Clearwater, Fl. (January 6, 2025) – Monin sets the tone for 2025 with a brilliantly bold Flavor of the Year: Yuzu. Popular in Japanese and Korean cuisines, yuzu is a citrus fruit with a captivating and complex flavor profile. Bursting with notes of mandarin, grapefruit, and lemon, it can be a premium replacement for lemon or lime, or shine as the star of cocktail, tea, and culinary creations. After in-depth consumer research, Monin predicts yuzu to gain even more popularity in 2025 due to its vibrant taste, versatility, and visual appeal. Made with real fruit particulates and no artificial ingredients, Monin Yuzu Purée makes it easy for operators and consumers to infuse this elevated citrus into cocktails, mocktails, lemonades, and culinary applications.
Yuzu Purée delivers authentic yuzu flavor, rich texture, and a lively yellow hue that enhances any dish or drink. This versatile citrus adds depth to sweet or savory cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, marinades, sauces, and more. Yuzu Purée is a simple yet premium solution for operators seeking to craft delicious, visually appealing yuzu creations.
Yuzu is commonly grown across Japan and is a staple in several East Asian cuisines. Today, its prominence has surged in the Western Hemisphere, growing by nearly 30% on U.S. menus in the past four years. It is expected to outpace 96% of all other foods, beverages, and ingredients through 2028 (Datassential). Similarly, both next-gen citrus and island flavors such as yuzu, mandarin, guava, and starfruit will continue to see proliferation, with 57% of U.S. fruit consumers showing interest in exotic and tropical fresh fruits (FMCG Gurus).
“Yuzu is a vibrant fruit, in both flavor and color. Its premium, sophisticated citrus profile elevates beverage and culinary creations,” says Stasha Johnston, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Monin Americas. “Monin Yuzu Purée perfectly captures that authentic yuzu flavor in an easy-to-use format, allowing operators and consumers to create flavorful, globally inspired recipes with minimal prep and maximum enjoyment. As social media trends continue to shape bar and restaurant menus, patrons are searching for dishes and drinks that are just as photo-worthy as they are unique. Yuzu delivers on all fronts, blending fresh citrus with delicate floral notes for a vibrant, unforgettable flavor that customers will want to experience time and time again.”
For a decade, Monin has undergone an extensive annual process of collecting and analyzing emerging trends, consumer insights, and industry data to determine the flavors that will trend throughout the upcoming year. As outlined in their 2025 Flavor Trends, Monin found that consumers are seeking authentic flavors, modern takes on comfort foods, and natural energy alternatives inspired by seasonality, social media trends, and more. With an eye on seasonality and sustainability, the “From Seed to Sip” trend demonstrates that operators can experiment by pairing fresh local herbs, florals, and exotic citrus—like yuzu—with more well-known fruit flavors such as peach, coconut, and blueberry to create unique, seasonal offerings that consumers desire. By highlighting the origins of novel ingredients, like yuzu’s East Asian roots, operators can craft compelling stories to transform each sip into an unforgettable experience and foster deeper connections with patrons.
“Yuzu is an exotic flavor that is gaining popularity on both beverage and culinary menus. Its versatility has made it a favorite among chefs and mixologists,” says Bill Lombardo, CEO of Monin Americas. "As consumers increasingly seek globally inspired flavors, we're excited to name Yuzu our 2025 Flavor of the Year. Monin Yuzu Purée enhances everything from lemonades and teas to cocktails and numerous culinary dishes. We look forward to helping operators deliver this great flavor to their guests.”
Monin consistently predicts trending flavors year over year, including the 2023 Flavor of the Year, Hot Honey Syrup, which aligned with the “swicy” trend highlighted in the brand’s “Spice Heist” Flavor Trend prediction. Anticipating the rise of Asian and Central American flavors, Monin selected Ube Syrup as its 2024 Flavor of the Year, citing its “Flavor Journey” trend as the ingredient gained popularity in North America. Now, we will continue to see the influence of Asian flavors on American menus in 2025 with Yuzu.
ABOUT MONIN GOURMET FLAVORINGS:
Founded in 1912 in Bourges, France, and family-owned and operated for three generations, Monin is the premier provider of flavoring products for creating specialty beverages and elevated culinary solutions. With manufacturing facilities on three continents and product availability in more than 150 countries, Monin is recognized as the leading global flavor solution provider. For more information, visit monin.us.
