Going to restaurants lets me experience food trends as they emerge, and a wide variety of foods, flavors and cuisines, which ultimately helps inform a lot of my projects as a Master Flavorist. From fast food burgers and pizza to five-star dining, I love to eat out. And if it’s smothered in cheese? It’s over.
So, when I was asked to develop a sharp white cheddar flavor that replicates real cheese in a snack application, I jumped at the opportunity! It would be a challenge to recreate the flavor because the snack uses actual cheese, which has a strong, toasted cheese note. With analytical support, creativity and sensory guidance I was able to recreate the “signature” profile in the new application, an extruded corn snack.
I may be biased, but this white sharp cheddar flavor really delivers. You get sharp, sour cheese notes up front with a strong, toasty white cheddar cheese flavor that ends in lingering creamy, toasted, buttery cheese flavor.
This current dry form offers versatility as it is delicious in snacks as a topical application or can be incorporated into dry soup or baking mixes like biscuits and breads. Delivered as a liquid water or oil soluble flavor it could enhance dressings (cheesy bacon ranch anyone?), dips and even icings or snack fillings, like frozen bagels, pizza rolls and so much more.
So now that we know it tastes really, really good, why would you use a topically applied cheese flavor like this one compared to real cheese?
Feeling inspired? To deliver the profile of comforting cheese to your applications, contact your McCormick account manager or contact us today.