dsm-firmenich reveals top 2026 flavor as consumers seek calm and revitalization

“Frosted Star Anise” has been crowned by dsm-firmenich as its Flavor of the Year for 2026. This flavor draws from Pantone’s Color of the Year 2026: “Pantone Cloud Dancer,” a white hue that inspired dsm-firmenich to elevate both an ingredient and a feeling as its anticipated 2026 winning flavor. Together, these emotional indicators reflect a growing global desire for calm in an increasingly fast-paced world, notes the nutrition and health-focused company.

“Frosted Star Anise” combines the comforting warmth of star anise with a cool, frosted twist. According to dsm-firmenich, this distinctive pairing is more than flavorful — it represents a dual aspiration: peace and tranquility, embodied by star anise, and revitalization, captured in the refreshing frosted element.

Concept with a “quiet rise”

Speaking to Food Ingredients First, Jeffrey Schmoyer, VP Human Insights, Taste, Texture & Health, says: “Only 34% of consumers have knowingly tried star anise according to our internal global ingredient surveys. However, we’ve discovered that star anise is integrated into many different products and recipes, so it is actually more mainstream than one might expect.”

“2025 marks the second consecutive year with more than 1,000 products mentioning star anise, with its usage growing at a CAGR of 8.5% globally between 2022 and 2025. However, only 10% of today’s products call star anise out directly on the front of pack — a trend that we see changing as star anise’s profile rises,” he explains.

“In the hot drinks and alcoholic drinks category, which are often bellwether categories that provide early signals for flavors to come, mentions of star anise on front-of-packs are growing. We expect more products to highlight its use, particularly as today’s consumers aren’t shy about trying new flavors, so overall awareness will continue to grow.”

To make F&B products stand out, brands can even take first-mover advantage and call out a star anise ingredient story directly. “The fact that many consumers haven’t knowingly tried it is actually an opportunity for brands to define the taste in their applications through flavor design,” explains Schmoyer.

Star anise is a star-shaped spice with a sweet-spicy profile and notes of licorice, clove, and cinnamon.“One of the most interesting opportunities for brands to use star anise is to be inspired by the emotions behind the choice. These can range from abstract creations with completely new and interesting conceptual namings around the emotions of serenity and warmth, to more direct interpretations around ‘frosted,’ ‘airy,’ or ‘breath of fresh air.’ This is something that can be applied to existing flavor varieties all on their own.”

For example, peach can become “Airy Peach,” and maple can become “Frosted Maple.”

Schmoyer says that for cultures less familiar with the flavor, dsm-firmenich recommends a flavor pairing strategy where star anise is combined with more familiar ingredients. “For example, combinations could include Frosted Cinnamon and Star Anise or Sparkling Pear and Frosted Star Anise.”

Flavor with many dimensions

Star Anise is a striking, star-shaped spice with a sweet-spicy profile and notes of licorice, clove, and cinnamon. It features in global cuisines — from Vietnamese pho to Moroccan tagine, Mexican café de olla, and Chinese five-spice-inspired blends — and in comforting classics like chai, mulled wine, and jams. 

It also shines in adventurous applications such as root beer floats, BBQ sauce, and confectionery and savory dishes, where it adds complexity and aromatic depth. 

The “frosted” element introduces cooling sensations through ingredients like mint or advanced technologies, such as the company’s Freezestorm technology.

“Cooling isn’t a taste — it’s a complex sensation triggered by temperature-sensitive receptors,” says Schmoyer. “These trigeminal sensations — which also include spiciness, warming, and numbing — enhance flavor in exciting, multidimensional ways.”

“Star anise is ubiquitous yet underappreciated — it’s time this ingredient gets the attention it deserves.”

Cooling and frosted elements are also trending, especially in beverages, but increasingly in other categories, such as refreshing jellies, shaved ice, and chilled soups. 

Understanding flavor and human emotion

dsm-firmenich has developed EmotiOn, a comprehensive science and research program to understand the effects of fragrance and flavor on human emotion. 

Schmoyer says that within this program, the company can utilize consumer research, such as its Emotion360, to understand consumer perceptions of ingredients, and then further incorporate its Emotion tools, including ScentMove, into traditional consumer testing to demonstrate that these effects are delivered in products.Star anise features in global cuisines — like Vietnamese pho and Moroccan tagine — as well as classics like mulled wine and jams.

“Emotion360 is of particular relevance and our definitive, proprietary global consumer study, designed to be the industry’s premier ‘brand tracker’ for food ingredients. With a blend of science and sensory storytelling, we go beyond traditional research to unveil the deep-seated connections people forge with flavors. Through rigorous methodology and feedback from over 80,000 participants, we’ve quantified the conceptual, functional, and emotional associations that consumers instinctively form with ingredients.”

Emotion360 shows specifically that star anise can act as a “hero ingredient” to consumers to deliver a sense of soothing, relaxation, authenticity, and even spirituality.

“Our research shows star anise has emotional associations to support the calm side of a product’s emotional story. In contrast, mint and menthol consistently code to vibrant, revitalized, energized — the revitalization side. And as an alternative for fresh/cool notes, Freezestorm, our cooling technology, delivers a clean, long-lasting cooling sensation without off-notes — amplifying freshness and revitalization while preserving core flavor.”

“Put together as ‘Frosted Star Anise,’ the flavor provides warmth, soothing, and calm, as well as revitalization, creating ‘comfort wrapped in freshness,’ the blend that our Flavor of the Year narrative is built upon,” adds Schmoyer.