Flavor of the Month: Lemon Thyme Caramel

Highlights:

• Lemon is a common flavor in beverages and desserts.
• Thyme is mostly used in savory dishes, but works well with lemon in sweeter foods.
• Caramel is a classic flavor used in a variety of sweet treats. 

Lemon Thyme Caramel Surprises and Delights

Citrus flavors are a fun and refreshing favorite, while botanical flavors like thyme are trending. But you also need something for comfort in the cooler months. Blending lemon and thyme with caramel warms everything up and gives consumers the indulgent experience they’re looking for with a touch of sophistication.

What Each Flavor Brings

To understand what each flavor contributes to this unique flavor combination, here’s a look at each one.

Lemon

Lemon is bright, sweet, fragrant, tart, and refreshing. Like other citrus fruit flavors, lemon flavor is also a popular choice in immunity products (such as functional beverages fortified with vitamin C) due to the immunity associations of citrus fruits. 

The taste of lemon can be found in beverages ranging from sports and energy drinks to kombuchas and herbal teas but is also important for desserts like sorbet and lemon meringue pie. In addition, lemon is also a top choice for pairing with delicate botanical flavors such as lavender or thyme.

Thyme

Thyme is a Mediterranean herb that’s part of the mint family. Besides its culinary applications, thyme is also used in aromatherapy and traditional herbal medicine due to the properties of thymol, a key component of thyme oil. Thyme has a sharp taste that’s earthy and slightly bitter, with minty and floral notes.

Thyme is often used in savory dishes, including meat and seafood, soups and sauces, and a variety of cooked vegetables from green beans to eggplant. While it’s most associated with entrees and side dishes, thyme is no stranger to the dessert world. In fact, its pairing with lemon in lemon thyme shortbread cookies may be its most popular sweet application.

Caramel

Caramel is a classic flavor for the fall months, providing consumers comfort and nostalgia through a wide range of sweet, indulgent products. This sweet, brown flavor is a favorite in confections and desserts of all kinds, including caramel candies, dessert sauces and fillings, and puddings.

Caramel can also be used to give a luscious candy coating to just about anything, turning popcorn into caramel corn and apples into caramel apples. To make caramel, sugar is slowly heated until it develops a rich taste and golden brown color. Milk, butter, and vanilla are often added to enhance the flavor and function of caramel.

Bringing It All Together

Combining lemon, thyme, and caramel creates a flavor with a variety of potential applications. Hot and cold beverages, baked goods and bars, confections, and frozen desserts are just a few examples. The top use showing up right now for lemon thyme caramel is as a sauce to top ice cream and to candy-coat popcorn and nuts—essentially as an upscale caramel or caramel with a twist.

As we move into the cooler months, flavors like lemon thyme caramel are perfect for seasonal products and limited time offerings as a way to grab consumers’ attention and give them a little taste adventure without straying too far from the familiar. 

Here at Glanbia Nutritionals, we have all the flavors you need—from beloved classics to the newest trends. Learn how our flavor solutions can work for you!