Login | September 18, 2025
Curated coffees and exotic flavors lead 2025 food trends
KAREN KELLY
Associated Press
Published: September 18, 2025
More than two-thirds of consumers say they have a health goal to drink more water, according to Datassential's Consumer Preferences platform. But they aren't stopping there. Conversations about hyper-personalized, hormone-based nutrition, as well as sustainable restaurant and grocery options, lead food trends in 2025.
Americans aren't just looking for healthier food options. They're looking for more flavor, more variety and new tastes, according to the Datassential survey and a comparable study from Tastewise. Affordability is taking a back seat to better taste, exotic options and water that's looking a bit different.
Taste takes center stage
Gen Z and millennials use social media more than older generations. Many see Instagram and TikTok as the best sources for news and understanding in the world. But while there is evidence these visual social media platforms aid with choosing restaurants, there's been pushback when the flavor doesn't fit the photo.
It's practically common knowledge now that millennials and Gen Z favor experiences over souvenirs. Now, as their tastes are changing, they want to make the most of those memories.
Taste is now a priority. The truth is, it probably always was, but online peer pressure may have pushed some to beautify their experiences more than they would have normally. Not every flavor is for every person, and just because this restaurant or this chef has a perfect presentation, it doesn't mean everyone's going to enjoy it.
Datassential estimates 69% of diners prioritize great taste when they're at a restaurant. And while taste ranks second behind quality at the grocery store, affordable is barely on their radar.
Instead, economical is on the back burner in favor of exotic, explosive and extraordinary. A third of American consumers want to try Haitian cuisine. The experts at Tastewise declare hawaji is the new pumpkin spice. Along with a mix of flavors reminiscent of spicy ginger, sweet cinnamon and earthy cloves, the citrusy spice made of Yemeni root is also better for your health, metabolism and immunity. Biquinho or sweety drop peppers tantalize the taste buds. These small, tear-shaped Peruvian peppers offer mild heat and sweet flavor.
Finding new flavors is also an opportunity for restaurants to embrace healthier preferences and dietary needs. What was once optional or a hassle to prepare has become the norm, whether it's gluten free or fully vegan dishes.
Decoding the labels
Allergen alerts and proper nutrition labels are another focus for 2025. Nearly three-quarters of consumers agree we need stricter guidelines for food and beverage labeling at the grocery store. Fifty-nine percent of shoppers check nutrition labels before they buy. Or at least they try to, as 37% find certifications on food items at the grocery store confusing or hard to read.
The Dataessentials report notes other countries boast front-of-package, at-a-glance nutrition information and warnings, so why isn't the United States FDA insisting on the same? The Food and Drug Administration has been discussing how to implement FOP labels and even proposed a new rule back in January, but nothing has been decided yet. Even if the proposal becomes law, many consumers worry it may not be adequately enforced.
Carbon-impact labelling is another hot-button issue. A PricewaterhouseCoopers study last year found 44% of shoppers would pay an additional 9.7% for items that list environmental impact on the label, and another 43% would consider it. More than 50% of respondents plan to increase fresh produce consumption in the coming months, and wish their local stores would offer more items targeted to specific health requirements, regardless of the cost.
Beyond cream and sugar
Three-quarters of Americans say they like or love coffee. But they're not looking for the traditional caffeinated cup of joe. Datassential found 62% of consumers are interested in trying new and unique coffee drinks, from energy drinks and protein-packed peanut butter shakes to cold brew and iced coffee.
Starbucks started as customers' third place: a location besides work and home where people could gather. In recent years, they've reduced their drive-thrus and stand-alone coffee bars to embrace it once again. That's understandable when 57% of consumers say they want global coffee and cafe cultures that include slowing down and having a sit-down coffee or treat.
Increasingly, local coffee shops step up, as customers seek out Filipino and Korean coffees to satisfy their cravings. Matcha affogatos: ice cream topped with hot matcha tea, as well as Korean sweet corn lattes and injeolmi lattes, are gaining traction. Ube lattes add more color, sweetened with purple yam syrup.
Fruitful flavor exploration is also on the rise. Rooh Afza is a South Asian concentrated herbal syrup made from rosewater, water lilies, mint and various fruits and vegetables that can be added to milk or water for a sweet, floral-tasting beverage. The dried leaves of the yerba mate tree, steeped in hot water, create an earth-flavored tea with almost as much caffeine as coffee.
Next-level watering holes
Companies have flooded the market with literally thousands of varieties of water, in the hopes that their bottle gets your buck. People still spend too much on bottled water for no apparent reason, but there is some good news. Three-quarters of Gen Z purchased a reusable water bottle in the past year, more than any other generation. Across all ages, a record 58% of consumers have purchased a reusable water bottle in the past year.
When it comes to hydration, there's no shortage of choices, but analysts insist some are here to stay, while others will disappear from store shelves sooner rather than later. Sparkling, seltzer and flavored waters fall into the first category, along with coconut and electrolyte-infused water.
Popular variations experts expect to peter out include birch water, protein-enhanced, antioxidant-infused and hydrogen-rich water. Probiotic water kefir is likely to also be a short-lived fad. On the other hand, celtic salt appears to be rapidly ascending from gym rumors to mainstream shelves.
Trending ahead
Tastes change all the time, and no one can predict with guaranteed certainty just what will dominate people's palates in the future. South Asian food may be on the rise today, and the pendulum swing back to carb-heavy Italian pasta six months from now. But if there's one thing decades of New Year's resolutions have taught us, there will always be a market for trying to eat healthier.
Karen Kelly is a nationally syndicated freelance food and travel writer and the founder of Seasonal Cravings. She is a regular contributor to MSN, Yahoo and the Associated Press.