The plant-based category has been growing steadily for the past few years, and it’s a trend I’m heavily engaged with. I consider myself a foodie by nature – cooking, baking and traveling the world to explore different culinary trends … I love it all. Being a part of the product development world at McCormick’s Technical Innovation Center is really like going to work at a playground everyday for me. My passion for food and flavor just instantly takes flight as I explore, create and transform new ideas into products for the supermarket shelves.
One of my main responsibilities includes the privilege of working with our Process Flavors Team to transform raw ingredients into truly aromatic, tasty flavors that can be added and top noted into seasonings. This process results in some seriously delicious snacks and food products. I’ve had the pleasure of working on projects that transform a plant-based jerky or patties into wildly meat-like items.
A goal of one of my more recent projects was trying to transform a plant-based patty with the flavor of a freshly grilled piece of steak. I used a variety of herbs and spices to come up with a balanced, flavorful seasoning. A meaty vegan flavor from our Process Flavors Team helped add the depth of fatty, juicy, mouthwatering, seared and grilled notes to perfectly mimic the taste of a freshly grilled steak. It was delicious! As a fun little enhancement, I like adding a ‘wok’ flavor on top of any seared profile request. This trick always increases the depth of a seasoning giving it those craveable caramelized, fatty, seared notes.
Feeling inspired? To ensure your plant-based solutions deliver a savory, rich flavor profile, get in touch with McCormick, contact us today.
