 

For the first time in the Flavor Forecast’s 22-year history, McCormick will bring the trend report to life through a groundbreaking pop-up hospitality experience. This May, McCormick will launch the Flavor Suite, a vibrant reimagining of the hotel experience that infuses the Flavor Forecast’s themes into every corner. In partnership with Omni Berkshire Place, the iconic and historic hotel steps away from Central Park, McCormick will transform the luxurious, 1,000-square foot Rodgers & Hammerstein Suite into a creative and multisensory destination with interactive interior design and whimsical but flavorful amenities. McCormick will also give flavor adventurers a chance to win a two-night weekend stay at the hotel, from May 20, 2022 through May 22, 2022, including one night in the Flavor Suite.

From the moment guests enter the Flavor Suite, they’ll find eye-catching décor, intricate textiles, and vivid colors inspired by Egypt and India, two countries with rich culinary histories. To create this immersive environment, McCormick tapped the expertise of two women who inspired this year’s Food Stories trend with their soulful interpretations of regional foods: Monica Saxena, the founder of award-winning Indian restaurant aRoqa in New York City, and Iman Moussa, a pioneer of plant-based Egyptian cuisine at Koshary Corner in Clarksville, Maryland.

The Flavor Suite will also feature zany and crave-worthy amenities that highlight the Flavor Forecast themes:

• A retro bedside phone will offer Sundae Service at the push of a button, delivering ice cream on-demand with a Plus Sweet-inspired toppings bar. Adventurers can mix and match toppings like gomashio, a Japanese condiment made with sesame and salt, or chamoy, a Mexican sauce made with pickled fruits and chile peppers, for complex and unpredictable layers of sweetness.
• The Time Out Mini Bar will serve mindful cocktails and mocktails that showcase the power of time. While guests sip on Blood Orange & Beet Margaritas and other infusions, aromas of green tea and lemongrass promote a relaxing experience.
• Whether guests are looking for photo-worthy moments or a good night’s sleep, the magical king-sized ice cream bed will rise to the occasion with adorable dessert-inspired bedding, pillow props, and a scratch-and-sniff headboard enveloping guests in Plus Sweet scents.
• An edible wall will encourage guests to broaden their horizons and palates as they taste regional snacks pinned to a world map.

“For over two decades, the world has looked forward to McCormick’s Flavor Forecast for the big emerging trends in the culinary world, and we’re excited to take it to new heights,” said Chief Marketing Officer Jill Pratt. “The trends identified this year highlight the people, flavors, and ingredients both near and far that are so often overlooked. Through the Flavor Suite, we hope to create not just a fun-filled experience, but also whet an appetite for the world of flavors out there.”

Those inspired by the Flavor Forecast can immerse themselves in the trends outside of the Flavor Suite in many ways. From now until the end of May, locals and travelers alike can stop by Berk’s Bar in Omni Berkshire Place for a Blood Orange & Beet Margarita, a sweet and earthy cocktail made with infused sours inspired by Time as a Luxury Ingredient. 

In another first, McCormick has also created new consumer products inspired by the Flavor Forecast for its Flavor Inspirations line, which features an eclectic mix of limited-edition seasonings with imaginative flavors. Available to order at shop.mccormick.com, two limited-edition seasoning blends inspired by the Plus Sweet trend, Vanilla, Lime & Thyme and Miso Caramel, will allow the flavor-curious to discover stunning flavors in the comfort of their kitchens. 

Anyone craving the Flavor Suite experience can enter the sweepstakes beginning April 26, 2022 until May 10, 2022 through McCormick’s Flavor Maker App, available on iOS and Android. For more details about the Flavor Suite and a deeper dive into this year’s Flavor Forecast trends, click here.