Going Global With Walnuts

To satisfy the evolving tastes of consumers, many food and beverage companies are increasingly exploring global culinary concepts. And for good reason: recent research from ​​Datassential suggests that nearly half of U.S. consumers have eaten a globally influenced food in the past week.

To successfully bring the flavors of the world back home, formulators must strike a balance between the new and the familiar, says Keith Seiz, who works in Food Manufacturing and Innovation at the California Walnut Board. And walnuts, he adds, with their unique taste and texture, can help them do just that.

What is driving consumer demand toward global concepts?

Consumers are getting more adventurous, and it’s creating a lane for more of these global foods to make their way into the U.S. market. Yet, as we’re seeing greater amplification of global tastes, we also see that often consumers also want that familiar note in a food item before they will embrace it. That’s why so many food manufacturers are leaning on familiar ingredients, like walnuts, to help consumers bridge that gap.

What kind of products are we seeing in the market to illustrate such a bridge?

One of the great thing​s​ about walnuts is that they’ve been part of global cuisine for millennia. You can find walnuts in Middle Eastern foods like muhammara dips, Mediterranean pesto sauces, and Japanese bakery desserts. And more and more, we are seeing those products on store shelves.

What are the greatest opportunities for innovation in global culinary concepts formulated using walnuts?

The biggest opportunity is going to be snacking. Walnuts have been confined to the baking aisle for quite a while, but there is a huge opportunity to introduce global flavors through seasoned walnuts. Walnuts aren’t like other nuts, which are uniform in shape. They are craggy—they have nooks and crannies—and they can really hold on to the seasoning. That makes them a great vehicle for something like, say, a furikake seasoning, because the walnut can absorb these great flavors into it. A great innovation platform will be using walnuts as a delivery system for global spices.

Walnuts also provide a huge opportunity for product developers because they come in so many formats. You have walnut halves and pieces, but you also have butters and creams that can be used in new formulations. Walnut creams are already used globally, especially in Asia, to thicken a soup or a curry. So, using walnut creams instead of heavy cream is a big opportunity for developers to add new flavors and features to products.

What are the challenges?

You need to make sure you are balancing flavors. People love walnuts because of their unique flavor. They are slightly savory, slightly sweet. They are really complex—and that requires product developers to think about how to incorporate their natural flavor into whatever they are making.

It’s an opportunity for product developers to take something with such a complex, earthy flavor and use it to complement whatever it is we want to make. It’s not a neutral ingredient, but it provides such a wonderful flavor for curries, Mexican mole sauces, and other global foods. That’s because of its nature: Walnuts really soak up flavors.

How do you see walnut innovation in global culinary concepts expanding in the future?

I think we’ll see an expansion in different formats for walnuts. Right now, the food industry tends to mainly buy halves, pieces, and some walnut flour. As we move forward, I think we’ll see newer formats, particularly the commercialization of walnut creams that can be used in soups and pastries.

Walnuts have so many nutritional benefits—they are the only nut that is an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) omega-3 fatty acids with 2.5 grams/ounce*—as well as a great flavor. So, using them in different creams offers multiple advantages.

I also expect to see more skinless walnuts in the future. Last year, a new snack product called Doosra came out. It is the first U.S. brand to use a skinless walnut, which gives it a sweeter flavor profile, and it’s delicious in this walnut, dark chocolate, and chickpea snack mix. And it’s such a cool product because it really illustrates how you can use walnuts to bring these new global favors to the American consumer.

*A one-ounce serving of walnuts provides 18 grams of total fat, “healthy fats” including 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat and 13 grams of polyunsaturated fat ​(including 2.5 grams of plant-based omega-3 ALA)​ and 1.5 grams of saturated fat.

Learn More

Get more insight into the potential of walnuts to support global culinary concepts.

And join us for a webinar on August 20, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. CT, where nutrition scientist Tricia Psota and food industry expert Keith Seiz will explore how walnuts can help manufacturers create products aligned with current consumer trends, dietary guidance, and market opportunities.

Register for the Webinar