# Culinary Fusion v2 Long-ago Asian flavors fuse their way into traditionally Western products. By [Meghan Young](https://www.trendhunter.com/meghan) | Published Nov 12, 2007, updated Aug 10, 2010 | Category: [Unique](https://www.trendhunter.com/pro/category/unique-and-bizarre) Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/culinary-fusion-v2-long-ago-asian-flavors-fused-their-way-into-traditionall ## Key Figures - Trend score: 3.5/10 - Evidence articles: 5 ## What is the Culinary Fusion v2 trend? **Culinary Fusion v2:** Consumers are consistently hunting for novelty and ways in which they can impress other members of society with their courage. Catering to this desire are Asian food products that incorporate odd pairings, the result being unique products that would be considered strange in Western culture. Examples include crackers with wasps in them; ice cream in vegetable, jelly fish, squid gut and charcoal flavors; and salad-flavored water. ## At a Glance - Evidence: 5 featured examples - Articles from: Feb 19, 2006 to Sep 8, 2007 - Published: Nov 12, 2007 - Patterns: [Convergence](https://www.trendhunter.com/pattern/convergence), [Cyclicality](https://www.trendhunter.com/pattern/cyclicality) - Megatrends: [Hybridization](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/hybridization), [Nostalgia](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/nostalgia) ## Audience - Gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Themes within the Culinary Fusion v2 trend ### Adventurous Palates Japan's adventurous palates lead to uniquely flavored foods, particularly in traditional comfort food items. ### Novelty Food Products Consumers are consistently hunting for novelty, leading to Asian food products that incorporate odd pairings, the result being unique products that would be considered strange in Western culture. ### Clean and Colorful Packaging As food safety concerns become paramount, consumers are looking for alternative ways to intake minerals and vitamins, influencing packaging to be clean and colorful, easy for the eye to digest. ## What the Culinary Fusion v2 trend means for industry ### For Food and Beverage Food companies can push the envelope by producing traditional comfort food items with unique and adventurous flavors to inspire customers to become daredevils and build exciting word-of-mouth buzz. ### For Packaging As food safety concerns become paramount, innovative and appealing packaging that is clean and colorful can become a disruptive innovation opportunity for food and beverage companies. ### For Marketing and Advertising Using adventurous flavor profiles to cater to consumer demand for novelty, food and beverage companies can leverage marketing and advertising to build excitement and buzz around new products. ## Trend signals for Culinary Fusion v2 Trend score 3.5 out of 10, from popularity 45%, activity 53%, freshness 8%. - Popularity: 45% - Activity: 53% - Freshness: 8% ## Examples of the Culinary Fusion v2 trend 5 featured examples from Feb 19, 2006 to Sep 8, 2007. - [Drinkable Lettuce](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/salad-flavoured-water): Salad Water Makes Staying Healthy Taste Green (Category: Unique) Implication: The food packaging industry can explore clean and colorful packaging solutions to cater to consumers' demand for alternative food intake. - [Ice Cucumber Soda](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/big-in-japan-pepsis-ice-cucumber-soda): Pepsi's Veggie Pop Gets Big in Japan (Category: World) Implication: Disruptive innovation opportunities lie in experimenting with new flavors and formulations to meet the ever-changing consumer preferences and demands in Japan's competitive bevera… - [Wasp Rice Crackers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wasp-rice-crackers): Buzzing In Tokyo (Category: Unique) Implication: The food and beverage industry can explore and capitalize on unconventional food trends and cater to adventurous eaters. - [Fishy Ice Cream Flavors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jellyfish-ice-cream): The Jellyfish Ice Cream is Popular in Japan (Category: Lifestyle) Implication: Opportunity for food and beverage companies to develop and market unconventional ice cream flavors to cater to adventurous consumers. - [Unusual Icecream Flavours](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/squid-gut-charcoal-unusual-icecream-flavours): Squid Gut & Charcoal (Category: Lifestyle) Implication: The food manufacturing industry has the opportunity to innovate by experimenting with unconventional flavors and creating unique products that cater to adventurous consumers. ## Recent trend clusters - [Sugar Moderation](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/sugar-moderation) (Lifestyle) - [Luxury Electrification](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/luxury-electrification) (Autos) - [Effortless Rounds](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/golf-training-devices) (Lifestyle) - [Flavor Rotation](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/rotating-bakery-menu) (Lifestyle) ## Trending in Unique - [Pickle-Flavored Iced Coffees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dill-pickle-iced-coffee) - [K Beauty-Inspired Hydrogel Masks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hydrogel-face-masks1) All articles: [Unique](https://www.trendhunter.com/unique)