Flavor Experience 2025

Where flavor comes to life

Top row, left to right: Showcasing modern beverage trends, Kikkoman impressed attendees with a Blueberry Seltzer & Soymilk Foam with Blueberry Teriyaki Spheres. The California Milk Advisory Board featured Cacio e Pepe Chips and Dip: California Gouda cheese and pepper crisps with a cacio e pepe mousse, garnished with caviar. Chef Jacob Sturm puts the finishing touches on Monin’s Fragrant Cured Pork Belly with Monin Yuzu Pineapple glaze, snap pea and napa cabbage slaw, pork broth-tossed glass noodles and Monin-Racha hot sauce. Bottom row, left to right: On the last day of the event, an off-site excursion brought attendees to nearby Santa Ana, offering a rich local food culture; stops included the vibrant Alta Baja Market and Lola Gaspar cocktail bar and taqueria.

Save the date for the 2026 Flavor Experience: August 2-4 at the VEA Newport Beach, Calif.

The 2025 Flavor Experience took place in August in Newport Beach, Calif., showcasing three days of flavor trends and consumer insights, along with food and beverage inspiration—all aimed at giving high-volume menu developers a roadmap to menu success in 2026 and beyond. Presented by Flavor & The Menu magazine, this singular annual event explores the ever-evolving world of flavor, marking more than two decades of inspiring innovation in foodservice.

Flavor Experience

About the Author

Katie Ayoub serves as managing editor of Flavor & The Menu and content strategist for the Flavor Experience, an annual conference geared toward chain operators. She is president of Katie Ayoub & Associates, serving up menu trends expertise, content creation and food & beverage consultancy. Based in Chicago, Katie has been working in foodservice publishing for more than 20 years and part of the Flavor team since 2006. katie.ayoub@gmail.com Read More Stories by Katie Ayoub