# Functional Chai Brands are launching foods made with chai for health benefits and flavors. By [Colin Smith](https://www.trendhunter.com/Colin96), Senior Insights Analyst | Published Aug 14, 2023 | Category: [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/pro/category/business-trends) Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/functional-chai ## Key Figures - Trend score: 5.0/10 - Evidence articles: 5 ## What is the Functional Chai trend? **Functional Chai:** CPG brands and restaurants are launching foods made with chai ingredients. Chai is popular in drinks for its strong, spicy, floral flavor, and its health benefits. This is now being made available to non-tea-drinkers in the form of snacks, breakfast bars, bakery items, and packaged goods. ## The consumer insight behind the Functional Chai trend The modern consumer in North America has countless flavors from international locations available to them for snacks, drinks, and foods. These consumers are willing to try new flavors, pairings, or interpretations of recipes, to find a new flavor, with priority given to functional foods. Some of the most popular flavors for drinks, such as chai tea or blue curacao in alcohol, are often only found in beverages, making it difficult for certain customers to ever try these flavors. ## At a Glance - Evidence: 5 featured examples - Articles from: Oct 27, 2022 to Jun 20, 2023 - Published: Aug 14, 2023 - Patterns: [Convergence](https://www.trendhunter.com/pattern/convergence), [Redirection](https://www.trendhunter.com/pattern/redirection) - Megatrends: [Co-creation](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/co-creation), [Hybridization](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/hybridization), [Experience](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/experience) ## Audience - Gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Themes within the Functional Chai trend ### Functional Foods The popularity of functional foods is driving the launch of chai-infused snacks, breakfast bars, and packaged goods, providing consumers with both flavor and health benefits. ### International Flavor Exploration Consumers in North America are increasingly willing to try new flavors and interpretations of recipes from around the world, creating opportunities for brands to introduce chai-inspired products to non-tea-drinkers. ### Mushroom Infused Products Health-conscious consumers are turning to mushroom-infused food and beverage products, like mushroom protein bars, for stress relief, clarity of thought, and overall physical and immune health. ## What the Functional Chai trend means for industry ### For CPG CPG brands are launching chai-infused snacks and packaged goods, tapping into the trend of functional foods and international flavor exploration. ### For Restaurant Restaurants are incorporating chai ingredients into their menus, offering non-tea-drinkers the opportunity to try the popular flavor in different forms. ### For Health and Wellness Health and wellness brands are introducing mushroom-infused products, like protein bars, to cater to consumers seeking stress relief, clarity of thought, and overall physical and immune health. ## Workshop question How could your brand transform traditional or cultural flavors into new products and offerings for the modern consumer? ## Trend signals for Functional Chai Trend score 5.0 out of 10, from popularity 68%, activity 66%, freshness 17%. - Popularity: 68% - Activity: 66% - Freshness: 17% ## Examples of the Functional Chai trend 5 featured examples from Oct 27, 2022 to Jun 20, 2023. - [Mushroom Protein Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mushroom-protein-bar): Balanced Tiger's Bars Have 1,500mg of Functional Mushrooms (Category: Lifestyle) Implication: This industry can explore further the use of functional mushrooms as an ingredient to produce snacks and beverages that cater to the health-conscious trend. - [Chai-Inspired Breakfast Sets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/breakfast-set): The Breakfast Set by Dona Includes Three Chai-infused Products (Category: Marketing) Implication: Opportunity for food and beverage companies to innovate and create unique products by infusing chai flavors. - [Pain Relief Chocolates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-functional-chocolate-company): Painfree Chocolate Helps to Ease Everyday Aches, Pains & Inflammation (Category: Lifestyle) Implication: Functional chocolates represent a disruptive innovation opportunity for chocolate manufacturers who can tap into the growing market of health-conscious consumers by offering produ… - [Heritage-Inspired Breakfast Biscuits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/south-asian-inspired-biscuits): Kanira's South Asian-Inspired Biscuits Feature Pearl Millet (Category: Lifestyle) Implication: Food companies could gain a competitive edge by utilizing locally-sourced, climate-smart crops and unique flavors like those found in Kanira's South Asian-inspired breakfast biscu… - [Asian-Inspired Snack Cups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sun-butter-chocolate-cups): These Sun-Butter Chocolate Cups Feature Globally Inspired Fillings (Category: Lifestyle) Implication: Food manufacturers can explore innovative recipes and production techniques to create allergy-friendly and globally inspired snack products. ## Recent trend clusters - [Autumn Teasers](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/autumn-teasers) (Business) - [Errand Leisure](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/errand-leisure) (Business) - [Category Mashups](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/category-mashups) (Business) - [Automated Upkeep](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/automated-upkeep) (Tech) ## Trending in Business - [Performance-Based Creator Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/creator-ad-platforms) - [Repairable Hardshell Jackets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sperro-sv) - [Natural Deodorant Expansions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/target-beauty-studios) - [Mini Beauty Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/little-luxuries-store) All articles: [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business)